Hi Paul, No worries but am glad to see this tip! Loose is so important yet difficult to achieve. For some reason I find it hard to give up control, but with practice will make it part of my golf swing.
Thanks Mike
I’m having success using my lower body to drive the swing. However, I can’t get anywhere near the power of my old swing. With the old I could swing my driver at 105-110 MPH. Now lucky to get 95. What’s the key to extra power. My hips are rotating as fast as I can.
Paul, What you think is fast and what I think is fast are worlds apart. Rarely do I see anyone rotating even close to what I am. So you need to get better at the rotational speed. Keep doing the swing off the ground. This will allow you to feel your legs. Also, video your swing and see if your right heel is off the ground at impact. It should be 3-4″ with irons and 5-6″ with woods. Your hips should also be turned at least 45 degrees. Check these things I would think you are not rotated enough.
Next, when I see people fire the lower body the tighten the arms and wrists. You need the arms and wrists loose even though you are driving the lower body fast. This will allow the club to lag better and give you the whip. Again, video you swing to see if you are lagging the club, are you chicken winging it through impact etc.
I go through this all the time that people lose a little power when they first make the switch. Then they get it back and more once they are more experienced at doing it.
So video your swing and see what is not working. You see how I am doing it. You can do it too.
Great tip, loose wrists and really rotate fast with the lower body. I live in Australia, so cant buy your swing speed radar from you, but do plan to get one, and see how I go. Have a couple of things going on in my head I was hoping you could clarify.
I was reading through the comments above, and noticed Paul S mentioning in his old swing he could get his swing speed up to 105/110…but was stuck at 95 with your approach. Also at the back end of this video, you showed an example of you swinging ALL OUT with your arms versus the swing you are trying to encourgae us to do ( with the result of it looking easy and with minimal effort). I have a couple of questions:
1) if Paul S is able to swing it at 105/110 with his old swing, and with lots of hard work get his swing speed up to the same speed with powerless arms, is the goal to get our swing speed up with the powerless arms method due to the fact, even if we can get our speed up to 105/110 swinging the old way, the results will be poor eg open club face?
2) in the example of you showed swinging like a man man and clearly looking like a fast swing (signs we are using our arms)- are you still getting to the same swing speeds compared to powerless arms?
I guess what I am trying to ask in a round about way is, IF you can get your swing speed up to 110 as Paul S did in the previous post whilst using your arms, and you were ALSO able to get it to 110 with powerless arms…..have you achieved the end goal of generating power? Or is the powerless arms method better, as it will result in more consistent shots?
1. Paul S is not good at using his body yet. He has had a lifetime of hitting with arms. To instantly be able to do it just as fast using the opposite power source would be difficult. If he keeps doing it and keeps the wrists loose he will get there.
The results of swinging with the arms is inconsistent shots and too much effort which will eventually hurt your body. Just because someone has 100+ clubhead speed does not mean they are going to hit the ball all that far. They may not be getting the correct launch angle or making solid contact. Sure, they may do it once in a while but I want this all the time. Keep trying to turn your arms off and turn your body faster to get power. You will be glad you did.
2. I have done this a long time so for me to strictly use my arms and lock everything up like an arm player is probably not going to happen. I will still move my body and still have my wrists a little loose so I could probably get close to the same swing speed. Where is my ball going to go when I swing hard like this? Who knows. So I am maybe not the best example. It is the guy who is all locked up compared to my swing that is a better comparison. With nothing I can hit it by this guy. If this is the case I must be doing something different. It is more efficient and I can keep doing it until I’m 90 years old. The other guy will be hitting it about 150 yards with everything he’s got when he older (if he is even playing).
Conclusion
I use to swing with my arms until I saw the Iron Byron. The day I stopped hitting was the day I could keep the ball in play. Hitting with the arms could make me hit the ball anywhere and everywhere … I’m not kidding.
Hopefully, you will keep at it and no matter how bad you hit it at first you stick with it. If you do, you too will have a powerful, effortless swing that will last you a lifetime.
Herman, A would hit it farther. The height would give this person longer arms which would be farther from the center thus giving this player more arc width. The person being heavier will create more momentum going into the backswing. This will tighten the coil more allow it to uncoil faster. This is all under the assumption they are turning as fast and hinging and re-hinging the same.
I just did a whole power series. This was the last tip. Just go to the red navigation bar at the top and search POWER. I go through all areas of the swing. This is why I did this section.
Paul,
Review is good. I bought your Swing Machine Golf series last fall. On my last round before that, I shot a 106. Last week I shot an 89 and 91. The only change I made last fall was your instruction series and a lot of practice. My regular golfing buddies can’t believe how much I have improved. I told them my “secret” and I think you will soon have 3 new followers.
The series got me going the right way and these weekly tips, even the repeats are good reinforcements of the Swing Machine lessons.
Thanks for the reminders,
Rick
Rick, Thank you for the purchase, the update and the promo to others. I truly appreciate it.
I’m so glad you’re improving. Swing Machine Golf works if you follow it. You decided to follow it and practice it. At this rate, you will soon see low 80’s then who knows. The tips definitely go even more in-depth which I think is a great supplement. Again, glad you are doing better. Keep at it.
