You make an excellent point. Don’t look at playing with someone as a long drive competition. I would add that being out driven gives you the opportunity to hit your approach shot first which will put the pressure back on your opponent/playing partner when you hit a good approach. Additionally; just because you are out driven doesn’t mean you will lose to that player. I recently played against a guy who out drove me on just about every hole but I was more accurate with my tee shots with him losing several balls and me losing none. I was also putting better than him; I ended up beating him by 5 strokes after 18 holes.
Good thinking about the approach but when I am hitting 9 iron in versus 7 iron it is easier.
People do great freaked out when people hit it longer than them. They literally become obsessed with it and never stop trying to hit hard. Hopefully, if there are member who think like this I can turn them around and get them thinking right. If so, they can definitely play great golf and eventually hit the ball longer.
I am not sure what you do with your arms in the downswing. When you have coiled up and hold your arms behind the head with hinged wrists, do you have a feeling of let the club fall when you start the downswing with the hips ? I try to think that the arms follow my back when I start turning and let them totally relax just before impact. Is this a possible way to think about it ? When I look at professionals it sees that they ‘hold’ the club and don’ let the arms swing freely.
Your arms are connected to your body. Move your body and your arms move. So what am I doing with my arms? Nothing. I know they will come down if I turn my body. This is powerless arms. So I am not dropping them down or letting them fall. You only have 1/4 of a second from the top to impact. If you let them fall as soon as you do that you have already hit the ball. When are you going to use your body? So you coil. Once tight you uncoil the lower. The arms are connected to your body like the minute hand is connected to the post on a watch. If you uncoil the lower the arms move.
Have you not seen the tips below? I think you need to watch those to totally understand it.
Paul,
I fully agree with what you are saying. Currently we are in winter where I live, so I am learning your swing at an indoor golf facility. Played a round the other day with some friends where I hit 13/14 fairways compared to their 5/14 and hit 11/18 greens to their 6/18. The accuracy has increased with your swing and I know if a few months the distance will increase much more (not bad now with averaging 250 yds currently). Just need to continually get rid of the shoulder/arm tendencies that I have had for over 30 years.
Sounds like you are doing great. 250 is great. This is longer than 90% of the people I teach. If you can get more that’s even better and a great goal to reach. I love the winter for working on the swing. This really is the best time. Then you have the summer for great golf. Keep us posted.
I am very inconsistent with my driver…I am working on powerless arms and at the range can get into a very good groove but on the course I start reverting back and cant turn my brain off and start moving my hands and arms in my back and downswing…what are some good swing thoughts to keep the club head on the right path coming down and keep the face square?
I try to ensure my right elbow is tight to side and my head is behind the ball which helps but still the face can get out of whack (open or closed)…so I am obviously moving my hands and wrists to much…need some good thoughts please
When going out for the first few times i would assume yardages will be off for awhile swinging at 50%.
Ex. If i hit my 9 iron consistently 140 to 145 yds last year would you recommend taking one more club or even two to start. My goal is to not worry about buddys giving me grief, gonna worry about fairways. I noticed last year that if i hit a good drive, in fairway, i would usually be on green in regulation, thus usually making par. If in trouble with drive than usually boggy or dbl or worse. Trouble tends to lead to more trouble. So the goal is to hit fairways and win strokes, not driving contest.
Sure take one more club for a little while. You will quickly see that swinging easy will product shots close to as long if not farther in the future.
Right, confidence breeds distance. If you keep hitting greens and fairways you could probably go a little faster without hitting it sideways. So build it up slowly. Patience grasshopper. It will come.
A positive to being out driven is that you are the first to hit your approach shot to the green. Being the first ball on the green adds a bit of pressure to the other guys . Especilly if the ball is close to the hole.
Its true what you say, my fairways hit over the past 3 months has gone from 50% to 75% and my course has narrow fairways, in my last game my playing partner commented on how “soft” my wrists were and how my drives were nearly always straight, also during that match i was behind them in driving distance but towards the end I was out driving them because I felt more confident to turn a little faster.
I constantly practice loose wrists though I do have odd occasions when my arms creep in.
This is the best instruction I have ever had.
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12 Responses to “Playing Lesson – Being Out Driven”
October 25, 2017
JohnDanielyCoach Paul,
You make an excellent point. Don’t look at playing with someone as a long drive competition. I would add that being out driven gives you the opportunity to hit your approach shot first which will put the pressure back on your opponent/playing partner when you hit a good approach. Additionally; just because you are out driven doesn’t mean you will lose to that player. I recently played against a guy who out drove me on just about every hole but I was more accurate with my tee shots with him losing several balls and me losing none. I was also putting better than him; I ended up beating him by 5 strokes after 18 holes.
