Golf instruction is always evolving, but the best tips stand the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Lifetime Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice that teachers and players have shared in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today, we have a five-step plan for hitting longer shots from Brooks Koepka, which originally appeared in our September 2015 issue.
Brooks Koepka is back. After three years on the rival LIV Golf circuit, it was announced Monday that the five-time major winner will return his talents to the PGA Tour.
In honor of the news of the day, this Monday’s edition of Timeless Tips features a piece Koepka wrote just over 10 years ago about GOLF magazine. In it, he detailed five keys to hitting longer drives off the tee.
Check them out below and apply them to your swing to bomb it like BK.
Koepka’s 5 Keys to Power
I like to hit it far. What’s more fun than walking 20 yards in front of your opponent’s car to get to yours? This year — my second full season on Tour — I’ve become one of golf’s greatest players, ranking 10th in driving distance by midsummer. I hit almost 60 percent of my fairways and about 70 percent of my greens. Trust me, it’s easier to hit the ball with a 9-iron than with a mid-iron. That kind of advantage helped me get my first Tour win at this year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Sure, I’m 25 and in pretty good shape, but most of my distance comes from good mechanics that you can copy. So I’m going to tell you some secrets, with the help of my trainer, GOLF Top 100 Teachers Claude Harmon III. We’ll teach you to tap the muscles that create serious swing speed. Soon, you too will be able to hit drives that strike fear into your playing partners and set you up for close-range shots. And no pumping iron required. You already have the physique for long, straight drives – you just need to know how to use it.
Your power lesson begins now.
1. Bend your legs
There’s a lot to worry about at address: your grip, your target, your distance from the ball, etc. But nothing is more important than what you do with your feet. The reason you hold a stance is to create a swing base, so as you make those final swings, make sure you physically plant both feet on the ground. You want to feel rooted to the ground. It helps if you balance your weight on the balls of your feet and then use your hamstrings and quads to press the ground under each shoe.
The more you connect to the ground, the faster you can spin. Consider the opposite extreme: If you swing while standing on ice, of course you can spin, but you wouldn’t be able to spin because your lower body would have to turn along with your upper body. Spiral is key, and it all starts with your feet.
At address, focus only on seeing the clubface breaking the ball; Hazard on the left or dotted OB pins on the right are irrelevant. A good trick is to think about swinging fast, but take slow, deliberate practice swings. Feel your weight shift to your right side as you reach the top, then shift to the left on your descent. Combining quick thoughts with slow body movements in my pre-shoot routine helps me make it my best.
2. Flex your glutes
Many people teased Tiger Woods about pulling out of the Farmers Insurance Open last February because he couldn’t “activate his gut muscles.” Well, he was dead. Butt power is swing power. If you can’t effectively “load” your muscles as you move up, you’re basically swinging on fumes.
Your backstroke creates potential energy and your downstroke expends it. All your potential energy is stored in the right glute when you pull correctly. The trick is to roll while keeping your knees bent and feet pressing into the ground. Avoid swinging and you’ll feel your right needle get tense as you near the top. I like to feel so tense that a player coming from my right side couldn’t knock me down. While working out in the gym isn’t mandatory, any exercise that builds back strength will pay off.
Even simple get-togethers in your home or hotel room will do you some good—no pun intended.
3. Arch your back
The bigger your turn, the faster you will move. It’s simple physics. There have been many theories about how to make the biggest conclusion.
What works? Turning my upper body to the right as far as my flexibility allows, while keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground and my lower body stable. The secret is to turn your back, the center of your upper body. Rotate it and everything—shoulders, chest, and core—rotates with it.
Imagine a flashlight between your shoulder blades and try to turn your back far enough that the light shines on the target when you reach the top. This look reminds you to use your big muscles, not your little ones.
4. Bend your knees
As you transition from the backswing to the downswing, drive your right knee toward the target while keeping your left knee bent and stable. Major League Baseball stars like Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout do the same thing when they hit home runs. This knee action shifts your energy toward the target (good for any hitting activity) and helps set the club on the ideal path. It also stops the club from locking behind you (leading to a push) or moving too far in front of your body (a slice or a pull) as you approach the shot.
In order to drive your right knee effectively, your feet must continue to press into the ground. (I told you it was important!) Without a grounded stance, you won’t be able to step forward from your right leg, and your left leg won’t be stable enough to accept the weight shift.
5. Flex your core
Technically, your core is active as soon as you start your take, but it’s moving like crazy in those critical few feet before and after impact. Through the impact zone, your main focus is to rotate your core as quickly as possible. Imagine a laser beam shooting from your navel: You want the beam to bisect the ball along its equator as you go through the stroke—and fast!
When I really want to make a drive, I imagine I’m hitting the ball with just my stomach. A stronger stomach means a faster turn and longer movements. Sneak in some sit-ups or crunches. Do it. In addition to core strength, it will help you maintain your posture through impact for a more square kick and take pressure off your lower back.
At the same time, keep your arms soft and supple. Your goal is to allow the clubhead’s torque to pull the arms straight through impact, not actively extend them. Not only will consciously “saving” your arms look unathletic, but you’ll lose speed in a heartbeat. Wings are for carrying, not generating speed.
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