One of the most common ”faults” I see in students when giving a lesson is tension in the hands. It often starts at address and only gets worse from there. Apart from robbing the golfer of a consistent release, it also robs the golfer of precious clubhead speed, and thus, potential ball speed. Everyone wants to hit the golf ball further and being properly fitted with the right driver is key, but if you don’t have maximum clubhead speed, you’ll never achieve your potential for maximum distance.

A simple key that I give my students during a lesson is to let their hands almost feel as if they go limp at the top of the swing. Apart from the fact that it gets them to realize just how much tension they have in their hands, it also gives the club a chance to fully set the wrists at the top. This creates more lag and leverage, and also allows the club to come down on the proper plane rather than over the top. Using this simple technique with a student last year, I saw an increase in clubhead speed from 112 mph with the driver jump all the way to 119, literally in one swing. I don’t have to tell you that a seven mph increase in clubhead speed equates to some serious distance. The potential was there all along, he just had to unleash the fury!

If you haven’t already, take a look at my golf instruction videos on “Creating More Lag” and “Passive Arms” to pick up some serious clubhead speed.