For a lot of us golfers there is a lack of strength or knowledge of what makes the golf swing so powerful. Well in all of my years of playing and teaching golf, I have found it impossible to beat
For a lot of us golfers there is a lack of strength or knowledge of what makes the golf swing so powerful. Well in all of my years of playing and teaching golf, I have found it impossible to beat the movement of the big muscles. The big muscles simply move more powerfully and are also easier to train, as compared to using the endless network of small muscles.
Small muscles get tired during the course of a round of golf and then there is a lot of compromising going on in the golf swing movement. If you are making bogies and others on the way into the clubhouse — not pars and birdies — you may very well be the victim of small muscle fatigue.
A perfect example of efficiency is the swing of Ernie Els. His recent victory at the British Open is further evidence of a big muscle swing at its best. The “Big Easy” hits it a long way with little apparent effort. It’s hard to write any article and not include the swing of Tiger. Its simple, its clean; its big muscles.
For sake of definition let’s identify them as the shoulders, the chest, and the hips. The supporting members are the arms and the legs.
The hands are one of the most significant power-robbers in the swing. We are all handsy people by nature so we have to learn to keep them supportive in the golf swing ~ hands are connectors, not energizers.
Ask your golf instructor to show you how the hands work and what drills you can learn to help tap into this distance thing. You’ll soon discover it has little to do with pure muscle strength. If you don’t have a G.I. call me and I’ll be more than happy to book a lesson for you. 245 7849.
Today’s Golf Tip
— When you tee the ball, first decide on the line of direction and then line up behind a identifiable spot on the tee box ~ now stick your peg in the ground in line with it, maybe about 6″ behind it. This will help you from accidentally aiming into the “oh no” zone.
Coming next week… The hands and how to Grip it and Swing it.
…jbcodde is the founder of Codde Golf and a club designer of International recognition. His studio is in the Lihue Town Plaza on Rice Street here in Lihue. Jb’s famous for his “Tall Stix” and the creation of low profile metal woods.
