Increase your golf swing clubhead speed with a golf fitness program

Imagine hitting your driver farther in your 40’s than when you were in your 20’s!

I imagine a few of you are saying, “No way!”

Read this article to be convinced otherwise. I received an e-mail from one of our BioForce Golf subscribers about the amazing change in his clubhead speed.

He wrote in about how excited he was that his clubhead speed had improved to a speed higher than when he was in his early twenties! He stated that currently his clubhead speed is between 105-107 mph, and in his twenties it was 95-100 mph. Go figure!

He related his increased driving distance and clubhead speed to a golf fitness program, a program with exercises specific to improving his golf swing. Not a traditional, pump-the-iron program, but one that promotes a more efficient and powerful golf swing.

He stated that since he implemented a golf fitness program, his flexibility, strength, and power have all increased.

As a result of this newfound “bottle of youth,” he is hitting the golf ball farther, lowering his scores, and enjoying the game of golf more.

The question to ask is, “How do improved flexibility, strength, and power relate to increased clubhead speed?”

First and foremost, we must understand a very important principle. The principle revolves around what actually swings the golf club.

Is it your body swinging the club or the club swinging your body?

Obviously, the answer is that your body swings the club. Keeping that statement in mind, we can safely say it is a combination of two entities that creates clubhead speed.

What two entities do you think I am talking about? They are your golf swing mechanics and your body.

Swing mechanics have an effect on clubhead speed. Optimal swing mechanics develop greater clubhead speed than poor swing mechanics. If you do not believe me, try this little experiment.

Go to the range and pull out your driver. On your first swing, swing smoothly and in control. On your second swing, swing as hard as you can! Which golf ball went farther? I am guessing the first one.

This little experiment just goes to show that the mechanics of your swing have an effect on clubhead speed and distance.

Bottom line on the swing mechanics side of the equation, the more efficient your golf swing mechanics are the greater amount of clubhead speed you will be able to generate.

Now, on to the second part of the equation, your body.

The body supports your golf swing mechanics. If your body does not have the flexibility, strength, or power to swing the golf club efficiently, the ability to generate clubhead speed will be compromised.

And if your body is inflexible, weak, and lacking the potential to generate power, clubhead speed will be a difficult entity to create.

Applying the idea of power to golf can be simply identified through clubhead speed. If the clubhead is moving faster at impact with the golf ball, what does this tell us about the golfer?

The golfer is more powerful, and the ball will probably travel farther.

How can a golf fitness program increase the power production in your swing?

Increasing your flexibility allows you to perform the mechanics of the golf swing more efficiently opening the door for improved clubhead speed.

Increasing your strength and power levels around the golf swing allows your body the potential to generate greater amounts of clubhead speed.

Put these entities together with your efficient golf swing mechanics and you will find increased clubhead speed in your golf game.

Now, aging presents a very interesting situation. As you age, the natural levels of flexibility, strength, and power decrease.

Yes, as you get older the body slows down. The slowing down has an effect on your golf swing.

You do not have the flexibility to perform the mechanics of the golf swing. The lowers levels of strength and power decrease the ability to generate clubhead speed.

In order to reverse the effects of aging and improve your clubhead speed, you need to implement a golf fitness program.

A golf fitness program can slow “the hands of time,” improve your flexibility, increase the strength within the body, and improve your power outputs. You essentially become an ageless golfer.

Bottom line, better flexibility, increased strength and power training will increase your clubhead speed, lower your scores, and you’ll get a lot more enjoyment out of the golf course.

Sean Cochran

How to build your golf swing

This process is multi fold

1. Learn what YOUR neutral grip is

2. The CORRECT ball position for every club

3. The CORRECT swing shape

4. How far back YOU can take the club

5. How to play within YOUR style

You will have many options to choose from and I'll show you how to find the ones that will work for you. Once you have all of your "components" you won't need to experiment any longer!

WHERE TO START - GRIP AND POSTURE

While this may be obvious to some you would be surprised by the number of people that work on their swing without starting with their grip. There is only ONE neutral grip for any golfer! That grip is where YOUR arm hangs down from the shoulder socket and the angle of YOUR target side hand. It makes no difference whether you use an overlapping, interlocking, and ten-finger (baseball) grip. What IS critical is the angle the club lies in your hand.

