Perform Better Golf Blog

The No Backswing Golf Swing. What the heck? I thought the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing was the new, whiz bang golf method taking the golf community by storm. Is golf now getting like dieting? There’s a “new way” every week.

This no backswing approach is one that’s been used as a golf drill by golf instruction professionals for years, so it’s kind of comical this is the new craze in golf swing improvement.

It has a lot of merits to consider. The short backswing makes your transition and sequence of motion in the downswing much easier. It enhances solid ball contact which maximizes distance; so what you think you might lose from backswing coil, you gain in ball/clubface contact.

Unfortunately the negative is the golf swing requires a take-away. This no backswing golf swing removes that, so you might have a difficult time carrying over from the drill to can actual swing from address.

This may or may not be an issue, but I think doing the No Backswing Golf Swing is worth a shot. Who knows…you may dramatically improve your golf swing consistency and mechanics.

If you’re a golfer looking to quickly and effectively improve your golf swing speed, power and distance, you’ll want to take a look at our Power Golf Swing Weight Trainer.

I am always on the lookout for golf swing trainers that will help golfers add more power and distance, and this one “fits the bill” completely!

It is now part of my power training routine, and I can already feel a difference in my flexibility and power.

It’s ONLY a fraction of the cost of a weighted club, and it’s the most portable of all of them!

A couple of days ago, I did an article on long hitter JB Holmes golf swing. What we found out is there is no perfect swing or one answer on how to increase driving distance, but with that being said, there are a couple of key things you can definitely work on to achieve longer drives.

Solid Ball Contact

You have got to hit the ball with a square clubface no matter what. It does not matter how hard or how fast you swing if you hit the ball with an open or closed clubface. So you could really plead a case that solid contact is near the top of the list for increased distance.

Inside Swing Path

Coming from the inside on your downswing will create a “top-spin” draw ball flight, so when it hits the ground it will release and roll an extra 10-30 yards depending on the fairway cut and dryness.

Golfers lose so much distance because they swing from outside-to-in, creating sidespin that goes against the air, and exactly loses distance, compared to a inside-to-out, draw swing.

Staying Behind The Ball At Impact

This is one I have to work on DAILY! But someone who did it better than most is Ben Hogan. Look at how he stays behind the ball at impact.

It is so critical to feel like you’re behind the ball at impact. Most of us get ahead of it and end up throwing the club at the ball, instead of driving through it and getting a full extension like the pro’s get. Staying behind it is the ONLY way to achieve that full extension and maximum power through impact.

Now…on to the BIGGIES!!

Increase Golf Swing Speed

Given you’ve been able to accomplish everything in this article, the next VERY important aspect of increasing driving distance is absolutely increasing golf swing speed.

One of the easiest ways to increase your swing speed is to swing a weighted golf club. Swing this weighted club at a higher, yet controlled rate of speed, and your golf club will feel like a feather next time you go out and play.

Get A Bigger Backswing

To hit longer drives, you need a maximum turn to the top of your backswing. Most senior golfers have lost their physical ability to make this full shoulder turn. The ONLY way to get it back, is to work on your flexibility and strength in your core area.

I’ve put together in instantly downloadable report with 5 simple golf swing training drills you can do that will quickly get you a bigger backswing and longer drives.

Click here to learn more!

Don’t run from this post just because you read golf training system in the title! I would like to explain how easy and simple it is to implement one in your home and literally transform your golf swing!

A System Of Training To Address Limitations

The type of system I’m talking about is the kind that works on your golf-specific physical limitations. Improve these and you will have a near perfect golf swing that’s repeatable for 18 holes round after round!

Every golfer (especially the older ones) has physical limitations that are not allowing them to perform proper swing mechanics. This will not be solved by hitting more balls, taking more lessons, or buying new equipment.

Training Programs In Your Home

This will ONLY be solved by isolating these physical limitations with both simple strength and stretching exercises you can do right in your home. That is why I firmly believe a golf fitness system for your home will be your fast ticket to a better swing and improved golf game.

The sooner you work on these limitations the faster you will see results on the course!

Read more on golf training systems and see all our golf training information, including our complete golf improvement articles section of the main site!

Fitness training for golf is a must if you want to get to the root cause of your mishits, scoring issues and lack of power in your golf swing. But what I want to dispel right here and now is the fact that it does not take a fanatical effort to see improvement in your swing and game!

I don’t want you to think of Tiger Woods as your fitness role model. He is a fraction of the golfing population who takes his fitness and training very, very serious…and so he should. You do not need to be near that committed!

Please take this to heart. I am a fitness professional, but am realistic in what people can do (and choose to do) with their time. I have a big joke with my wife about being in the fitness business. I say to her…”if I lined up 100 people and asked them what would they rather do…a fitness training workout or get a massage?”…case closed!!!

Getting golfers to grasp fitness is a tough one…and yet the people who do, wish they would have done it years ago.

With the top players like Tiger, Vijay, Adam Scott and most of the other tour players doing fitness training for golf, it’s a “no-brainer” to at least take a look at it!

