A little while back I did a video tip titled An "Almost" New Swing Drill that generated a really good discussion on the blog. This comment from frequent contributor Steve Smith gives me an opportunity to cover something I don't think I have covered extensively in the past.
"I will never be able to get to a nice balanced finish consistently because of nerve damage in my left leg and foot but, apart from that, I find that my finish is never really beside my left ear but well higher than that and getting to that point beside my ear is almost part of the "recoil and relax" for me.
None of that is intentional but I just accelerate through the ball and toward the target so fast that to stop that momentum enough to let the arms fold and come toward my left ear would take quite a bit of effort, and strain on myself".
From what Steve describes, he must be swinging at 95-100% of his maximum speed and that's not a good thing because that means he's likely out of control. We always want to keep in mind that we swing the club, the club doesn't swing us. The club only moves because you move it and only goes where you want it to go.
The situation Steve describes is roughly analogous to a car trying to take a curve at too great of a speed. The driver has to muscle the car around the curve and, if he's going too fast, he may lose total control of the car and end up in the woods. And that's exactly what could happen to your golf shot--into the woods.
If you own the instructional video DJ and I did on The Driver Swing, you'll remember the sequence we did where DJ steadily increased his swing power until he was swinging nearly as fast as he could. The change in his mechanics is quite evident when he hits 95%-100% of his maximum and that's why he never hits more than 90% of that speed, even when he wants to wring out an extra few yards. Why is that? Because he knows that distance isn't just about club head speed--swing mechanics play an equal role in hitting a long, straight shot.
By swinging nearly as hard as you can, you increase the odds that you won't be able to square the club at impact, thereby setting yourself up for a slice or a hook. But the real kicker here is that by swinging too fast you may miss the sweet spot more often and studies show that for every 1/4" you are off, you lose 10% in distance! Let's say your normal drive carries 200 yards. If learn to swing at 90% of your full swing speed and concentrate on hitting a solid shot just a 1/4" closer to the sweet spot, you could increase your carry by 20 yards or so.
You do the math: Swing at 95-100% of my maximum swing speed and lose 10% of my distance for every 1/4" I miss the sweet spot or swing at 90% of my max, and significantly increase my chances of hitting the ball square and solid and potentially gain 10% in distance to boot? (Remember my Surgism on what it takes to hit a good golf shot: On, On and On, Square and Solid). To me, there's no question of which is the right approach.
So, Steve, and everyone out there who feels they are swinging so fast that they can't get to a good T-Finish without doing damage to their bodies, here's a challenge. Next time you are at the range, warm up with your normal swing speed, shooting at a specific target. Then try to slow your FUS down to 90% of your maximum and see what that does for your finish. Once you've done that, grab some impact tape and judge how close your hits are to the sweet spot at 95%-100% vs. 90%. My experience tells me that you will find that you will be more consistent at the lower swing speed, that your finish will improve and that you'll actually be hitting the ball straighter and farther than you were at 95%-100% of your capability.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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