To find YOUR neutral grip, first take your address position, but without a club, and let both arms hang downward from the shoulder sockets with NO TENSION. Most golfers will find that their target side arm hangs somewhere between the middle of the target side thigh to the inside of the thigh (depending on the width of stance and/or the width of the chest). As you look down at your target side hand pay attention to the angle it hangs. Some of you will see two knuckles of the hand, some will see three, and some may even see four. It doesn't matter how many you see! Whatever the number, this is YOUR bodies way of telling you its natural tendency and that is the neutral angle for YOUR grip! When you place your target side hand on the club it should be at the same angle you just saw.

The club then runs diagonally from between the first and second joint of the index finger to just under the heel pad. Close the fingers and then close the hand with the heel pad on top of the shaft with the thumb to the backside of the shaft. This supplies pressure from the heel pad downward and the last three fingers exert pressure upward. Then take the lifeline of the trailing hand, located between the thumb and heel pads, and place it on the thumb of the target side hand. The lifeline against the thumb exerts the pressure here; the right forefinger should be separated, in a "triggering position", but with no pressure. It is important to understand that the forefinger and target side thumb both be on the same side and angle of the shaft for the best support. The trailing thumb should be on the target side of the shaft. You never want the thumbs to exert any pressure. Finally, in order for the hands to work together, they must be parallel to each other.

POSTURE

Regardless of the player's level of golf anyone can get into a posture that looks as good as any Tour Player, it takes no athletic ability to get into a proper posture! For full swing shots, other than a Driver, the inside of the heels should be as wide as the outside of the hips (for a Driver the inside of the heels as wide as the outside of the shoulders). Push the hips sockets back and up so that the pelvis is at an angle, not horizontal to the ground. As you push the hips back, and up, this will lower the chest and place the weight toward the back of the arch of the foot. Simply unlock your knees, you'll feel a little pressure above the kneecaps, and let the arms hang limply downward from the shoulder socket. There should be NO TENSION in the arms or shoulders. Some players like to tilt their upper bodies slightly away from target as the final set-up adjustment and just because your trailing hand is lower than the target side hand this is acceptable, just don't overdue it. Now you have YOUR grip and posture.

BALL POSITION

Ball position is the most misunderstood portion of the entire set-up. There have been many opinions about ball position. Some say one position for every shot, others say move it around depending on the club. All of the guesswork is taken out however if the golfer would set the club at address as the manufacturer designed it. All clubs, except for the Driver, are designed so that the grip end of the club is ahead of the clubhead if soled properly, this means the shaft leans forward, not vertical or backwards! If you address the ball, with say a 5 iron, and the shaft is vertical then even before you swing you've added loft and turned it into a seven iron! That same 5 iron is designed to have approximately 8 degrees of forward lean at address. The best players in the world, using that same 5 iron, have upwards of 15 degrees at Impact! This turns it into a 3 iron! Having said that you have the option of setting up to the ball with the shaft vertical as long as you can get into the proper Impact position…the shaft leans forward at Impact!

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER start with the shaft leaning backward! We also need to cover where the ball is located in relation to the player's upper body, not the feet. The width of the stance changes during the course of a round but the width of the upper body does not. In addition, the target side shoulder socket is the low point of the arc and the fulcrum of the target side arm swing. Therefore the ball with a wedge will be in the center of the chest, in line with the sternum, for full swing shots, the 5 iron under the target side of the chest, and the Driver at the low point, which is the shoulder socket. This could vary depending on whether the player has exceptionally wide shoulders, but for the most part these locations will be fine for irons but the target side shoulder socket IS the LOW POINT and the Driver MUST be played at this location for straight shots! Back of this location produces a fade, with no manipulation, and forward of this location produces a draw, with no manipulation. You may see some players playing the ball back, or forward, of the target side shoulder socket but these players must either change the shoulder location at Impact, by leaning backward with the upper body, or must manipulate the clubface to hit a straight shot.

AIM and ALIGNMENT

As you take your grip you must be sure the leading edge of the clubface square. The leading edge is the edge closest to the ball. Always set the clubface first, perpendicular to the target line, then set your feet, knees, hips, eyes, and shoulders parallel to the target line.

THESE LINES ARE PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER! NEVER AIM YOUR BODY AT THE TARGET! What is the object of golf? To get the ball in the hole with the fewest strokes as possible! To aid in alignment it is imperative that you utilize a procedure called an "Intermediate Target". The intermediate target is something between the ball and the target. It could be a piece of discolored grass, an edge of a divot, a broken tee, etc. It should be within your peripheral vision, so that you don't have to lift your head.

