HOW TO HIT IT LONG AND STRAIGHT

TUITION
HOW TO HIT IT
LONG AND STRAIGHT
PAUL GLAZIER IS A LONG DRIVE PROFESSIONAL ON THE LONG DRIVERS
OF EUROPE (LDE) EUROPEAN LONG DRIVE TOUR. HE HAS HAD FOUR TOP-
THREE FINISHES IN 2007, INCLUDING HIS MAIDEN VICTORY IN ITALY.
HERE HE OUTLINES HOW TO DRIVE LONG AND STRAIGHT.
(Figure 1)
Paul is a long drive professional on the Long Drivers of Europe (LDE) European Long Drive tour.
He has had four top-three finishes in 2007, including his maiden victory at the RE/MAX Long Drive
Championship of Italy. He is currently ranked number two in the LDE Order of Merit, is LDE
Rookie of the Year for 2007, and has qualified for this year’s RE/MAX World Long Drive
Championship Final. Paul is also a sports scientist at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.
68 UKGOLFER OCTOBER 2007
TUNE YOUR EQUIPMENT
1 The first issue that requires attention when
striving for greater distance off the tee is your
driver specification. Obtaining correct launch
conditions is paramount in becoming a more
proficient driver. Scientific studies and launch
monitor data have shown that, as a general rule
of thumb, golfers need to produce launch
angles of approximately 12° and backspin rates
of approximately 2,500 revolutions per minute
to obtain maximum range from the tee. The
ideal combination is high launch and low spin as
this will maximise the total range (carry and roll).
MODIFY YOUR STANCE
2 In addition to tinkering with your
equipment, you can change your launch angle
and spin rate by altering your setup. To launch
tee shots higher with less spin, simply increase
the width of your stance by moving your back
foot back and across behind you by a couple of
inches and position the ball opposite your front
toe rather than just inside your front heel (Figure
1). These technical changes will effectively
increase the angle of your shoulder axis relative
to the ground and also close off your shoulder
alignment relative to the target line. As a result,
you should be able to hit up and through the
golf ball on an in-to-out swing path more
effectively, thus promoting high, right-to-left tee
shots with plenty of run on landing.
STRENGHTEN YOUR GRIP
3 Consider making your left hand grip a
fraction stronger when attempting to launch
monster drives. Most coaching texts advocate
that you should be able to see two and a half
knuckles of your left hand at address (Figure 2).
Instead, try positioning your left hand on the
grip so that you can see a full three knuckles
(Figure 3). This slight alteration may help you to
release the clubhead a little better through
impact, therefore, generating greater clubhead
speed.

(Figure 2) (Figure 3)
(Figure 4)
(Figure 5)
TEE THE BALL HIGHER
4 The Rules of Golf stipulate that golfers
can use tees up to 4 inches long. However,
amateur golfers rarely make full use of this rule.
Far too often do I see amateur golfers tee the
ball too low, which invariably leads to a steeper
angle of attack and a descending blow causing
excessive backspin to be imparted (Figure 4).
Teeing the ball higher promotes a more efficient
and effective sweeping action through impact,
which decreases the amount of backspin that is
imparted (Figure 5). A general rule of thumb is
that at least half the ball should be visible above
the crown of your driver although experiment to
establish what suits you.
(Figure 6)
(Figure 7)
(Figure 8)
TUITION
CREATE WIDTH IN YOUR
5 BACKSWING
After a slow and deliberate takeaway,
try and keep your arms fully extended
for the first portion of your backswing.
At around the 9 o’clock position, start
to hinge your wrists and continue to
turn your shoulders whilst limiting the
amount of hip turn (Figure 6). The
relative angle between the shoulder
axis and hip axis (commonly known as
the X-factor in golfing circles) has
been shown in the scientific literature
to be one of the most important
variables in hitting golf balls long
distances. What happens is the core
muscles of the trunk are put on prestretch
much like an elastic band is
when it is put under tension. The
immense amount of energy that has
been stored up during the backswing
can then be used to rapidly uncoil the
body during the downswing, leading
to the generation of large clubhead
speeds.
DRIVE YOUR HIPS TO START
6 THE DOWNSWING
Once you have completed your
backswing, smoothly initiate your
downswing by driving your hips
forward towards the target. By leading
with your hips, the core muscles in
your trunk will be put on further prestretch,
increasing the amount of
stored-up energy to be released later
in the downswing. A good swing
thought here is to keep your back to
the target for as long as possible
(Figure 7). By leading with the hips
and not the shoulders, you should be
able to guard against the distancesapping
“over-the-top” movement
that is a characteristic of so many
amateurs’ swings. The arms and
hands will naturally drop down and
enable your swing path to come more
from the inside prior to impact. A word
of warning here, though—ensure that
you are thoroughly warmed-up before
attempting to implement this technical
point as this aggressive and highly
athletic movement can be potentially
injurious if your core trunk muscles
and lower back have not been primed
for action.
COMMIT TO YOUR
7 FOLLOW-THROUGH
Having made a solid contact, extend
fully and turn your body to make a full
and committed follow-through (Figure
8). When you are really going at the
golf ball hard, it is important to
decelerate the club gradually over as
long a period of time as possible to
avoid injury.
Long Drive Golf
Paul Glazier, Long Drive Golf Professional
See www.longdrivegolf.co.uk for
more on Paul Glazier
OCTOBER 2007 UKGOLFER 69