Read more on golf fitness training and see all our golf improvement articles, including our complete golf fitness articles section of the main site!

The term golf trainer is becoming more and more popular as golfers are becoming more aware of what is happening to their golf swing from a physical standpoint.

I have always said, “your body dictates your golfing ability”.  You heard it hear first…if you hear it anywhere else someone is copying me again (lol).  But doesn’t that make sense?  If your body is limited you cannot perform optimal swing mechanics.  The end result is a golf swing with flaws and inconsistencies.

That’s where a golf trainer comes in!

A qualified and experienced trainer specializing in golf diagnose your limitations and weaknesses and prescribe a program that addresses them very effectively.

Having a golf trainer in your corner isn’t the worst thing you can do for your game!

For more information, go to the golf trainer article on the main site.

I have been contacted many times from men searching for exercise, fitness, workout and weight loss related solutions who also golf. This is a phenomena that is quite common and I didn’t even know it.

With over 27 million golfers in our country, many of them have health, fitness and weight loss goals, but they don’t realize there are golf specific programs that can help them achieve all the above.

If you are in the demographic of golfers between 50 and 80 who want to improve not only their health but golf game, you can do both. It’s not a bad thing to focus on your health and indirectly improve your golf game is it?

The majority of golfers I work with through my golf training membership site and golf exercise dvds, all want to lose weight. Some only 5-10 pounds, others up to 50 pounds. Carrying extra weight on the golf course not only makes it hard to perform sound golf swing mechanics, but the risk of injury is much higher.

Why not put your health, exercise, fitness, workout weight loss and golf goals all in one program? It’s doable and will take care of many issues at the same time.

Plyometric exercises for golf are considered advanced training, but that doesn’t mean you can’t incoroporate them into your “in-home golf training program. The definition of plyometrics is a type of fast exercise in which the muscles are not allowed to fully contract after being extended, typically involving jumping and bouncing.

Now you may think…”what does this type of training have to do with my golf game?” …and that is a very good question. But please remember the golf swing is considered a power move that can send a golf ball up to 350 yards down the fairway (or into the woods).

So training your golf muscles for power isn’t a bad thing. But you’ve got to make sure you are doing it the right way to improve your golf swing not hurt it.

If your current level of fitness is average to below average, I would not recommend this type of training. It can put undo stress on your joints if your muscles are too weak to protect them. Easing into plyometric exercises for golf is a wise move.

Any explosive movements you do with resistance should be controlled and not at a high rate of speed to start out with. Try doing these exercises at 60% of your maximum speed to avoid injury and overtraining.

A typical example of a plyometric exercise is box jumps. This develops explosive power in the legs, which can equate to a powerful transition from the backswing into the downswing creating maximum power. You would stand on top of a 16-20 inch box, jump off it, and the second your feet hit the ground you would explode upward with all your might.

This is a very “fast twitch” movement that can deplete you very quickly. Again, this is just one example of a plyometric exercise you could use in your golf training. First, develop your level of fitness to support this type of training.

Physical training in golf has become a hot topic. There is even an entire show each week on the Golf Channel about it. With the popularity of physical training for golf booming, why are so many golfers ignoring it and taking the same approach they’ve always taken?

It amazes me to hear stories of unhappy golfers who have not improved after taking golf lessons, buying new equipment and pound hundreds, if not thousands of balls at the range.

I can tell you with 100% certainty, these golfers are not working on the ’cause’, they are fueling the result.

The body swings the club. If the body is broken, the swing will not be efficient or repeatable. It’s that simple. If goflers don’t realize this, they will forever be playing the kind of golf that makes them walk off the course in disgust.

Why not walk off the course with a smile on your face?

We all play golf to improve. The challenge right? If what we are currently doing is not improving our games, then isn’t it time to take a different approach? I hope you agree with me and start to educate yourself on the importance of physical training for golf.

With just a few golf stretches and strength exercises done right in your home, you can see huge improvement in your golf swing and game. The investment in time and money is minimal. If your goal is to play better golf, strongly consider working on your ‘machine’.

Your core muscles are the engine to your golf swing. The stronger they are, the more power you will have in your golf swing. Most golfers think they need to just swing harder to hit it farther. If you’re one of them, did that work? I know I’m guilty.

The reason that approach doesn’t work is T-E-N-S-I-O-N!

Swinging harder adds a tremendous amount of tension in your body, slowing your clubhead speed down.

The beauty of strengthening your core muscles is being able to swing much easier (and in control) with minimal tension, and watching your ball sail down the fairway long and straight.

This is a reality when your core muscles are stronger.

To define your core is to reference the middle section of your body. You will hear many trainers refer to different muscles when discussing the core, but the main one is your abdominals. This, like any other athletic movement, is the area that produces tremendous power in your golf swing.

I’m a firm believer in a “connected golf swing”. That means your arms and upper body move as one piece in your golf swing. This simplifies the swing and makes it very powerful.

Just try to hit the ball using your arms. Swing as hard as you want. Did it go anywhere? As I said earlier, it’s your core that produces power.

Focus on rotational exercises with resistance to see fast improvements.