3. Copy his backswing power move
Tiger creates a tremendous amount of width in his swing — something you should copy if you want more yards.
How does he do it? He starts his backswing turn with a combination of arm and body movement that keeps the club in front of his chest for a long time. Notice in the "Now" photos [near left] how far he turns while bringing the club from address to hip height. Already, his back is facing the target, while his arms are still fully
extended and the clubhead is in front of his
chest. His lower body keeps quiet, and his head
stays level even as it turns slightly. You probably
don't have Tiger's flexibility, but that doesn't
mean you can't make a similar move.
How this can help you
Tiger creates great width in his swing with his turn
because of his amazing flexibility. (One of his
nicknames on Tour is "Gumby.") But just because
you can't stretch like him, it doesn't mean you can't
turn like him. You just need to release your left heel, hip
and knee more. Keeping your left heel down is not a
fundamental of the golf swing, but making the
proper turn is. Many players fear lifting their left heel in the backswing because they think they'll sway back
and lose control. But that won't happen if you lift your
heel correctly. The key is to roll your left foot in
while you lift your heel. This allows you to properly
release your left knee, which frees up your hips
and shoulders to turn fully on the way to the top.
| Watch a video of Peter Kostis demonstrating this drill: |
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