MOVING THE CLUB

Because we play golf on an Inclined Plane this dictates that the club MUST move on an arc. That means the club head is only on the base on the Plane Line approximately 2 inches during the swing! It also means that the club always moves in 3 dimensions. The Backstroke dimension is backward, upward, and inward all simultaneously and On Plane. The keyword for Backstroke is "BACK". The hands and arms control the backward and upward movement of the club. Therefore, if you did not make a shoulder turn the clubhead WOULD NOT move inside the baseline. The shoulder turn moves the club inward, NOT back and up. So if the player just turned their shoulders, without any hand or arm movement, then the club would be inside but not back and up. These two movements MUST work together to achieve the proper sequence. The trailing forearm moves the club on Plane by "tracing" the Plane. The bending, and folding of the trailing elbow also raises and lowers the club and cocks and uncocks the target side wrist. Never raise the arms and club by lifting from the shoulders sockets!

The Downstroke dimension is downward, outward, and forward. Once the player has reached full extension (follow-through) then the club moves again upward, inward, and backward. This completes the 3 dimensional swing.

LENGTH OF ARC

What does this term mean? Simply put, length of arc means how far back YOU can take the club. Some players may be able to take their hands high above their heads in the backswing while others can only get their hands to shoulder height, or less. It doesn't matter! However far you can take the club and still maintain structure is the end of YOUR swing! You can increase your length of arc by increasing your range of motion. (see your local physical therapist for exercises to increase your range of motion).

LET'S GET STARTED

Before every shot you play there must be a sequential order of events. First of course we have to find our golf ball. Once the ball is located we then must examine the type of lie we have, the distance to the target, the shot shape desired, the wind conditions (if any), how we're feeling that particular day, whether to play aggressively or conservatively or somewhere in between (this depends on our style), and finally choosing the correct club for the type of shot. We can't call this a "pre-shot routine" because there is nothing routine about a golf shot! There are always factors to be decided and these factors constantly change. So we would encourage you to use the phrase "PRE-SHOT". Pre-shot may or may not include a dress rehearsal of the swing, a practice swing. During the practice swing you're getting a feel for the mechanics involved in hitting the shot and visualizing the ball flight.

ADDRESS AND SET-UP

Once we have gone through our pre-shot we now start the initial mechanical and mental programming procedures. Approach the ball from behind and follow this order for success. Verify these six Impact Alignments.

1. Clubface to Target Line

2. Grip to Clubface

3. Hands to Ball

4. the Plane Angle

5. Pressure Points

6. Position of the Trailing Forearm

Balance, Grip, and Plane Line MUST be verified before EVERY shot!

Now we're ready to start the backstroke.

BACKSTROKE

Now that address is completed we can start the backstroke. As discussed earlier, this involves two separate movements. These movements are controlled from the waist up. The lower body should be moved by the upper body if the player is flexible enough, if not, then allow it to move freely in both directions.

1. The hands and arms … the vertical plane

2. The shoulders … the horizontal or inclined plane

At this point I would like to remind you that Address and Impact are NOT THE SAME! The only thing that has not changed is the ball position.

You may use any backstroke procedure you choose and there are basically three that the announcers use to describe them.

1. A one piece takeaway…Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods

2. A two piece takeaway…Ernie Els, David Duval, Karrie Webb, Anika Sorenstam

3. A three piece takeaway…Raymond Floyd, Nancy Lopez

Choose anyone you wish that feels comfortable and natural. What initiates the backstroke? Ask ten different instructors and you will get ten different answers. Some player's feel it starts with turning the shoulders, some feel it may be the hips, and still others think and feel it's the hands. I believe it is a combination of the hands, trailing forearm, AND shoulder turn that start the backstroke. Earlier I talked about the role of the hands, arms, and shoulders during the backstroke. They absolutely must work together and synchronous if the club is to stay on plane!

As the club starts back the clubhead must point at the base of the plane line until the clubshaft reaches parallel to the plane line and horizontal to the ground. As the club starts upward then the butt of the club must point at an extension of the base of the plane until it reaches the top of the swing. If you can't get the clubshaft to parallel, then the butt of the club Must point to the base of the plane line. If you are one of the few that can get the shaft to parallel, then it should be parallel to the base of the plane line.

