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Golf 101: How to hit it really far (with Tips from Harmon, Gankas, and Killen)

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Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Dustin Johnson…all World #1’s who hit it a mile and oddly enough got to it in very different ways. But what about us? The weekend warrior that also wants to hit it as far as our bodies will allow? I want a foolproof way to hit the golf ball a mile.

Every golfer wants more speed, more distance, more swag, all of it. Yes. I said it.

Have you ever heard a golfer say, “I just hit it too far?”

No….The answer is no.

Like my recent “how to hit a draw” piece, the distance tips have been offered up 1000’s of times,  everyone from Freddie Couples to Freddy Krueger has offered up tips. The game has changed so much even in the past few years with technology, speed training, video, and brute strength but since the beginning of time, the essence of hitting it far remains the……get that clubhead moving as fast as possible. Simple.

In my 25+ years of playing this game, I have heard some really good nuggets to build speed and some….well, others.

Tips like:

  1. Get the hands away from the head at the top AKA Extension and Width
  2. Wide Stance
  3. Turn back to the target
  4. Coil
  5. Uncoil
  6. Push
  7. Squat
  8. Lag
  9. Release
  10. Hit down
  11. Hit Up
  12. Scream at Impact
  13. Hit it left-handed
  14. Happy Gilmore
  15. 50 Inch drivers

Confused yet?

This sums it up…….

So the best thing I could think to do is ask the best coaches in the world to give me ONE golden nugget each. I was fortunate to get the council of Golf Digest Top 100 Teachers Claude Harmon III, George Gankas, and Matt Killen and this is what they delivered.

Claude Harmon III:

“Switch em’”

“For the average golfer, with a driver, you have to  improve the angle of attack. Most average golfers hit down on the driver (launch it low, spin it too much). And they hit too up on their irons. So switch the two. Learn to hit up on the driver to increase launch and reduce spin and hit down and compress the ball for control with your irons. “

George Gankas:

“Scoobie Speed”

Matt Killen:

“Learn to turn the shoulders AND the hips”

“Stick an alignment in your belt loops with the longer end facing the target, as you coil make sure the point of that stick gets as close to the ball as possible…that’s what a full turn feels like. And ONE MORE thing! If that trail leg wants to straighten out, that’s a good thing.”

 

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  1. Robert Johansson

    Dec 31, 2020 at 6:21 am

    No idea what they are talking about and they are suppose to be professional golf gurus

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Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

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Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

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How a towel can fix your golf swing

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This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

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Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

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