How To Get Power In My Golf Swing (For Beginners)

How To Get Power In My Golf Swing (For Beginners)

If you don’t hit the ball far enough, this can be devastating for your game.

But without a good amount of power, that ball is never going to fly as far as you want it to.

But most golfers, at some point or another will run into problems where power is concerned.

Don’t be put off and think that this is something that is going to plague your game for the rest of your life; this isn’t the case.

Most modern golfing equipment is designed to help you improve your skills but of course, you have to put in the effort yourself as well.

In this guide, we’re going to be looking at how to get more power in your golf swing using some easy and doable techniques.

What Factors Can Affect Your Power?

Before you begin to understand how to improve your power, it is important to think about why you’re having problems in the first place.

One of the most common things that causes a lack of power in the golf swing is the strike pattern.

Or more precisely, if your strike pattern is poor.

The issue here is that, even though most modern golf clubs are very forgiving, players fail to consistently find the middle of the clubface upon striking and this means losing distance.
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he biggest issue is that a lot of golfers aren’t even aware that this is a problem and so continue on wondering where they are going wrong.

The only real way of knowing whether this is an issue for you is to see where the ball leaves its mark on the face. Identifying the problem is the first step in solving it.

It’ll likely take some practice to start consistently hitting the ball in the centre of the clubface but it isn’t impossible.

Once you get there, you’ll notice a huge difference in power and your balls will drive much further.

A great tip to find out your ball strike pattern on your golf club is go to the driving range and this very strange but affective method will help.

Use some baby powder, or powdered athletes foot spray, cover the face of the golf club.

Then when you are hitting the golf balls you can see the location of the golf ball marks.

Another problem that a lot of golfers face is that they are hitting the golf ball up with the driver.

Golf is just as much about getting the right angle as it is about distance and power.

If your angle is off, then you simply won’t get the power you are looking for.

The way that you hold the club and how you ‘transition’ through the swing or ‘create lag‘ can both have an impact on your power.

We will look at improving your stance in a little more detail later on but for now, you should be aware that if you flip your hands too early or too much through the release, this will increase loft and decrease distance.

How To Improve Your Swing Power

Now that we understand some of the things that can cause you to lose power, we can begin to look at some realistic ways of improving this.

Getting Started Correctly

You are never going to have any success as a golfer if you don’t have the right equipment so before you even think about trying to improve your power, you will need to check your clubs.

We have talked time and time again about the importance of the right golf club and if you’re looking to improve power then this is even more imperative.

The best way to source the right club is to go for a fitting with your local PGA professional but it is also essential to make sure that you are also using the right type of club for each shot.

On top of considering your equipment, don’t be afraid to ask for help to improve your game.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of golf coaches around the country and there is no point in practicing poor technique.

Over the years I have had more lessons than I care to remember, so it is always good practice to keep on top of your swing with periodic golf lessons.

But when the lesson is over, you will still need to make sure that you practice, practice, practice.

Despite golf having something of a laid back reputation to those who aren’t familiar with the sport, it is certainly one sport that requires a very high level of skill and physical ability.

If you expect to turn up to the course for a game having not practiced, then you will soon discover that you aren’t going to win very often.

Improve Your Stance

We touched earlier on your stance and how this can affect your swing power but it is something that too many golfers are failing to pay attention to and then wondering why they aren’t getting the power they need.

It’s ultimately very simple and a few minor adjustments could drastically improve your swing power and your overall game.

We are going to assume that you are a right-handed golfer but if you’re a leftie, don’t worry, just reverse the following instructions.

You will need to keep your right foot in front of the left as you are setting up for the golf shot. It can also be helpful to slightly turn that right foot out as this will help release your hip and help your hip rotation, combined with the feet position will help to increase the body coil during the backswing.

The left foot should be pointing at a 45 degree angle as this will help to open up your stance and will help to speed up your hip rotation. It is also important to ensure that your weight remains in the balls of your feet as not doing this will mean that your swing is unbalanced and much weaker.

The right knee should be braced as failing to do this can result in a loss of power due to swaying outwards during the backswing.

When you come through the downswing, the pressure is released and your power will be improved.

The Perfect Swing

Once you have got your stance down to a T, you need to start working on your actual golf swing.

While it can take years to achieve the perfect swing and a hell of a lot of practice, this all has to start somewhere.

Consider the following points as you work towards perfecting your swing.

  • Try to remain relaxed; the more you tense your arms and hands, the more you will weaken your swing. Keep a light grip on your golf club but one that allows you good control.

 

  • Make sure that your swing arc is as wide as possible. Move the arms far away from the body but try to make sure that your head remains still.

 

  • During the downswing, you should make sure that you lead with your feet. With the left heel firmly planted on the ground, rotate the ankles towards your target. This movement will pull the rest of your body in the same direction therefore generating more power.

 

  • Just before impact, make sure to unhinge the wrists. As you take the backswing, it is natural that the wrists will be hinged and you should keep them this way until as close to impact as possible.

 

  • Once you have hit the ball, the swing isn’t over and you will need to make sure that your arms are fully extended afterwards.

Conclusion

Improving your golf swing needs to be done from many different angles but one of the things that a lot of beginners struggle with is perfecting their swing so that they yield more power.

If you have been having difficulty in getting the right amount of power, all is not lost.

There are things you can do to improve this and send that ball flying much further.