The hip sequence (how the hips move) for full swing shots is always the same. They Turn, Slide, Turn. A great majority of players think the hips slide in the backstroke (shifting weight). While this certainly is an option it eliminates creating any rotating force of the body. A better procedure would be the one described above and is the option that the majority of the world's best players use.

This article is an excerpt of my eBook - "How To Build YOUR Golf Swing".

Play better golf - strengthen your rotator cuff

Many golfers are not aware of the rotator cuff and its function in golf. This group of muscles around the shoulder is crucial to the golf swing. Not surprisingly, the shoulder is one of the areas most often affected by the golf swing. Many golfers fall prey to strain and injury in this area.

Since most golfers don’t realize the importance of the rotator cuff area, they don’t do any conditioning to strengthen and help prevent injury. By using a golf fitness routine that includes strength and flexibility exercises, many problems with the rotator cuff can not only be improved but prevented as well. Increasing flexibility and strengthening these muscles, will help to increase power and control in your swing.

The rotator cuff is the area of the shoulder that is a supporting and strengthening structure of the shoulder joint. It is made up of the capsule of the shoulder joint blended with tendons and muscles as they pass to the capsule or across it to insert on the head of the humerus, the bone of the arm. Golf can result in what is known as a repetitive strain injury to the rotator cuff. Repeated movement of the shoulder causes it. The sheaths that cover the muscle tendons can swell and press on the nerves causing pain. Tendonitis, bursitis, and tears in the rotator cuff are common injuries for golfers.

To improve your power and control of your golf swing as well as prevent injury, it is a good idea to do regular stretches and exercises designed specifically for the rotator cuff.

This conditioning should be done on a regular basis both before play and in between rounds. It is especially important to warm up the rotator cuff area before exercise. This helps to increase blood flow to the deeper muscles and prepares them for activity.

One simple way to warm up is by holding the arms at should level. Do at least 20 circles with both arms. The next step should be stretching exercises to help reduce tension in these muscles. Three areas should be stretched: the back, the front and the under side of the rotator cuff. Once the stretches have been completed, exercises to strengthen these muscles should be performed. After exercise, golf practice or rounds, be sure to cool down these muscles with stretching.

By simply practicing a few stretches and exercises, you’ll not only help to prevent injuries, you’ll see a more powerful and controlled golf swing.

Stance and swing 6 tips for better golf

The perfect stroke is that elusive thing we all strive for, asleep in our beds at night with a smile on our faces as we dream of that drive going straight and true down the middle of the fairway or that putt dropping in to the cup at the end of its smooth 50 yard run.

Unfortunately reality bites when we get to the tee and make our shot, those niggling worries start in the back of out minds, are my feet too far apart, is my eye on the ball, is my chin too far in is my back swing too shallow, this indecision and doubt might be throwing you off your game, so take a little time and read through these tips to improving your swing and stance, if you do not learn anything at least you now know you were doing the right things all along and that doubt can be lifted and replaced by the dream stroke you always had inside of you.

1. Is your stance too narrow? A narrow stance can cause balance problems for a golfer, it also causes an unstable base and this can lead to more balance problems and so the vicious cycle continues. To solve the problem of poor balance you should take a slightly wider stance should be used, your toes should be slightly splayed out. The lead foot should be splayed out around 30 degrees, make these adjustments and you break the cycle, your base is stabilised and your balance restored.

2. When the club addresses the ball are your hands too close to your body?

This can limit the arc of the club and can cause it to be too narrow, to improve your arc you should reach a little more this produces a wider arc and improves distance.

3. Avoid swaying during the back swing, if you have a tendency to sway backwards this can seriously impair your swing, this is because you are not turning about your pivot point and the weight becomes too much for your rear leg, you should feel free to move your weight to your rear leg but only to the inside, you should concentrate more on turning than swaying to solve this problem.

4. One thing that will loose you power when you are playing golf is keeping your club too close to your body on take away, the way to correct this problem and get that power back is to extend your arms away from your body, like you were going to hand your club to somebody on your right had side, you must maintain your balance throughout.

5. To get a wider arc and more power you need to ensure that your right

elbow stays out from your body, too many golfers keep the elbow too close into their body and this causes a loss of power and severely limits your game.

6. Concentrate on not moving your weight on to your front foot during the back swing, this can cause a reverse pivot, that will lead to a loss of power, you must ensure that you move your weight to your back leg but not so much that you risk a loss of balance.