GAINING DISTANCE
4m

Billy Fitzgerald, a Malaska Certified Coach, is helping Mike this week. A Malaska Golf Member has a question about distance. Although he hits the ball straighter, he still isn’t getting the distance he wants. The member lists several ways he is trying to gain speed. First, Billy cautions the member because the golf swing is one fluid motion. Although it is a fluid motion, you do hit some positions.

Another point Billy makes is that working on one thing at a time is essential. If you have too many different things going on in your head, it makes it challenging to maneuver smoothly through the swing. Your swing is a free-flowing motion. Billy advises you to work on one concept at a time before moving on to the next.

Billy talks about the different circles that help you gain more speed. First is the swing circle the club is working on, or the outer circle. Second is the circle the body works on, which is the inner circle. The object is for those circles to match up.

Typically, for the average player, there becomes a point where they can only have so much speed with their hands, wrists, and arms. Tension comes into play when you try to gain more speed and become tighter. This is not a good thing.

Ensure your outer circle and your hands and levers are working correctly. Feel how the club is swinging. Once you do this, it is time to match up both circles. Actual speed starts when they both work off each other.

Billy demonstrates how this happens. As the club comes down in the backswing, the left leg pushes the left hip out of the way as you accelerate through the ball. With your hands working correctly, it’s ensuring the two circles work together in the swing. This will help you accelerate the golf club.

Billy reminds the member not to have too many different ideas going on in his mind, as that will create tension.

Work with the outer and inner circles to push away and accelerate the club.