Ohio's Golf Magazine May 2009 : Page 22

Power in the Golf Swing by Steve Parker As each new golf season approaches, many golfers start the year out with the idea of improving their golf games. As a teaching profes- sional, I often meet people whose goals include gaining more distance, but they have no idea where to start. In this article, I hope to share some perspective on two fundamentals consistently appearing in the golf swings of players where distance and power is a natural part of their game. These fundamentals will help to explain why a major emphasis in golf conditioning programs is core training and strengthening. The first fundamental is how longer hitters all make a good pivot on the backswing and how they avoid over using their arms in an effort to create speed and power on the downswing. Other terms that are often synonymous with the term “pivot” are “turn,” “weight shift” or “turning behind the ball.” Based on my experience, the best players make a good pivot when they turn their torso against a braced right leg and stay centered over the ball. Why is it important to make a good pivot? A good backswing pivot will allow for the club to swing on plane, setting up an efficient and powerful downswing, which is essential to generating club head speed and increased distance. Elements of a proper Pivot • Turn the upper body against a braced right leg, where your weight stays on the inside of the right foot. The feeling created with a good pivot feels like you are leaning to your left off the inside of your right leg. For those golfers who fail to make a good pivot, they are forced to try and generate speed with their arms and hands. Right hip works backward as opposed to laterally. Too often people interpret a weight shift as moving off the golf ball, onto their right leg, where the right hip would move laterally. A great way to demonstrate this is by assuming your address position, without a golf club, and imagining a pull-start lawnmower on the ground in front of you. While maintaining your posture, reach for the cord and act like you are starting the mower by pulling the cord, now notice how the right arm and hip work backwards for the needed strength. For two examples of a good pivot take a close look at old photos of Jack icklaus and particularly Ben Hogan, ou will notice how well braced they ere with their right leg. How they kept their head centered over the golf ball. I’ve even heard some people refer to Hogan as having a reverse pivot. However, both Nicklaus and Hogan were known as some of the longest players in their day. Courtesy of Practical Golf by Ken Bowden 22 MAY 2009 • WWW.OHIOSGOLF.COM The second fundamental to gaining more distance is to relax the arms and allow the power to come from the inside-out. One of the most common swing faults among players of all ability levels is the urge to generate power by using their arms and hands. The average golfer feels like they can generate more power and speed by swinging faster and/or harder with their arms and hands. The truth is, power in the golf swing comes from the inside out. It is generated by making a good coil on the backswing and then unwinding or rotating on the forward swing. As the body pivots on the forward swing, the arms follow and power is transferred through the arms, down the shaft, to the club head. For those golfers who fail to make a good pivot, they are forced to try and generate speed with their arms and hands. The result is usually an “over-the- top” swing where the left arm bows or forms a “chicken wing” in the finish with little or no extension. Here is a simple way to feel how relaxed arms will work faster and smoother. First, make two fists, squeeze them as tight as possible and attempt to move your forearms. Next, relax your fists and see how much easier your forearms and hands will flow. This little example should make it easy to understand the need for your arms to stay relaxed. By making a good pivot and keeping your arms relaxed, you will generate more club head speed with less effort, and better balance. One final thought to help understand the idea of the power coming from the inside-out; the dog wags the tail, the tail doesn’t wag the dog. Steve Parker is the Director of Instruction at Firestone Country Club in Akron, OH, as well as, the Executive Director of The First Tee of Akron, a youth development organization focused on teaching life skills through the game of golf. Steve is an Akron native who brings more than 15 years of experience as a golf instructor to Firestone C.C. A graduate of Kent State University, he served as the first full-time Men’s Golf Coach at the University of Akron. Steve serves on the Board of Directors of the Northern Ohio Section of the PGA and was recently named the 2009 Teacher of the Year by the NOPGA. OG

Tips From The Pro

Steve Parker

As each new golf season approaches, many golfers start the year out with the idea of improving their golf games. As a teaching professional, I often meet people whose goals include gaining more distance, but they have no idea where to start. In this article, I hope to share some perspective on two fundamentals consistently appearing in the golf swings of players where distance and power is a natural part of their game. These fundamentals will help to explain why a major emphasis in golf conditioning programs is core training and strengthening. The first fundamental is how longer hitters all make a good pivot on the backswing and how they avoid over using their arms in an effort to create speed and power on the downswing. Other terms that are often synonymous with the term “pivot” are “turn,” “weight shift” or “turning behind the ball.” Based on my experience, the best players make a good pivot when they turn their torso against a braced right leg and stay centered over the ball. Why is it important to make a good pivot? A good backswing pivot will allow for the club to swing on plane, setting up an efficient and powerful downswing, which is essential to generating club head speed and increased distance. Elements of a proper Pivot • Turn the upper body against a braced right leg, where your weight stays on the inside of the right foot. The feeling created with a good pivot feels like you are leaning to your left off the inside of your right leg. • Right hip works backward as opposed to laterally. Too often people interpret a weight shift as moving off the golf ball, onto their right leg, where the right hip would move laterally. A great way to demonstrate this is by assuming your address position, without a golf club, and imagining a pull-start lawnmower on the ground in front of you. While maintaining your posture, reach for the cord and act like you are starting the mower by pulling the cord, now notice how the right arm and hip work backwards for the needed strength. For two examples of a good pivot take a close look at old photos of Jack Nicklaus and particularly Ben Hogan, you will notice how well braced they were with their right leg. How they kept their head centered over the golf ball. I’ve even heard some people refer to Hogan as having a reverse pivot. However, both Nicklaus and Hogan were known as some of the longest players in their day. The second fundamental to gaining more distance is to relax the arms and allow the power to come from the inside-out. One of the most common swing faults among players of all ability levels is the urge to generate power by using their arms and hands. The average golfer feels like they can generate more power and speed by swinging faster and/or harder with their arms and hands. The truth is, power in the golf swing comes from the inside out. It is generated by making a good coil on the backswing and then unwinding or rotating on the forward swing. As the body pivots on the forward swing, the arms follow and power is transferred through the arms, down the shaft, to the club head. For those golfers who fail to make a good pivot, they are forced to try and generate speed with their arms and hands. The result is usually an “over-thetop” swing where the left arm bows or forms a “chicken wing” in the finish with little or no extension. Here is a simple way to feel how relaxed arms will work faster and smoother. First, make two fists, squeeze them as tight as possible and attempt to move your forearms. Next, relax your fists and see how much easier your forearms and hands will flow. This little example should make it easy to understand the need for your arms to stay relaxed. By making a good pivot and keeping your arms relaxed, you will generate more club head speed with less effort, and better balance. One final thought to help understand the idea of the power coming from the inside-out; the dog wags the tail, the tail doesn’t wag the dog. Steve Parker is the Director of Instruction at Firestone Country Club in Akron, OH, as well as, the Executive Director of The First Tee of Akron, a youth development organization focused on teaching life skills through the game of golf. Steve is an Akron native who brings more than 15 years of experience as a golf instructor to Firestone C.C. A graduate of Kent State University, he served as the first full-time Men’s Golf Coach at the University of Akron. Steve serves on the Board of Directors of the Northern Ohio Section of the PGA and was recently named the 2009 Teacher of the Year by the NOPGA.

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