Distance is the result of three factors in the golf swing.

The first is the obvious: pure club-head speed. Greater club-head speed will hit longer shots.

The second is the club's pressure against the ball. For maximum distance the club must hit the back of the ball while traveling on a line to the target with the clubface perpendicular to the target line. That causes pressure against the back of the ball. If the club strikes the ball on a line not directed toward the target, or if the clubface is at an angle, it will be a glancing blow and not all of the club's speed will be transferred to the ball. This effectively diminishes the speed of the club at impact. Greater club-head speed is of little value if the swing path is across the target line.

The third factor is the ball being struck in the middle of the clubface, as opposed to the toe or heel, top or bottom. For greatest distance you need club-head speed, the club going toward the target with the face square, and a solid hit. How do you get all of that? It's really quite simple.

To increase club head speed, move your feet and knees more quickly to create a quicker weight transfer to your back foot and then from the back foot to the front foot, with completely relaxed shoulders. You only need to move your feet a little more quickly to create quicker arms and therefore a great deal more club-head speed. The quickness of the back swing and the through swing is the direct result of the quickness of your feet and knees and the relaxation in your shoulders. That's it!!!!

However, part of the problem is that your arms want to help move the club faster. You hold the club in your hands, so instinctively you sense that in order to move the club fast, the arms need to move the club. However, you will quickly learn that if you try to use the muscles in your arms to force your arms to move fast, your arms will actually move slower. This will result in short, crooked, miss-hit shots. That is the normal swing for most golfers -- and it's why many golfers are too tired to play the last nine holes. I see lots of golfers straining and groaning with effort to force that poor, little, white ball to go a long way. They swing with the intention of killing it - and it dies at their feet.

When you make a golf swing, you seem to fight that which comes so naturally when you throw a baseball. To throw a ball farther, you simply move your feet a little more quickly to move your body much more quickly which causes your arm to be dragged far more quickly.

Can you imagine tightening your arm and gripping the baseball very tightly in an attempt to throw it as far as possible? How about standing flat-footed and throwing it to home plate with maximum speed? Neither of these ideas can be viewed as anything other than foolishness. You can't get maximum speed or distance with either of these approaches.

However, short hitters tend to hold the club very tightly, make the arms create the backswing ( which they miss-call the "take away), and swing at the ball with every ounce of power their arms can generate -- all of this with the hope of hitting a long drive. This much physical effort in your arms creates the slowest possible arm movement, just like trying to use your arm muscles to throw the ball a long way.

The answer to great club-head speed is quite simple. To have the club swing quickly, completely relax your shoulders and move your feet and knees a little more quickly. Relaxed shoulders will allow your arms to naturally move with maximum speed and reliability. Make a good throwing motion and notice how little tension is in your throwing arm

. Not much, is it? The same rules must apply to your golf swing if you want great distance.

Your next question is probably, "How do my arms move if my shoulders are so relaxed?" Your shoulders stay relaxed just as they do when you throw a ball; your feet move your body, causing your arms to move. Your feet and legs make your body move. Since your arms are attached to your body at your shoulders, your arms are made to move. Your arms become totally dependent on your body for movement, never acting as independent agents. Because of this, your arms will move at the maximum possible speed and with incredible accuracy. You will hit longer shots!

As I have said, if you want to increase the speed of the club-head, slightly quicken the pace of your feet and knees in transferring your weight while having your shoulders totally relaxed. Think and use the word "quick" in place of "fast" or "hard." Quick is a light word that connotes effortless speed. That's the proper image.

Observe Tiger Woods and Fred Couples and see how quickly their feet and knees move back and through the ball. If you watch only the lower half of their body, you will see what I mean. Their shoulders are totally relaxed.

The same is true with Ernie Els and John Daly. Give this some thought and try it on the range; you will find it to be true. Relaxation will also take care of the other two items on the "hit-it-farther” list: the glancing blow and the off-center hits.

What a bonus! Quicker weight transfer with totally relaxed shoulders will give you all three of the distance creators -- greater club-head speed, complete pressure against the ball and more center hits. Have fun and remember that your body must always generate the motion of your arms if you are to hit the ball far and straight. Think swing quickness rather than swinging fast or hitting the ball hard. Again, it's a fundamental change in thinking, based on sound principles that will make the difference in your distance.

One of my students, Kent Shumate, is a golf professional in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. We talked in the spring of 1999, and he asked if I could help him with his game. Kent had been a very good player and now he was having trouble breaking 80 on a regular basis.

We played nine holes each month while I cleared his head and helped with his confidence. His shots had lost a lot of distance, so I asked if he wanted to hit it farther. "Of course,” he answered. The "lesson" took five minutes; all I told him to do was to use his feet and body to quicken his back swing. He is hitting it 75 yards farther with the driver and two clubs longer with the irons. For some time, his problem was that he didn't know how far he was going to hit his shots. Now, his game has settled down and he's very happy.

Now, you go hit it longer and enjoy the effortless that creates additional distance. It's fun!

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