Watson’s shortcuts: to hit the ball farther, learn to clear your hips faster – Lesson Tee – golf swing – Brief Article
Tom Watson
A weekend golfer asked me how a slender young man like Charles Howell III hits the ball so far. I said that Howell clears his hips really fast on the downswing–with exceptional timing, of course. It’s the way Barry Bonds hits a baseball so far.
Fast hip rotation is the athletic move of the swing. Most people are not able to make it to the degree that professionals do–especially young and flexible professionals.
Rotating the hips at the start of the downswing lets the arms fire powerfully. Although I’m not an official endorser, I’ve had success using a training aid called Instant Replay to speed up hip movement in the swing (www.cdmsport.com).
A word of caution: Speeding up your hip rotation is an advanced approach. Many golfers would be better off concentrating on swinging their hands and arms freely. If you swing your hands and arms well, better hip action tends to follow.
COPYRIGHT 2002 New York Times Company Magazine Group, Inc.
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