Hi Paul. I noticed you set your driver on the ground a few inches behind the ball, somewhat father than I do. Is there a reason for this procedure? Some teachers recommend hovering the driver behind the ball, above the ground. Please comment on these different techniques.
This is just habit. I got sick of knocking the ball off the tee. I have bent down to tee up millions of golf balls in my life. I don’t want to do it any more times than I have to.
Thanks for the great lesson. It’s a challenge to let go and stay fluid, but I’m practicing often at the range and the improvement is significant. Thank you so much. To you too Pete!!
Howard, Keeping the arms powerless and not trying to hit is very difficult but once you feel it once it becomes addictive. You want it all the time. Getting it is really understanding it and changing the way you think. Everyone is so concerned about where the ball is going. I need everyone to forget the ball and focus on the movement. Move like me and you will hit it like me.
How do you stay relaxed in your arms. I noticed if I pause your downswing
you have a tremendous and envious lag angle. How do you keep that angle and still keep your arms realxed?
Dominic, I worked on the lag angle for a long time. In doing so, I felt the arms. Once I got this lag angle I turned the arms off ans stopped trying to hit the ball. This takes concentration and understanding of how you are going to generate power without hitting at the ball. You get power by using your body. So work on your lag when you are at home and on the range. Then keep the arms turned off when you play. When I say work on this angle this means you are doing thousands if not tens of thousands of repetitions until you have it mastered.
Paul, I’m RIGHT HANDED, and I’m having problems with my grip, my index finger on right hand is sore and keeps splitting near the junction with my palm approx 0.25″ below the palm intersection.
Make sure you are doing the correct grip. You need to be holding the club in the fingers of this hand. This will allow it to wrap on top of the left hand. I did this video about a sore index finger but it is the left hand that is usually sore:
My irons and short game are quite good thanks to you and my fairway woods are ok BUT I just cant get any power into my drives. They feel very weak on the follow through and I am not getting a nice solid strike on the ball like my 5 iron.
I feel as if I am quitting on my drives or my arms are getting stuck!
Any thoughts Paul?
You have one swing for all clubs. If you are not hitting the ball like you are hitting a 5 iron your swing is either not that good or you are doing a different swing. Most people swing way harder with driver. Instead of trying to hit your best shots with this club which is getting you nowhere start out slow. Stay loose and get it airborne. Swing at this level looking for easy, solid drives. This will keep the arms totally relaxed. Then increase ONLY the rotational speed of the body to get more power. If you lose if go back down again until you are good at swinging easy. While swinging at this pace make sure you are hitting the correct positions especially the follow through. Then you are loosening the arms and developing a great swing.
Hi Paul.
Still getting no power into my drives. I am hitting them straight but they don’t feel very solid at impact.
I am way down in distance with driver since starting your lessons.
I am not chicken , my arms are not tight and my follow through is correct with shaft touching my head between ears
I feel as if I am not getting through the ball with any power
In the past you have been hitting as hard yo can with your arms. You are now trying to use your body. You are not good at it. Start turning way faster than you currently are and keep the wrists loose and you will hit it farther than ever before. There is no reason I and many other smaller and weaker players can hit the all a long way other than turning faster and lose wrists. It is not strength. So you need to speed up the body rotation.
Do these drills immediately until you are good at it:
Hi again Paul
loving your tips but im having huge trouble off the tee
Im starting to see some great iron and wood shots but the driver has gone backwards
With my irons and woods i now am able to feel powerless arms and can hit some great shots however when it comes to the driver i cant for some reason fell powerless arms and struggle to release the club this along with a over the top swing plane is killing me off the tee
any advice?
You only have one swing so something is causing you to mis-hit the driver. This “something” is you trying to hit it too hard. So you need to slow down and focus on building a great swing. Once you get the great swing you can then work on increasing the distance.
So swing at no more than 50%. Forget hitting these booming drives. Focus on getting the ball in the fairway.
Watch the spin and direction of your shots. If you are spinning it right you are too tight. RIGHT = TIGHT so you need to be doing the roll over drill which I have now done tons of tips on until you eliminate this slice spin. Once you are consistently hooking it you forget the roll over and work on powering your swing with the lower body. If your body start the downswing first you will hit it dead straight.
You can have it in the middle or on the toe. I line it on the toe from following George Knudson’s technique many years ago. His theory was the arms stretch out through impact. If you start with it on the toe and your arms stretch your arms out it will hit the center.
You only have one swing so this is how you get more power with everything. The title is to feed the golfers who are salivating at the chance to hit the driver longer not realizing that you only have one swing.
I find the best way to get the loose swing is to let the wrists hinge naturally in the back swing from the weight of the club as the shoulders turn. By doing that I can get a fully-extended back swing and arc that allows the wrists to turn over effortlessly in the down swing. I learned to do that from your tip stating the club is supposed to feel heavy in the golf swing. It took a while to understand what you meant.
That’s great. Any way you can start taking the arms out of the swing is great. I definitely like the club feeling heavy. This is the tell-tale sign. Keep at it.
