Devloping Club Head Speed

[ashwood]

To hit the ball a long way you need everything to work together, you need good balance. As soon as you try to hit the ball hard you loose your balance and you don't make solid contact.

Make sure you have a good stace and you are pointing in the right direction, feet , hips and shoulders. The ball position in the correct place.
Make sure you have a full swing and you wrists are fully cocked at the top of the swing.
When you make the down swing keep balanced and don't try to hit the ball so hard that you loose your balance.

one final point to remember don't worry about keeping your head still all the great golfers move their hear sideways ( but not up and down, unless your tiger) . you need to move your weight slightly when you swing as this helps you transfer you weight.

Good luck
martin

[golfchief]

To hit the ball far it takes more than one thing to happen in the correct order.
1. good grip
2. good shoulder turn
3. wrist cock
4. drive with the rear leg
5. drive with the shoulder
6. lag to release the club through the ball
7. keep the head behind the ball
8. swing through the ball, not at it
9. trust your swing
10. do all this in less than 2 seconds, with out thinking of each step

[ColinMB]

This sounds about right.

Originally when I posted this I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I know I'll never have great club head speed, I think I started too late in life. No, I just want it to be.... less embarrassing. lol I've had a few range sessions since posting this. The number one thing that had crept up on me without me even noticing was my tight grip. I relaxed it and once again enjoyed the benefit of a relaxed grip. One thing keeps robbing me of power, over, and over again. I come across the plane a lot. I end up hitting the ball -very- close to the hozel. My arms are coming out way in front of me. This becomes more exagerrated with driving. I think I may have figured it out. I've had so many lessons, I can't believe no one mentioned this (unless I'm completely off basis here) but I'm standing up too straight. I believe I am anyway. I think this is killing my power because my arms are coming around my body rather than a downward motion.

1. good grip 2. good shoulder turn 3. wrist cock 4. drive with the rear leg 5. drive with the shoulder 6. lag to release the club through the ball 7. keep the head behind the ball 8. swing through the ball, not at it 9. trust your swing 10. do all this in less than 2 seconds, with out thinking of each step

1: Working on it. I always had a neutral comfortable grip. I'm working on releasing the finger tension again. Thanks.

2: I have good flexibility. I can usually see the seam of my shirt in my backswing. 3: I used to over cock on the upswing. My last lesson I was instructed to let my arms do a little more work and quiet the wrists a little bit. 4: That I do. In fact I find if I don't, my weight ends up on my back foot causing a reverse pivot (not sure if this happens to anyone else). 5: Hmm... working on this. 6: Working on this as well. To me it -feels- like my hands are leading the club head through impact, delaying the uncocking of wrists. 7: If by 'the' head, you mean my head, yea, I have been doing that much at least. 8: Doing this as well. Sometimes to remind myself of how it feels, I place a small item (push a tee deep in the grass) about 6" in front of my ball. 9: Pfft. Maybe someday. 10. How about 7.3 seconds? Thanks. Still working hard on this.

[golfchief]

coming across the ball outside /in is usually from starting your downswing with the arms. also letting your elbow come out (flying elbow) makes you start the swing with the arms. work on keeping the elbow pointed down in the back swing and start the swing with you shoulder that should drop the club into the correct swing plane.
Trying to watch yourself keep the elbow down will make you swing a bit to much around and you'll hit the ball more left. when you just do it the ball flight will be ok. ( trusting your swing)

[Chas]

The two keys are 1) absolutely full and complete body coil (feel the tension build-up in back and abdominal muscles - don't be lazy with these big muscles), and 2) extreme lag (imagine a late whipping action). Most people fear the lag because they don't think the clubhead will come through and square up in time, whereas in fact IT HAS NO OPTION if you keep your wrists loose to prevent blocking the shot. As long as you maintain your spine angle and your head does not drift in front of the ball, the lag angle must open up before ball contact. The surest speed killer is to try to forcefully accelerate the club at the ball with your forearms and wrists - this will actually impede the whip because of the resistance of tightened muscles to rapid movement. This is why golfers who hit the ball a long, long way always look very relaxed on the downstroke - the physical effort was almost all made coiling up in the backstroke.