By Seán Hawker
Step 1
Keep your head behind the ball. This is how you create leverage. Think about skipping stones across the water. When you release the stone, your head is way behind your arms. The same principle applies to the golf driver.
Step 2
Use your legs and hips to generate power and swing speed. Your body is like the handle of a whip, and the club head is the tip of the whip. You generate your power with your legs and hips, and that power is transferred to the club shaft and then to the club head.
Step 3
Always maintain a shallow swing plane. When you line up your club head squarely to the ball, your shaft angles off the ground at a shallower angle than a pitching wedge, 9-iron or 8-iron. You must maintain that angle throughout the swing, or the club head will not strike the ball within the sweet zone. The sweet zone is the section of the club face that delivers the highest impact. It produces a spin that gives the ball the most distance.
Step 4
Break your wrists, or in other words, release the club the moment your hands are over the ball. The hands must lead the club head so that when you break your wrists, you generate the most speed.
Step 5
Follow through in your swing. You are not striking at the ball; you are swinging through the ball. Even though the club head and ball make contact for only a fraction of a second, that follow-through helps you send the ball flying straight to maximize distance.
“Warning”
Don’t come down hard and fast on the downswing, or you will break the swing plane and cause your ball to slice to the right.
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Seán Hawker is a bilingual PGA professional available all across the Algarve. He is available for golf tuition for players of all levels, from complete beginners to tour winners.
969 188 981 | hawkersean@gmail.com
