Things You'll Need:
- Practice area or driving range Weighted golf club Gym weights
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Step 1
Simply swinging harder actually can lead to shorter drives. Swinging hard can throw your club head offline at the top of your swing. Your club can be thrown off plane. Your body can slide ahead of the ball at impact. Any of these cause power leaks or a loss of good muscle memory in your swing.
Stable speed is what you are after. Your golf swing should unwind from your spikes up like the uncoiling of a spring. Don't focus on how fast you swing, but how fast you can get the club head to swing through the ball. A powerful rotation in your legs, hips and trunk can look quite smooth and slow, but it generates speed at the far end of the golf club. -
Step 2
Square Club Face
Keeping your club face square through impact is equally important and linked to stable swing speed. When your club face is off line at impact, you can miss the sweet spot and lose all the power you've worked hard to build up. Make sure you return your hands to the same position you had when you started your backswing. Start square. Finish square. -
Step 3
Acceleration
Another component of your swing speed is constant acceleration through the hitting zone. Swinging hard and fast is not enough if your club head is slowing down by the time it reaches the ball. Start your downswing slow and smooth and accelerate through the ball to maximize your swing speed at the correct time. -
Step 4
Core Strength
The steps noted above are all about maximizing positives in the swing you have now. To improve that swing, you'll need to spend some time in the gym. Add some rotational exercises into your gym routine to improve your core strength. Take an athletic stance with a medicine ball and turn around yourself smoothly for 10 to 15 reps. Take a break, then repeat it. This sort of exercise mimics your golf swing and builds strength in those muscles. -
Step 5
Heavy Club
Golfers as far back as Sam Snead in the 1930s right up to Vijay Singh now have recommended utilizing a "heavy club" in their practice sessions. Swing a weighted club slowly and feel the weight at the end of the club. This will both build strength and help your body understand how to accelerate the club head at the bottom of the swing. Most golf pro shops will be able to direct you to a weighted club or similar product available.