Paul ,I am of opinion that the “Loose wrists /Powerless Arms ” concept is not enough to explain the mechanics of your very fast swing speed :to put it in perspective, DAVID TOMS was on TV yesterday in the CHARLOTTE Open:his swing speed was a mere 100 MPH as compared to your 116 MPH ;TOMS has never been a long driver ,but he is more than an decent Pro,having won many Major Championships(and he has a beautiful smooth swing) .
In my opinion ,it’s the whole body which has to be loose (I follow ROGER FREDERICKS theory in this matter ,he’s a big advocate of the “FLEXIBLE SWING “) ;
I myself took recently to doing “loosening movements “before every shot ,wiggling arms ,hands ,wrists ,legs ,breathing in and out slowly .(I do look weird to my partners doing so !)
The result is what you show :a considerable improvement of distance with every shot and an amazing consistency,especially with my irons I plant the ball close to the pin quite often .
I think also that “self hynosis “helps ,you rehearse the whole thing in your mind before ,eyes closed.
The image I try to have in my mind when swinging is I am “slinging ” the club with an ancient DAVID vs GOLIATH sling ,nice and smooth…
Every one has a different way of approaching the problem: as long as it works!!!
You indicated to me a long time ago ,an “APPS ” on the mobile permitting to measure the hip speed :could you recall it again to me .
The inventor of the SOMAX POWER HIP TRAINER explains well the lever effect :the distance of the clubhead to the axis of rotation is 25 times the radius of the hips :if your hip speed is 4 MPH then the clubhead will move at 100 MPH ,to whivh you should add the “Whipping “effect .
Then the real problem is to train your hips to turn fast!
Not easy to acheive !
Of course, if you are all locked up even in your body your not going to coil too well. By tightly coiled going back is not a loose feeling. It is a tight feeling but if you are so tight to begin with that is stopping you from full coiling that would be a serous problem.
I can’t remember the app. If I find it I will let you know. It was M something. I think.
You got it and I have said this a million times. I am firing my hips hard and fast. This is turning my body faster. Even a slight increase in rotational speed of the body is huge in the whipping action of the club.
Hey Poul
I love your intelligent morning greetings here i Denmark
One thought: The looser your arms are – they are just waiting to be drawed around the body – the more turned your body will bee before your arms with the driver hit the ball and the more power will you generate to the ball
Is that so ?
Finn
You’ve got it. If you are not pulling the mass down it will lag behind the rotating body. What does lag mean? Lag means something (your club) is trailing behind something else (body rotation). The faster you turn the more lag you get. I am turning very quickly to get my body ahead of the club. The faster I turn, the farther I hit hit.
Now if you are going to only turn your body faster you will push fade it. So you need to hook it first on purpose. This will speed up your release. Once you can do this then you speed up the legs to match.
Correct me if i am wrong, at impact with the driver we do not have shaft lean? but with irons we want shaft lean. The golf swing is the same for all clubs. Why is this happening and to what club do we want shaft lean? Lets say if we use a 3 wood do we still want shaft lean…
Because the longer the club the less it is descending. It is the same swing. As you approach a 4 iron and above it starts getting too long to enter the ground. So yes, you will get shaft lean with shorter clubs as oppose to longer ones. Think about swinging a 50 foot longer driver. There is no way a club this long would enter the ground.
Paul,
I tried your drill today of a full swing as slow as I can to hit 2/3 shots. With a 7 iron, which I usually hit 165 it went 110 and was dead solid and straight, but the driver seemed tougher and although I usually hit it 260-280 it did go 200 but had a slight fade. Is that normal as I usually hit a draw or straight tee ball?
Also, I have had some high swing speeds like 125 and am usually between 111-116 but the ball doesn’t seem to be going as far as it should even though the strike is on the center of the clubface. I can’t figure out if my wrists aren’t loose enough at impact and the clubfact is a little open at impact but still on the center or why the ball is not going further? I think you said your 116 speed your ball goes 295? I’m trying to figure out why mine is not going further with that swing speed? Sorry for the long winded question.
This is not a drill to hit perfect shots. It is a drill to take your arms out of your swing. Like any drill you are not looking for great shots. You are trying to do a new move or feel something new. Every time you do this drill you are not trying to whack it as hard as you can. This reduces your arm strength. Once you are good at it you speed back up by driving your lower body harder. So keep doing the drill and keep feeling the power leave your arms.
You may not be getting the power for numerous reasons:
– Poor contact
– not the right shaft
– locked wrists
– wrong angle of attack
– wrong ball
– open face
– closed face
– head is damaged
– shaft is loose
– grips too wide
– wrong plane (glancing blow)
I think the 125 swing speed is a mis read.
In reading your description I would think you are hitting with your arms. This is locking your writs and you are swinging over the top creating a glancing blow on the back of the ball. So imagine if my wrists are loose my club will swing way faster. If I am on plane I am making more direct contact. I have the proper loft etc. so you if you have this speed too but are not doing these things you will lose power vs. me.
Yes, my average is 281 and the fairways I am playing are not shaved down like tour courses.
