This past weekend Tim Clark outshined the biggest names in golf enroute to his first PGA Tour victory at the Players Championship. The diminutive South African, standing at 5"7' tall and 165 lbs., sank putt after putt and kept the drives in play all week long. What can you learn from his game and technique that will allow you to maximize power and results? Here is a partial list of components that will help you get started.
- Wrist lag - Granted, the stronger forearms and wrists you have, the more lag you can execute. However, most amateurs horribly underutilize the lag on the downswing by casting and releasing too early. Relax the grip on the downswing through the slot and then squeeze the grip and release the club head hard.
- Hip release/leg lock - More and more top juniors are executing this move, even more so than the pros, because of the pressure to hit the ball younger at an earlier age. This causes more inconsistency, but when done properly, can add 10%-20% more power to your shots. Locking the legs at the right time causes a stronger hip release, thus creating more mid-section torque which translates to more energy for the club head velocity. This will take some practice with good instruction.
- Clean contact/stable body lines - No technique matters if balls are struck 2 inches off center. Wild swings tend to be mishit with a ton of body movement. Modern clubs have more forgiving sweetspots than ever, but there are still limits to that area. With every swing change or improvement, ensure solid contact on most hits to maximize your power while keeping your core stable.
- - Full release - Observe any long hitters post impact position… the clubhead is turned over with a beautiful triangle formed by the two arms extended from the shoulders. This is the one position which every good player on non-specialty shots has in common.
- Efficient ball flight - For more advanced players, hitting the proper flight is critical in controlling distance, especially under windy conditions. People tend to ignore or forget that even the longest hitters on tour have hit a 240 yard drive, on a clean hit. If you strike a high spin rate lofted ball flight into a strong headwind, the ball will actually travel backwards in the last 10% of its flight. Strike a ball with very little spin downwind, the breeze can actually knock the ball down.
- Custom equipment - Clubs that were made for another swing type, not yours, can hurt your game immensely. Get fitted for proper shafts, lie, clubhead, weight, and grips to squeeze every ounce of strength you can impart on a golf ball.
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