Any tips for power drives?

[cyc53870]

I need some tips or drills for more power especially with the driver or three-wood, please.

[Martin Levac]

Re: Any tips for power drives?

It is important to understand why the ball travels as it does. And why it travels far. For any ball speed, there is an optimal set of conditions for maximum distance. The conditions are spin and launch angle. Anything outside of these optimal conditions will produce less distance. The closer actual conditions are to optimal conditions, the farther the ball flies.

To produce optimal conditions, we must strike the ball properly. There is no other way. Any other way is sub-optimal. We could say that before we learn how to send the ball far, we must learn how to send the ball straight.

Things that help. A wider swing arc. A stable platform, the legs and feet firmly planted on the ground. A bent right leg on the backswing. A straight left arm. A flat left wrist. Focus on the ball. Focus on striking the ball properly. Practice.

[bulldog2k]

Re: Any tips for power drives?

Practice.

Don't get him started..!

[BrianW]

Re: Any tips for power drives?

I need some tips or drills for more power especially with the driver or three-wood, please.

What kind of distances do you get now and what is your ball flight like?

[oldwease]

Re: Any tips for power drives?

The angle of descent of the club into the ball is important (linked to angle of launch). I read somewhere that (and the numbers won't be right as it's from memory, but you'll get the idea) with John Daly's driver swing speed, the ball travels about 280yds. If his angle of attack into the ball increased by 10 degrees (with an identical swing speed), the ball would travel about 180 yards. Now, I bet a lot of average club golfers are several degrees too steep coming into the ball.

So, an important ingredient when seeking more driving distance is to make sure the swing plane is shallow coming into the ball. One way to do this is to check shoulder alignment throughout the swing. By this I mean don't rock the shoulders up and down. I recently saw Ernie Els on TV, as a good example. When driving, at the top of this backswing, his shoulders were parallel to the ground i.e., his right shoulder had stayed down through the backswing. A lot of amateurs rock their shoulders too much, getting the right shoulder way above the left at the top of the backswing. This may feel powerful, but it's a major power leak, due primarily to the angle of attack.

So, first step in your quest for longer drives is to make sure you're making the most of your existing swing speed by coming into the ball correctly.

[Teevino]

Re: Any tips for power drives?

The angle of descent of the club into the ball is important (linked to angle of launch). I read somewhere that (and the numbers won't be right as it's from memory, but you'll get the idea) with John Daly's driver swing speed, the ball travels about 280yds. If his angle of attack into the ball increased by 10 degrees (with an identical swing speed), the ball would travel about 180 yards. Now, I bet a lot of average club golfers are several degrees too steep coming into the ball.

So, an important ingredient when seeking more driving distance is to make sure the swing plane is shallow coming into the ball. One way to do this is to check shoulder alignment throughout the swing. By this I mean don't rock the shoulders up and down. I recently saw Ernie Els on TV, as a good example. When driving, at the top of this backswing, his shoulders were parallel to the ground i.e., his right shoulder had stayed down through the backswing. A lot of amateurs rock their shoulders too much, getting the right shoulder way above the left at the top of the backswing. This may feel powerful, but it's a major power leak, due primarily to the angle of attack.

So, first step in your quest for longer drives is to make sure you're making the most of your existing swing speed by coming into the ball correctly.

Cyc, forgive me for jumping in here on your thread but I am desperate for distance as well.

I have no problem keeping the ball in and around the fairway and rarely slice like I did when I first started to play just last year. This is my second year and though I have straightened my drives considerably, I get little distance. I mean old men of 80 can outdrive me (I'm sixty by the way.) Hitting drives at Dicks Sporting Goods my longest drive, swinging like hell, was 179 yds. I'm probably averaging about 170 yds at best.

Playing with my brother this past weekend who has a similar body build to mine - but who is probably stronger than me - he was outdriving me by 30 to 40 yds. And he is 61. Even on solid contact I get little distance. We both drive with the same brand driver, the TaylorMade R7 425.

I've tee'd the ball up and to the front (top spin pulls it to the ground like a dive bomber) and tee'd it down off the front heel and down even further back toward the middle of stance and nothing is getting me more distance. I've turned my shoulders more (harder to get good contact) and I've shortened my swing to get better contact. I've played with men older than me who have about a half swing and they hit it further than me by 10 to 15 yds.

So reading oldweases post made me grab the club I keep in my office and sure enough my left shoulder dips well below by right on the backswing. Trying to keep my shoulders parallel is very difficult but I'm going to give it a try and see what happens. Whadayathink about all this Ya'll...

P.S. I have also begun starting my downswing by pulling down on the driver as if pulling down on a rope (learned that at this forum last year) and this dramatically increases clubhead speed and gets me a little more distance but nothing dramatic. For me, 190 to 200 yds would be very dramatic. And make my attempts at getting more GIR's a bit less of a struggle. I generally have one putt to make par and two to make bogie. Can you believe I actually birdied a par 4 yesterday . It sures baffles me how I managed that.

