Swing Hard in Case You Hit It!

Swing hard in case you hit it… Rob Bernard CPGA (Center of Gravity Golf)

I’m probably one of the few Golf Professionals that never really talks to my clients about club head speed. The old joke on the tee box is always, “Swing hard in case you hit it” when in fact “Swing smooth” would be a much better thought. While it’s true that increased club head speed will cause the ball to fly further; the thought of swinging harder actually has a detrimental effect on the speed of the golf club. Increased club head speed actually is a byproduct of excellent balance and proper sequence of the golf swing, trying harder is a sure fire way to hit short golf shots all day long. I never want to put an image in the mind of a client to increase the speed of the club head, this encourages a golfer to “try harder” and that never works. Any golf Professional will tell you they usually swing the club at about 75 to 80% of their maximum, this insures they stay in balance and make solid contact which they know will produce predictable trajectories and carry distances for all their clubs. Any time one of my clients wants to increase distance I start to talk about ball speed. I have always found that ball speed was a more relevant subject and when we learn how to increase ball speed, more distance comes naturally. One thing a lot of golfers don’t understand is that the most powerful piece of golf equipment made is not the $500.00 driver, actually  the $5.00 golf ball is the most powerful and most regulated piece of golf equipment there is. There are golf balls today that any Pro could hit 400 or 500 yards…we’re not allowed to use them of course, but they are out there. Golf balls are strictly regulated in initial velocity, size, weight, and flight characteristics so golf courses don’t become obsolete overnight.  The reason a Golf professional or a top Amateur can hit a regulation golf ball so far is not because of strength or swinging hard, it’s compression. Learning how to squeeze a golf ball is the secret to gaining lots of distance with very little effort. You’ve probably heard the phrase “effortless power”, this comes from understanding that all the energy in golf is in the golf ball…we just have to learn to get it out.  How do you get it out? You squeeze the golf ball using what Center of Gravity Golf calls the “Piston”. The Piston rotation is the release of the club-head through the ball. This releasing (rotating) action compresses the ball causing it to fly. Golf balls are designed to fly and when you compress them properly it will astonish you how far they will fly and how well they hold their line. Learning to release the club-head properly through the ball is the key to maximizing your ball speed and getting your youthful distance back.  The release of the club-head is actually just a 90 degree rotation of the club-head through the bottom of the swing. Most golfers either don’t release it at all, or they release it too late, after the ball is gone. Late release of the club-head causes high, short shots, off to the right. If you ever noticed that all your mid irons go the same distance…you’re not releasing the club-head and you’re merely pushing the golf ball around the course. Find the position of your grip with your left hand so that when you rotate your fore-arm to the left, (toward the target) the toe of the club is at a 90degree angle to the ball. On your down swing, don’t hesitate; rotate your left fore-arm (fire your Piston) on the way to the ball as if you want to hit it with the toe of the club. This is the feeling of releasing the club. After you force it to turn a few times, leave it alone…it should go on its own and you will be on your way to making the ball fly and increasing your distance in no time. In my classes it is not un-common to effortlessly increase ball speed by 20 – 30 miles/ hour which can mean an extra 25 – 50 yards on a 7 iron shot alone. For more information on the “Piston” and releasing the club, visit me at on line at www.cogolf.ca  and Get Your Swing in Gear.