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GOLF
ARTICLES - JANUARY 2008
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Lead
With Your Left
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When you want to get some extra distance out of your
golf drives, it's natural to think that your right or
dominant hand (for right-handed golfers) should supply
the power. In reality, however, maximum power is a
result of a left-hand lead with the golf club.
When you think about overpowering the golf ball with
your right hand, that arm becomes involved in the motion
too early. Two things will happen and both are bad.
First, when you pull the golf club hard from the top
with the right hand, your arms will separate too much
from the body. This creates an outside-to-in swing path
and inevitably, the result is a weak slice. Second,
tugging hard with your right side causes you to lose the
angle created between your hands and the golf club
shaft. You'll have no lag during the downswing, and club
head speed through impact will be reduced rather than
increased.
The
next time you watch the World Long Driving contest,
notice how long into the downswing the big hitters
maintain the angle of their hands and the shaft. It's
held until just before impact, then released with speeds
of up to 160 mph. This is impossible if your right hand
is released at the beginning of the downswing. The
world's longest hitters lead with the left.
The
best way to feel the proper start of the downswing is to
imagine that your right arm is being pulled by the left
for as long as possible. A great drill to get this
feeling is to release your right hand from the club at
the start of your downswing and swing only with your
left. With practice, this drill will ultimately lead to
more power and control.
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