So you should be really working on loosening your wrists. Do this drill constantly:
Thanks for the quick reply Paul! I will work on those drills and especially the lag ear to ear drill. I will let you know how it turns out in a month of doing it.
One thing I have found to be difficult is turning/rotating the hips without actually sliding the hips to the left slightly. Do you push off any with your right foot when you start your downswing? Another problem is keeping my upper body steady enough during the transition so that I don’t lean forward too far. Sometimes I hit a really good drive, but I can still feel that my driver actually brushed against the ground.
In the lead-in you talk about this message being repetitious. You are spot on that we need to keep hearing it over and over and over. It is so easy to start going too fast. This message never gets old. I need to listen to it every day as part of my daily routine.
After finding you on YouTube in Jan 2018, I purchased the Body Swing and then joined Ignition Golf. Although I’d played for 55 years, I kept struggling. I knew I had to change if I wanted to keep playing and loving this game. I was frustrated to the point of being unhappy. I worked hard and struggled to learn the positions and implement your swing principles. I was optimistic but progress was slow. I was playing and looking for “some good shots” so I knew good things might be coming. But again, progress was slow.
Finally, late this summer I decided to try your “hit it 2/3 normal distance” drill at the range. The results were stunning. The wrists got looser, the arms got turned off, the finish position was easy to hit, I stayed in balance, the lower body was powering the swing. It all came together! Now, my range sessions are nearly always exclusively 2/3 distance, easy swings. My confidence has soared and so has my distance and satisfaction with this great game.
I play mornings with a group of about 20 “old, retired guys.” They all grind away with arms swings from the top hitting as hard as they can from the white tees. They’re lucky if they hit it 170. I play from the blues and casually bunt the ball off the tee 30-70 yards past them. They can’t figure it out. It is so funny!
Never stop touting the wisdom of using the 2/3 distance drill. It is a magic elixir. Thanks much for being the only guy in the universe teaching science-based swing principles!!
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52 Responses to “How To Get More Distance With The Driver”
October 12, 2012
mikeplummerHi Paul, this video states it is private and does not play.
Mike
October 12, 2012
Paul WilsonSorry, working now.
October 12, 2012
mikeplummerHi Paul, No worries but am glad to see this tip! Loose is so important yet difficult to achieve. For some reason I find it hard to give up control, but with practice will make it part of my golf swing.
Thanks Mike
October 13, 2012
Paul WilsonMike, I think you are getting better at it. Just hearing what you have to say in your comments tells me where you are at. Keep at it.
October 12, 2012
PaulSacchettiPaul,
I’m having success using my lower body to drive the swing. However, I can’t get anywhere near the power of my old swing. With the old I could swing my driver at 105-110 MPH. Now lucky to get 95. What’s the key to extra power. My hips are rotating as fast as I can.
Thanks,
Paul S
October 12, 2012
Paul WilsonPaul, What you think is fast and what I think is fast are worlds apart. Rarely do I see anyone rotating even close to what I am. So you need to get better at the rotational speed. Keep doing the swing off the ground. This will allow you to feel your legs. Also, video your swing and see if your right heel is off the ground at impact. It should be 3-4″ with irons and 5-6″ with woods. Your hips should also be turned at least 45 degrees. Check these things I would think you are not rotated enough.
Next, when I see people fire the lower body the tighten the arms and wrists. You need the arms and wrists loose even though you are driving the lower body fast. This will allow the club to lag better and give you the whip. Again, video you swing to see if you are lagging the club, are you chicken winging it through impact etc.
I go through this all the time that people lose a little power when they first make the switch. Then they get it back and more once they are more experienced at doing it.
So video your swing and see what is not working. You see how I am doing it. You can do it too.
June 13, 2013
AndrewMahHi Paul
Great tip, loose wrists and really rotate fast with the lower body. I live in Australia, so cant buy your swing speed radar from you, but do plan to get one, and see how I go. Have a couple of things going on in my head I was hoping you could clarify.
I was reading through the comments above, and noticed Paul S mentioning in his old swing he could get his swing speed up to 105/110…but was stuck at 95 with your approach. Also at the back end of this video, you showed an example of you swinging ALL OUT with your arms versus the swing you are trying to encourgae us to do ( with the result of it looking easy and with minimal effort). I have a couple of questions:
1) if Paul S is able to swing it at 105/110 with his old swing, and with lots of hard work get his swing speed up to the same speed with powerless arms, is the goal to get our swing speed up with the powerless arms method due to the fact, even if we can get our speed up to 105/110 swinging the old way, the results will be poor eg open club face?
2) in the example of you showed swinging like a man man and clearly looking like a fast swing (signs we are using our arms)- are you still getting to the same swing speeds compared to powerless arms?
I guess what I am trying to ask in a round about way is, IF you can get your swing speed up to 110 as Paul S did in the previous post whilst using your arms, and you were ALSO able to get it to 110 with powerless arms…..have you achieved the end goal of generating power? Or is the powerless arms method better, as it will result in more consistent shots?
thanks
Andrew
June 14, 2013
Paul WilsonAndrew,
Glad you liked it. Thanks.