Playing everyday for a week I have gotten my strokes down to 90-93 per round but have yet to break 90 on my home course. My game from the second shot in is better than average, I believe, for someone in only their second year, but getting to the green sooner would help a lot. Thanx for all feedback and thanx for posting this thread cyc.

I guess the good news is, I am hitting it as far as John Daly if he had my swing. Now if I could just get his,,,,,,or something like it...

[BrianW]

Re: Any tips for power drives?

Cyc, forgive me for jumping in here on your thread but I am desperate for distance as well.

I have no problem keeping the ball in and around the fairway and rarely slice like I did when I first started to play just last year. This is my second year and though I have straightened my drives considerably, I get little distance. I mean old men of 80 can outdrive me (I'm sixty by the way.) Hitting drives at Dicks Sporting Goods my longest drive, swinging like hell, was 179 yds. I'm probably averaging about 170 yds at best.

Playing with my brother this past weekend who has a similar body build to mine - but who is probably stronger than me - he was outdriving me by 30 to 40 yds. And he is 61. Even on solid contact I get little distance. We both drive with the same brand driver, the TaylorMade R7 425.

I've tee'd the ball up and to the front (top spin pulls it to the ground like a dive bomber) and tee'd it down off the front heel and down even further back toward the middle of stance and nothing is getting me more distance. I've turned my shoulders more (harder to get good contact) and I've shortened my swing to get better contact. I've played with men older than me who have about a half swing and they hit it further than me by 10 to 15 yds.

So reading oldweases post made me grab the club I keep in my office and sure enough my left shoulder dips well below by right on the backswing. Trying to keep my shoulders parallel is very difficult but I'm going to give it a try and see what happens. Whadayathink about all this Ya'll...

P.S. I have also begun starting my downswing by pulling down on the driver as if pulling down on a rope (learned that at this forum last year) and this dramatically increases clubhead speed and gets me a little more distance but nothing dramatic. For me, 190 to 200 yds would be very dramatic. And make my attempts at getting more GIR's a bit less of a struggle. I generally have one putt to make par and two to make bogie. Can you believe I actually birdied a par 4 yesterday . It sures baffles me how I managed that.

Playing everyday for a week I have gotten my strokes down to 90-93 per round but have yet to break 90 on my home course. My game from the second shot in is better than average, I believe, for someone in only their second year, but getting to the green sooner would help a lot. Thanx for all feedback and thanx for posting this thread cyc.

I guess the good news is, I am hitting it as far as John Daly if he had my swing. Now if I could just get his,,,,,,or something like it...

A few thoughts that may help with power leaks:

Look to see if you are letting the left elbow collapse on the backswing and the right elbow collapse through impact, this will create a narrow swing arc that produces a weak shot, this is a problem with many seniors swings (no offence I am one myself). If this is happening then try this drill: Place a ball around a foot behind your ball at address and another six inches in front.

address a 5 iron, on the backswing sweep the rear ball away with the back of the club, this will stop the elbows from bending so that you create a nice wide arc that assists with a straight left arm and full shoulder turn. Through impact hit your ball then the ball in front, this will assist with a good arm extension through impact.

One more power leak check: In the backswing ensure your right leg does not bow outwards from the knee with your weight on the outside of your foot, keep your knee flexed and the leg braced so that you coil against it.

Casting or early release of the wrist hinge and flipping the wrists through impact are others.

Few things there to check but the answer to longer shots is probably in one or some of these.

[Teevino]

Re: Any tips for power drives?

Thanx Brian, yes my brother noticed a break down in my left elbow so I've started paying closer attention to keeping the tension there. I will practice the drill and work to achieve a wider swing path. What do you mean by the right elbow breaking down. I'm not quite sure what to do with it. I used to keep it tucked to my side all the way through my swing (back and down) but now allow it more freedom on the backswing and down. Guess I'm not quite sure what I do with it coming down. What exactly should I do with it on the downswing. Hope I'm not making this harder than it should be for you to describe.

Thanx again for your feedback.

[Sumosid]

Re: Any tips for power drives?

how far are you hitting your irons?

[BrianW]

Re: Any tips for power drives?

Thanx Brian, yes my brother noticed a break down in my left elbow so I've started paying closer attention to keeping the tension there. I will practice the drill and work to achieve a wider swing path. What do you mean by the right elbow breaking down. I'm not quite sure what to do with it. I used to keep it tucked to my side all the way through my swing (back and down) but now allow it more freedom on the backswing and down. Guess I'm not quite sure what I do with it coming down. What exactly should I do with it on the downswing. Hope I'm not making this harder than it should be for you to describe.

Thanx again for your feedback.

Not the downswing, I was referring to letting your right arm fold at the elbow as you hit through the ball allowing the arm to pull up up into your chest, this creates a shallow arc, almost the exact opposite of allowing your left arm to fold in the backswing. That's the idea of placing another ball six inches in front of your normal ball and hitting both, it encourages you to extend on through impact into the follow through.

[cyc53870]

Re: Any tips for power drives?

I will try the tip of oldwease and I'll be back...