How to Add Power to Your Golf Swing

When I've played with a lot of amateur golfers over the years, the one way they tried to hit the golf ball further off the tee is simply by swinging as hard as they can. Unfortunately, most of the time, they lose their balance in the process, which defeats the whole purpose of the effort.

Most amateurs with a handicap over 10 simply do not have a golf swing that is capable of generating a lot of power. Those that do, generally have no idea where the ball is going when they do hit it hard. Usually, the problem lies with a major flaw in the golf swing. No matter what you may read online in most golf fitness websites, improving your strength will not do the trick.

The single most important factor to hitting the golf ball a long way is maintaining your balance. You see, if you lose contact with the ground during your swing, or you do not have the appropriate weight shift, you will lose power. Have you ever seen any of the big hitters falling over after they hit a tee shot? No, their swing ends with a perfect finish with the weight on the left foot. Even when Tiger Woods goes at it hard, he finishes with perfect balance.

My first suggestion for adding power to the swing is to first have a good stance. If you are crouched over too much, or too upright, too close, or too far from the ball, you will not maintain a good enough balance to drive the ball a long way. The same can be said if your feet are too close together or too far apart (about shoulders width, or slightly wider is proper). Your weight should not be on the toes, nor on the heels. The stance should also not be too open or too closed.

Work on this at home... Take off your shoes and socks and look for the area on the bottom of the foot, in the area we refer to as the ball of the foot, where there is a depression between the two big pads, and where there is a shape of an upside down V. If you press hard on that spot (you may need to search for it a bit), you will get a bit of pain. If you do, you found the right spot. Now, stand yourself up and stand on one foot, and focus on that spot on the bottom of your foot. Try to really feel that spot as the tightest to the ground. Now switch feet and try to get that feeling with the other foot. Finally, get into a proper golf stance and try to get that feeling in both feet.

This is your beginning point for learning how to draw energy from the earth to help generate more power into your golf swing. This is a basic concept in the art of Kung Fu for learning how to generate power in our techniques, and it applies well to the golf swing as well.

Scott Cole
www.powergolftraining.net