1. Paul S is not good at using his body yet. He has had a lifetime of hitting with arms. To instantly be able to do it just as fast using the opposite power source would be difficult. If he keeps doing it and keeps the wrists loose he will get there.
The results of swinging with the arms is inconsistent shots and too much effort which will eventually hurt your body. Just because someone has 100+ clubhead speed does not mean they are going to hit the ball all that far. They may not be getting the correct launch angle or making solid contact. Sure, they may do it once in a while but I want this all the time. Keep trying to turn your arms off and turn your body faster to get power. You will be glad you did.
2. I have done this a long time so for me to strictly use my arms and lock everything up like an arm player is probably not going to happen. I will still move my body and still have my wrists a little loose so I could probably get close to the same swing speed. Where is my ball going to go when I swing hard like this? Who knows. So I am maybe not the best example. It is the guy who is all locked up compared to my swing that is a better comparison. With nothing I can hit it by this guy. If this is the case I must be doing something different. It is more efficient and I can keep doing it until I’m 90 years old. The other guy will be hitting it about 150 yards with everything he’s got when he older (if he is even playing).
Conclusion
I use to swing with my arms until I saw the Iron Byron. The day I stopped hitting was the day I could keep the ball in play. Hitting with the arms could make me hit the ball anywhere and everywhere … I’m not kidding.
Hopefully, you will keep at it and no matter how bad you hit it at first you stick with it. If you do, you too will have a powerful, effortless swing that will last you a lifetime.
October 12, 2012
HermanKohHi Paul,
1) Would like to know if 2 people have identical swings but A is taller, heavier and stronger compared to B. Would A hit it further?
2) Apart from keeping the wrist loose and staying relax, what other factors contribute to club head speed?
Thanks.
Herman
October 12, 2012
Paul WilsonHerman, A would hit it farther. The height would give this person longer arms which would be farther from the center thus giving this player more arc width. The person being heavier will create more momentum going into the backswing. This will tighten the coil more allow it to uncoil faster. This is all under the assumption they are turning as fast and hinging and re-hinging the same.
I just did a whole power series. This was the last tip. Just go to the red navigation bar at the top and search POWER. I go through all areas of the swing. This is why I did this section.
October 12, 2012
RickZechPaul,
Review is good. I bought your Swing Machine Golf series last fall. On my last round before that, I shot a 106. Last week I shot an 89 and 91. The only change I made last fall was your instruction series and a lot of practice. My regular golfing buddies can’t believe how much I have improved. I told them my “secret” and I think you will soon have 3 new followers.
The series got me going the right way and these weekly tips, even the repeats are good reinforcements of the Swing Machine lessons.
Thanks for the reminders,
Rick
October 12, 2012
Paul WilsonRick, Thank you for the purchase, the update and the promo to others. I truly appreciate it.
I’m so glad you’re improving. Swing Machine Golf works if you follow it. You decided to follow it and practice it. At this rate, you will soon see low 80’s then who knows. The tips definitely go even more in-depth which I think is a great supplement. Again, glad you are doing better. Keep at it.
October 12, 2012
RonCalabreseHi Paul. I noticed you set your driver on the ground a few inches behind the ball, somewhat father than I do. Is there a reason for this procedure? Some teachers recommend hovering the driver behind the ball, above the ground. Please comment on these different techniques.
Thanks, Ron
October 13, 2012
Paul WilsonRon,
This is just habit. I got sick of knocking the ball off the tee. I have bent down to tee up millions of golf balls in my life. I don’t want to do it any more times than I have to.
October 15, 2012
RonCalabreseThat’s a good reason, Paul. Imagine how you’ll feel at my age of 68, when the ball falls off the tee!
October 16, 2012
Paul WilsonRon, At 68 I think I will have 2 knee and 2 hip replacements. Not fun.
October 12, 2012
HowardMillerThanks for the great lesson. It’s a challenge to let go and stay fluid, but I’m practicing often at the range and the improvement is significant. Thank you so much. To you too Pete!!
October 13, 2012
Paul WilsonHoward, Keeping the arms powerless and not trying to hit is very difficult but once you feel it once it becomes addictive. You want it all the time. Getting it is really understanding it and changing the way you think. Everyone is so concerned about where the ball is going. I need everyone to forget the ball and focus on the movement. Move like me and you will hit it like me.
October 13, 2012
dominicmacedoniaPaul,
How do you stay relaxed in your arms. I noticed if I pause your downswing
you have a tremendous and envious lag angle. How do you keep that angle and still keep your arms realxed?
Dominic
October 16, 2012
Paul WilsonDominic, I worked on the lag angle for a long time. In doing so, I felt the arms. Once I got this lag angle I turned the arms off ans stopped trying to hit the ball. This takes concentration and understanding of how you are going to generate power without hitting at the ball. You get power by using your body. So work on your lag when you are at home and on the range. Then keep the arms turned off when you play. When I say work on this angle this means you are doing thousands if not tens of thousands of repetitions until you have it mastered.
