We all want distance and I know I have worked hard on my swing the last two years to fix my “over the top” tendency (a big power issue for a lot of women). My pro has also taught me how important the hands and wrists are in creating speed. We also worked on swinging out – so that I don’t get so much spin (causing my ball to roll right when it lands, instead of rolling straight, which loses distance); and we have worked on fundamentals (stance, alignment, ball position) that we know are key to distance (and accuracy). I’ve learned so much over the last few years and keep working hard to ingrain my new swing.

Tips from my Pro are great but sometimes another way of seeing/hearing a tip helps. And below are tips I have seen on social media that really resonate with me and remind me of the lessons from my Pro.

(1) Grip – We all know that the grip is important in controlling the club face but it also is important in creating speed. If you do not have your club in your fingers and/or you have a death grip on the club you will not be able to release the club correctly; and in turn, the tension created in your grip travels up your arms which reduces your ability to generate power and speed. One tip is to grip your club tightly and then release it just before you hit. This is also used as a mental game tip to release tension. I did this a few times in practice and it helped; and now I know the feel of a light grip when I set my hands on the club.

(2) Rotation – The best tip for a mental image of the rotation is from Lisa Longball who’s mantra is “Turn the Shirt/Turn the Skirt.” The key she is trying to relay is that the first move on your downswing is to “turn the skirt” (or hips) because if you “turn the shirt” (upper body/arms) that is a huge power leak. This really is a lot of what I have worked on with my Pro because an “over the top” swing is basically turning the shirt (arms) first. My Pro likes to remind me that I should feel like my trail shoulder is holding back as my lower body fires forward.

(3) Finish Your Swing – You may think the fastest part of your swing is when your club face hits the ball but all the experts explain that the fastest part of your swing is (or should be) past the ball and the only way to achieve this is to “finish your swing.” If you hit at the ball, you are likely to decelerate after the hit and that is a power leak.

The tips that have really helped me finish my swing are:

(A) Don’t hit at the ball but swing through the ball.

(B) Club finishes behind your back. Lisa Longball says that if your hands stop high up in front of your head/face, that is a sign that you decelerated after the ball so make sure you finish with the club behind your back.

(C) Dirty Toe Like a Pro – I heard this saying from Patrick Harrington. He said if you have a dirty toe on your trail shoe then you know you have shifted your weight to your lead side and are finished your swing with the back of your shoe showing and you are on your toe of the trail foot. He said look at any professional golfers shoes after a round and the toe is dirty. Another way to think about it – If you keep your trail foot flat that is a power leak because your weight is not shifting.

These may sound obvious but it is amazing how on the course you can forget these simple tips and then wonder why you aren’t hitting the ball as far as you did the last time you played.

So do you have a power leak? If yes, give one of the tips above a try and see how it helps your game.