How to Max-Out at Impact
The secret to long drives is in your right hip and knee

By Dave Phillips
Top 100 Teacher

This story is for you if...

• You feel like you have the ability to generate plenty of clubhead speed, but...

• ...you wouldn't know it by looking at the length of your tee shots.

The Common Wisdom

The faster you swing, the farther you'll hit it.

Why It's Misleading

You can swing faster than Tiger Woods and still not generate sufficient distance if you're also generating a lot of backspin. This happens when you swing hard and hang back on your right side, causing the club to release too early.

The Undisputed Truth

The more your right knee and hip line up at impact, the farther you'll hit the ball. This arrangement automatically delivers the club with the shaft leaning slightly toward the target — not away from it like it does when you release the club too early — and optimizes your launch conditions.

From the top of your backswing, think about driving your right knee and right hip as a single piece. Make a few slow-motion swings to ingrain the feel. Focus on returning your trailing knee and hip to impact together and you'll reduce spin and add yards.

Credit: September 2008