Here are the drills:
How to Feel Lag: https://ignitiongolf.com/downswing-lag-1
How To Feel Lag 2: https://ignitiongolf.com/lag-follow-up
Lag Drill: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-lag
Lag Drill 2: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-move-hips-hold-lag
Lag And Release Drill: https://ignitiongolf.com/lag-release-drill
How Lag Affects Power: https://ignitiongolf.com/power-lag/
January 16, 2013
DavidSephtonPaul, I’m RIGHT HANDED, and I’m having problems with my grip, my index finger on right hand is sore and keeps splitting near the junction with my palm approx 0.25″ below the palm intersection.
Any advice would be appreciated.
January 16, 2013
Paul WilsonDavid,
Make sure you are doing the correct grip. You need to be holding the club in the fingers of this hand. This will allow it to wrap on top of the left hand. I did this video about a sore index finger but it is the left hand that is usually sore:
https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-sore-index-finger
Here is the right hand grip video. Follow it perfectly and it should not be sore:
Right Hand: https://ignitiongolf.com/right-hand-grip
August 16, 2013
paulelliottHi Paul,
My irons and short game are quite good thanks to you and my fairway woods are ok BUT I just cant get any power into my drives. They feel very weak on the follow through and I am not getting a nice solid strike on the ball like my 5 iron.
I feel as if I am quitting on my drives or my arms are getting stuck!
Any thoughts Paul?
August 17, 2013
Paul WilsonPaul,
You have one swing for all clubs. If you are not hitting the ball like you are hitting a 5 iron your swing is either not that good or you are doing a different swing. Most people swing way harder with driver. Instead of trying to hit your best shots with this club which is getting you nowhere start out slow. Stay loose and get it airborne. Swing at this level looking for easy, solid drives. This will keep the arms totally relaxed. Then increase ONLY the rotational speed of the body to get more power. If you lose if go back down again until you are good at swinging easy. While swinging at this pace make sure you are hitting the correct positions especially the follow through. Then you are loosening the arms and developing a great swing.
I did a tip on it here:
DRILL: This Is The Best Drill You Should Be Doing Right Now: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-three-quarter-distance/
September 27, 2013
paulelliottHi Paul.
Still getting no power into my drives. I am hitting them straight but they don’t feel very solid at impact.
I am way down in distance with driver since starting your lessons.
I am not chicken , my arms are not tight and my follow through is correct with shaft touching my head between ears
I feel as if I am not getting through the ball with any power
September 27, 2013
Paul WilsonPaul,
In the past you have been hitting as hard yo can with your arms. You are now trying to use your body. You are not good at it. Start turning way faster than you currently are and keep the wrists loose and you will hit it farther than ever before. There is no reason I and many other smaller and weaker players can hit the all a long way other than turning faster and lose wrists. It is not strength. So you need to speed up the body rotation.
Do these drills immediately until you are good at it:
DRILL: Swing Off Ground: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-swing-off-ground
DRILL: Listen to Club Swinging: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-listen-to-club
Drill: Swing Off Ground Variation: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-variation-favorite-drill/
Drill: My Favorite Drill
September 27, 2013
paulelliottthanks Paul
December 7, 2013
DavidCalvertHi again Paul
loving your tips but im having huge trouble off the tee
Im starting to see some great iron and wood shots but the driver has gone backwards
With my irons and woods i now am able to feel powerless arms and can hit some great shots however when it comes to the driver i cant for some reason fell powerless arms and struggle to release the club this along with a over the top swing plane is killing me off the tee
any advice?
December 7, 2013
DavidCalvertPs I just purchased the ultimate swing trainer and am hoping this can solve my swing plane trouble
December 8, 2013
Paul WilsonDavid,
Starting the lower body first with the arms powerless will fix your plane too:
Flatten Plane 1: https://ignitiongolf.com/downswing-flatten-plane
Flatten Plane 2: https://ignitiongolf.com/downswing-flatten-plane-2
December 8, 2013
Paul WilsonDavid,
You only have one swing so something is causing you to mis-hit the driver. This “something” is you trying to hit it too hard. So you need to slow down and focus on building a great swing. Once you get the great swing you can then work on increasing the distance.
So swing at no more than 50%. Forget hitting these booming drives. Focus on getting the ball in the fairway.
Watch the spin and direction of your shots. If you are spinning it right you are too tight. RIGHT = TIGHT so you need to be doing the roll over drill which I have now done tons of tips on until you eliminate this slice spin. Once you are consistently hooking it you forget the roll over and work on powering your swing with the lower body. If your body start the downswing first you will hit it dead straight.
So start doing these drills immediately:
Release Progression: https://ignitiongolf.com/release-progression/
Drill
January 23, 2014
PaulBrettPaul,
Where should you position the ball on the face of your club at address? I have noticed with the driver you have it towards the toe. Why is this?
Many thanks,
Paul
January 24, 2014
Paul WilsonPaul,
You can have it in the middle or on the toe. I line it on the toe from following George Knudson’s technique many years ago. His theory was the arms stretch out through impact. If you start with it on the toe and your arms stretch your arms out it will hit the center.
January 24, 2014
PaulBrettThanks Paul. Is this only for the diver?
