What can you do to hit the golf ball farther? The common issue many Golfers have is that they try to swing either their hands, arms, upper body, hips or legs harder, yet all this does for most Golfers is cause you to hit inconsistent golf shots.

The urge to hit the golf ball farther is not a new phenomenon. Golfers have wanted to hit the golf ball farther since the creation of the game. As the best selling golf magazines and the best selling golf clubs of this generation are always advertising: “Hit the golf ball 10 yards farther!” The best selling golf magazines and golf clubs back in the early 1900’s advertised using the exact same jargon.

Even farther back (around 1849, over 160 years ago) – Old Tom Morris switched from using the Feathery Golf Ball to using the Gutta Percha so that he could hit the golf ball farther. And even though Old Tom’s boss (Alan Robertson) threatened to fire Old Tom if he continued to use the Gutta Percha instead of the Feathery (Robertson’s main income was making Feathery Golf Balls), the allure of hitting the golf ball farther was too great for Old Tom. Thus, Old Tom Morris lost his job over the desire to hit the golf ball longer!

Believe it or not, that is a true story. Would you, like Old Tom Morris, give up your job to hit the golf ball farther?

Yet, when other Golfers saw Old Tom hit his golf ball 20 yards past their golf balls … they all started to make the switch to the Gutta Percha. By 1860 the Feathery was a collector’s item as everyone switched to the longer hitting golf ball. Just as the “longer” balata golf ball of the 1970’s, 80’s and early 90’s is no longer being manufactured in favor of the newer “longer” golf balls of the 2000’s.

Wanting to hit the golf ball far is a natural urge we all have. Even the biggest hitters on the PGA and LPGA Tour want to find a way to increase the distance they hit the golf ball. So there is nothing wrong with wanting to find ways to hit the golf ball farther.

Yet, often times when a Golfer tries to swing harder in order hit the golf ball farther – the result is often a shot that flies into the trees, weeds, or water.

So why is it that when you do try to swing harder … you often hit bad golf shots? It most likely has to do with not having the various parts of your body working together to get you into a consistent impact position. Meaning, what part of your body are you using to hit the golf ball farther? Is it your hands, arms, upper body, hips or legs? And then, are you focusing on using them to swing harder or are you using them to move efficiently into a consistent impact?

Although many Golfers often refer to PGA Tour Players by stating: “How can they swing so slow and hit the golf ball so far?” In reality, they aren’t swinging slow. The clubhead of a PGA Tour Player is moving much faster than yours as they come through impact. So much faster that the average PGA Tour Player’s clubhead with their Driver is moving between 110 mph and 125 mph as he hits the golf ball. The average 90 Golfer’s clubhead is moving between 75 mph and 95 mph.

So how can a PGA Tour Player have the golf club moving more than 30 mph faster than yours, yet make it look like they are swinging easier than the other Golfers you play with?

A book could be written about all the different issues surrounding this. However, the #1 Factor is getting into a consistent impact in your golf swing. The Tour Players have learned how to get their body into a position at impact that allows their golf club to move smoothly and effortlessly through the golf ball. The Golfers you most likely play with aren’t getting into that consistent impact position.

Because most Golfers do not know what consistent impact feels like. Most Golfers are too focused on turning their shoulders, turning their hips, getting parallel at the top of their golf swing, swinging inside to out, blah, blah, blah.

Yet, if you do not know how to allow yourself to consistently get into impact … none of the above matters as all the power you were trying to create will be sabotaged and wasted by a poor impact position.

If you want a consistent golf swing … you should be studying how to get into a consistent impact.

At GMS, we believe that you first need to learn what impact feels like. This is done by using certain GMS drills that force you to feel what your impact position feels like. We spend the entire morning of Day One of our program working on these drills, as they are repeated over and over so that you understand the feeling of impact. For most Golfers that are guilty of being inconsistent, their impact position looks almost exactly the same as their set-up position. Thus, they hit behind the golf ball, top the golf ball, slice the golf ball, as well as continually create new compensations in their golf swing to make up for a poor impact position.

So we have you using special impact drills as you hit the golf ball to feel a consistent impact. Then, once you start making consistent ball strikes in that impact position, we work with you on drills to feel how to move into impact. Thus, first you’re learning what impact feels like, and then second you’re learning how to move into it.

The GMS Program is a step by step program that is well structured to start at impact and then move into other aspects of your golf swing (like shoulder turn, hip turn, etc). Most other Golf Instruction is based on other parts of your golf swing before working on impact … which is completely backwards. A consistent impact influences the rest of your golf swing. So impact should be worked on before anything else!

If you’re not first working on impact … you’re just creating more and more compensations in your golf swing that will be preventing you from hitting the golf ball farther. However, if you start with an Impact System (like GMS uses), you’ll be amazed at how much more consistent you’ll become without having to think about 10 million things every golf swing.

The Monkey is working on more shoulder turn and hip turn in the hope of finding more distance

The Player is spending their time working on impact

Go ahead, come to GMS and learn how to be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon – Your Instructor For Life