If you want to increase your driving distance, creating efficient and organized transitions is crucial. This critical moment in the golf swing affects the speed and power delivered to the ball at impact.
Recently, Golf 100 teachers Chris Como and Adam Schriber shared an insightful video on social media in which they broke down an effective drill to help you learn how to use your feet to create more power in your golf swing.
Try it yourself and start utilizing the ground and generating more distance off the tee.
One Simple Exercise to Power Your Transition
Start by holding a heavy ball close to your chest, keeping your elbows slightly bent. As you begin your backswing, focus on rotating your upper body and hips while keeping the ball over your torso. This engages the muscles in your core, back, and shoulders—these are key areas for generating power in your golf swing. The key here is not to just use your arms, this helps activate the larger, stronger muscle groups needed for an efficient, powerful swing.
When you reach the top of your swing and prepare to transition into your downswing, Schrieber says, you should feel two things: your feet pressing into the ground, and a separation between your upper and lower bodies.
“The initial dig, or digging smoothly by digging your feet into the ground, you can see a separation in your pelvis and upper torso, and this link should grip your core,” says Schrieber.
By gripping the ground, your feet create a stable base for explosive movements. The separation between the upper and lower body creates the torque needed to efficiently transfer energy during the downswing.
When you reach the transition point, throw the ball to the ground. You want it to fall in the middle of your position. This movement mimics the release of a golf swing and helps you understand how body rotation creates speed and power on the downswing.
“That ball just explodes right out of your core,” Schrieber said.
Throwing the ball is also great for practicing proper weight transfer (from back foot to front foot) as you generate power through the ground.
By practicing this exercise regularly, you will strengthen key muscle groups involved in generating clubhead speed, such as your core, legs, and shoulders. Plus, resistance (from the weighted ball) and power (from the throw) will train your body to provide more power and precision in the actual swing.
Add this exercise to your daily routine and you’ll be able to generate more speed and power in no time.