January 25, 2014
Paul WilsonPaul,
You only have one swing so this is how you get more power with everything. The title is to feed the golfers who are salivating at the chance to hit the driver longer not realizing that you only have one swing.
May 16, 2015
PeterEspositoPaul,
I find the best way to get the loose swing is to let the wrists hinge naturally in the back swing from the weight of the club as the shoulders turn. By doing that I can get a fully-extended back swing and arc that allows the wrists to turn over effortlessly in the down swing. I learned to do that from your tip stating the club is supposed to feel heavy in the golf swing. It took a while to understand what you meant.
Peter
May 18, 2015
Paul WilsonPeter,
That’s great. Any way you can start taking the arms out of the swing is great. I definitely like the club feeling heavy. This is the tell-tale sign. Keep at it.
May 16, 2015
RaymondCHASTELPaul ,I am of opinion that the “Loose wrists /Powerless Arms ” concept is not enough to explain the mechanics of your very fast swing speed :to put it in perspective, DAVID TOMS was on TV yesterday in the CHARLOTTE Open:his swing speed was a mere 100 MPH as compared to your 116 MPH ;TOMS has never been a long driver ,but he is more than an decent Pro,having won many Major Championships(and he has a beautiful smooth swing) .
In my opinion ,it’s the whole body which has to be loose (I follow ROGER FREDERICKS theory in this matter ,he’s a big advocate of the “FLEXIBLE SWING “) ;
I myself took recently to doing “loosening movements “before every shot ,wiggling arms ,hands ,wrists ,legs ,breathing in and out slowly .(I do look weird to my partners doing so !)
The result is what you show :a considerable improvement of distance with every shot and an amazing consistency,especially with my irons I plant the ball close to the pin quite often .
I think also that “self hynosis “helps ,you rehearse the whole thing in your mind before ,eyes closed.
The image I try to have in my mind when swinging is I am “slinging ” the club with an ancient DAVID vs GOLIATH sling ,nice and smooth…
Every one has a different way of approaching the problem: as long as it works!!!
You indicated to me a long time ago ,an “APPS ” on the mobile permitting to measure the hip speed :could you recall it again to me .
The inventor of the SOMAX POWER HIP TRAINER explains well the lever effect :the distance of the clubhead to the axis of rotation is 25 times the radius of the hips :if your hip speed is 4 MPH then the clubhead will move at 100 MPH ,to whivh you should add the “Whipping “effect .
Then the real problem is to train your hips to turn fast!
Not easy to acheive !
May 18, 2015
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Of course, if you are all locked up even in your body your not going to coil too well. By tightly coiled going back is not a loose feeling. It is a tight feeling but if you are so tight to begin with that is stopping you from full coiling that would be a serous problem.
I can’t remember the app. If I find it I will let you know. It was M something. I think.
You got it and I have said this a million times. I am firing my hips hard and fast. This is turning my body faster. Even a slight increase in rotational speed of the body is huge in the whipping action of the club.
May 17, 2015
Finn ReinauLarsenHey Poul
I love your intelligent morning greetings here i Denmark
One thought: The looser your arms are – they are just waiting to be drawed around the body – the more turned your body will bee before your arms with the driver hit the ball and the more power will you generate to the ball
Is that so ?
Finn
May 18, 2015
Paul WilsonFinn,
You’ve got it. If you are not pulling the mass down it will lag behind the rotating body. What does lag mean? Lag means something (your club) is trailing behind something else (body rotation). The faster you turn the more lag you get. I am turning very quickly to get my body ahead of the club. The faster I turn, the farther I hit hit.
Now if you are going to only turn your body faster you will push fade it. So you need to hook it first on purpose. This will speed up your release. Once you can do this then you speed up the legs to match.
Watch:
Driving Hips Harder But Hook It First: https://ignitiongolf.com/driving-hips-hook-first/
August 13, 2015
HermanKohHi Paul,
Correct me if i am wrong, at impact with the driver we do not have shaft lean? but with irons we want shaft lean. The golf swing is the same for all clubs. Why is this happening and to what club do we want shaft lean? Lets say if we use a 3 wood do we still want shaft lean…
Thanks.
Herman
August 13, 2015
Paul WilsonHerman,
Because the longer the club the less it is descending. It is the same swing. As you approach a 4 iron and above it starts getting too long to enter the ground. So yes, you will get shaft lean with shorter clubs as oppose to longer ones. Think about swinging a 50 foot longer driver. There is no way a club this long would enter the ground.
March 22, 2016
MichaelFanninPaul,
I tried your drill today of a full swing as slow as I can to hit 2/3 shots. With a 7 iron, which I usually hit 165 it went 110 and was dead solid and straight, but the driver seemed tougher and although I usually hit it 260-280 it did go 200 but had a slight fade. Is that normal as I usually hit a draw or straight tee ball?
Also, I have had some high swing speeds like 125 and am usually between 111-116 but the ball doesn’t seem to be going as far as it should even though the strike is on the center of the clubface. I can’t figure out if my wrists aren’t loose enough at impact and the clubfact is a little open at impact but still on the center or why the ball is not going further? I think you said your 116 speed your ball goes 295? I’m trying to figure out why mine is not going further with that swing speed? Sorry for the long winded question.
