From 2002 through 2010 I competed in long drive and was fortunate enough to win two American Long Drivers Association grand national championships as well as making it to the RE/MAX World Long drive finals on five occasions. But success was not immediate and it took a fair amount of work to come up with a swing that I could rely on under the gun.
During my first year I had a major cup in my left wrist which enabled me to get the club well past parallel at the top and create a ton of speed at the bottom. Golf balls flew a long way but way too frequently didn’t land in the proper zip code, especially when the pressure was amped up.
I knew that to increase accuracy I needed to get my left wrist flatter at the top and the clubface in a square position rather than open. However, that led to another issue. I soon discovered that my wrists weren’t all that flexible. I wasn’t able to hinge very much and as a result my arc, and my lag, were quite dramatically reduced along with my distance.
One day when I was practicing at the range, I inadvertently discovered that if I softened my left elbow slightly and allowed the arm to bend just a little bit in the backswing, I was able to get the length of my arc back where I wanted it while still controlling the clubface. The result were shots as long as before but with far more control. Please understand that I’m not talking about a 90-degree bend in the left elbow. It’s just a little bend and a little softening of the arm. Give it a try and see if it helps you hit the ball past your buddies.
John Marshall
Golf Instructor
Cell: (404) 405-1403
E-mail: jmarsh4653@aol.com
A Golf Tips Magazine Top 25 Instructor in America
Golf Digest Magazine certified instructor