October 25, 2017
Paul WilsonJohn,
Thanks. Glad you liked it.
Good thinking about the approach but when I am hitting 9 iron in versus 7 iron it is easier.
People do great freaked out when people hit it longer than them. They literally become obsessed with it and never stop trying to hit hard. Hopefully, if there are member who think like this I can turn them around and get them thinking right. If so, they can definitely play great golf and eventually hit the ball longer.
October 25, 2017
JohnSteenPaul,
I am not sure what you do with your arms in the downswing. When you have coiled up and hold your arms behind the head with hinged wrists, do you have a feeling of let the club fall when you start the downswing with the hips ? I try to think that the arms follow my back when I start turning and let them totally relax just before impact. Is this a possible way to think about it ? When I look at professionals it sees that they ‘hold’ the club and don’ let the arms swing freely.
Regards John
October 25, 2017
Paul WilsonJohn,
Your arms are connected to your body. Move your body and your arms move. So what am I doing with my arms? Nothing. I know they will come down if I turn my body. This is powerless arms. So I am not dropping them down or letting them fall. You only have 1/4 of a second from the top to impact. If you let them fall as soon as you do that you have already hit the ball. When are you going to use your body? So you coil. Once tight you uncoil the lower. The arms are connected to your body like the minute hand is connected to the post on a watch. If you uncoil the lower the arms move.
Have you not seen the tips below? I think you need to watch those to totally understand it.
What Is Powerless Arms?: https://ignitiongolf.com/what-is-powerless-arms/
Powerless Arms Test: https://ignitiongolf.com/powerless-arms-test/
Powerless Arms – The Trust Factor: https://ignitiongolf.com/the-trust-factor/
How To Get Powerless Arms: https://ignitiongolf.com/how-to-get-powerless-arms/
October 25, 2017
PaulLindhagPaul,
I fully agree with what you are saying. Currently we are in winter where I live, so I am learning your swing at an indoor golf facility. Played a round the other day with some friends where I hit 13/14 fairways compared to their 5/14 and hit 11/18 greens to their 6/18. The accuracy has increased with your swing and I know if a few months the distance will increase much more (not bad now with averaging 250 yds currently). Just need to continually get rid of the shoulder/arm tendencies that I have had for over 30 years.
Paul L.
October 25, 2017
Paul WilsonPaul,
Sounds like you are doing great. 250 is great. This is longer than 90% of the people I teach. If you can get more that’s even better and a great goal to reach. I love the winter for working on the swing. This really is the best time. Then you have the summer for great golf. Keep us posted.
January 23, 2018
JohnHedlundQuestion
I am very inconsistent with my driver…I am working on powerless arms and at the range can get into a very good groove but on the course I start reverting back and cant turn my brain off and start moving my hands and arms in my back and downswing…what are some good swing thoughts to keep the club head on the right path coming down and keep the face square?
I try to ensure my right elbow is tight to side and my head is behind the ball which helps but still the face can get out of whack (open or closed)…so I am obviously moving my hands and wrists to much…need some good thoughts please
John Hedlund
March 29, 2018
RandyRusinWhen going out for the first few times i would assume yardages will be off for awhile swinging at 50%.
Ex. If i hit my 9 iron consistently 140 to 145 yds last year would you recommend taking one more club or even two to start. My goal is to not worry about buddys giving me grief, gonna worry about fairways. I noticed last year that if i hit a good drive, in fairway, i would usually be on green in regulation, thus usually making par. If in trouble with drive than usually boggy or dbl or worse. Trouble tends to lead to more trouble. So the goal is to hit fairways and win strokes, not driving contest.
March 29, 2018
Paul WilsonRandy,
Sure take one more club for a little while. You will quickly see that swinging easy will product shots close to as long if not farther in the future.
Right, confidence breeds distance. If you keep hitting greens and fairways you could probably go a little faster without hitting it sideways. So build it up slowly. Patience grasshopper. It will come.
DRILL: More In the Tank https://ignitiongolf.com/more-in-tank/
October 19, 2018
JimGrubenA positive to being out driven is that you are the first to hit your approach shot to the green. Being the first ball on the green adds a bit of pressure to the other guys . Especilly if the ball is close to the hole.
October 19, 2018
Paul WilsonJim,
It sure does but your hitting 3 wood in and I’m hitting 7 iron I’m not too worried.
January 26, 2020
VincentBurnsIts true what you say, my fairways hit over the past 3 months has gone from 50% to 75% and my course has narrow fairways, in my last game my playing partner commented on how “soft” my wrists were and how my drives were nearly always straight, also during that match i was behind them in driving distance but towards the end I was out driving them because I felt more confident to turn a little faster.
I constantly practice loose wrists though I do have odd occasions when my arms creep in.
This is the best instruction I have ever had.