Mike
March 23, 2016
Paul WilsonMichael,
This is not a drill to hit perfect shots. It is a drill to take your arms out of your swing. Like any drill you are not looking for great shots. You are trying to do a new move or feel something new. Every time you do this drill you are not trying to whack it as hard as you can. This reduces your arm strength. Once you are good at it you speed back up by driving your lower body harder. So keep doing the drill and keep feeling the power leave your arms.
You may not be getting the power for numerous reasons:
– Poor contact
– not the right shaft
– locked wrists
– wrong angle of attack
– wrong ball
– open face
– closed face
– head is damaged
– shaft is loose
– grips too wide
– wrong plane (glancing blow)
I think the 125 swing speed is a mis read.
In reading your description I would think you are hitting with your arms. This is locking your writs and you are swinging over the top creating a glancing blow on the back of the ball. So imagine if my wrists are loose my club will swing way faster. If I am on plane I am making more direct contact. I have the proper loft etc. so you if you have this speed too but are not doing these things you will lose power vs. me.
Yes, my average is 281 and the fairways I am playing are not shaved down like tour courses.
So you should be really working on loosening your wrists. Do this drill constantly:
DRILL: Lag Ear to Ear: https://ignitiongolf.com/lag-release-drill/
I gave this to a student of mine years ago. He went from hitting it nowhere to about 300 in a month or two.
Also do these:
Drill – Smooth Wrist Release: https://ignitiongolf.com/smooth-wrist-release/
Drill – Grip Down To Feel The Release: https://ignitiongolf.com/grip-down-feel-release/
Also do the roll over drill:
DRILL: 3 Ways To Roll It Over: https://ignitiongolf.com/3-ways-to-roll/
And watch this too:
DRILL: Golf Swing Timing For More Distance: https://ignitiongolf.com/timing-more-distance/
If you still don’t get it I would do a swing analysis with my assistant Pete. They are all of $20. He will tell you what you are doing wrong.
March 23, 2016
MichaelFanninThanks for the quick reply Paul! I will work on those drills and especially the lag ear to ear drill. I will let you know how it turns out in a month of doing it.
June 21, 2016
EricHicksPaul,
One thing I have found to be difficult is turning/rotating the hips without actually sliding the hips to the left slightly. Do you push off any with your right foot when you start your downswing? Another problem is keeping my upper body steady enough during the transition so that I don’t lean forward too far. Sometimes I hit a really good drive, but I can still feel that my driver actually brushed against the ground.
June 22, 2016
Paul WilsonEric,
That lateral occurs if you go to my touch the legs position. If you go to this position you will shift so you don’t have to think about shifting.
Watch:
Exactly How to Start the Downswing: https://ignitiongolf.com/lead-knee-back/
There Is Lateral Motion In The Downswing: https://ignitiongolf.com/lateral-motion-downswing/
Legs Touching: https://ignitiongolf.com/touch-knees/
Exactly How To Do Touch The Legs Position: https://ignitiongolf.com/how-to-touch-the-legs-position/
It’s a Turn Not A Jump: https://ignitiongolf.com/turn-not-jump/
It’s Like A Throwing Motion: https://ignitiongolf.com/like-throwing-motion/
Secret of the Starting the Downswing (using triggers – off big toe curve): https://ignitiongolf.com/shift-roll/
May 3, 2019
MichaelBarrettPaul,
In the lead-in you talk about this message being repetitious. You are spot on that we need to keep hearing it over and over and over. It is so easy to start going too fast. This message never gets old. I need to listen to it every day as part of my daily routine.
Thanks,
Mike
May 5, 2019
Paul WilsonMike,
Very good. I just hope people are hearing it.
November 27, 2019
MichaelBarrettPaul,
After finding you on YouTube in Jan 2018, I purchased the Body Swing and then joined Ignition Golf. Although I’d played for 55 years, I kept struggling. I knew I had to change if I wanted to keep playing and loving this game. I was frustrated to the point of being unhappy. I worked hard and struggled to learn the positions and implement your swing principles. I was optimistic but progress was slow. I was playing and looking for “some good shots” so I knew good things might be coming. But again, progress was slow.
Finally, late this summer I decided to try your “hit it 2/3 normal distance” drill at the range. The results were stunning. The wrists got looser, the arms got turned off, the finish position was easy to hit, I stayed in balance, the lower body was powering the swing. It all came together! Now, my range sessions are nearly always exclusively 2/3 distance, easy swings. My confidence has soared and so has my distance and satisfaction with this great game.
I play mornings with a group of about 20 “old, retired guys.” They all grind away with arms swings from the top hitting as hard as they can from the white tees. They’re lucky if they hit it 170. I play from the blues and casually bunt the ball off the tee 30-70 yards past them. They can’t figure it out. It is so funny!
Never stop touting the wisdom of using the 2/3 distance drill. It is a magic elixir. Thanks much for being the only guy in the universe teaching science-based swing principles!!
Mike
November 29, 2019
Paul WilsonMike,
Yes, this one is huge. Yet few do it. Funny how I can give the answers yet few hear them.