Lessons

You've swung to the top, correctly loading onto your trail side with your weight firmly planted over your back leg. Now what?

- By Top 100 Teacher Mike Perpich

DRIVE IT FARTHER

Keep Your Head Back for Power

By Top 100 Teacher Mike Perpich

The key, as you probably know, is to leverage the ground and move your weight from your back foot to your front foot as you begin your downswing. This is a nonnegotiable. The trick, however, is not letting your head follow while you make this all-important weight shift. Keep it back.

In fact, it's a good idea to feel your head actually move away from the target while you shift from back to front. It's this lower-body shift toward the target with your head hanging back that creates the whip-like motion all big hitters share, as well as maximum speed.

When you move your head with your shift, your path goes haywire, either forcing an out-to-in path or one that's overly into-out. So, when you swing, especially with driver, think of two forces: the forward one with your lower body and the hang-back one with your head. The ball won't know what hit it. Mike Perpich teaches at RiverPines Golf in Johns Creek, Ga.

Set a yoga block or similar soft item just outside the ball when ou practice your driver swing. This visual aid will help you groove more of an inside-out strike and add serious yards.

FIX YOUR SLICE

Pound the Sweet Spot

By GOLF Top 100 Teacher Cheryl Anderson

Long, straight drives only happen when you catch the ball on the sweet spot and swing slightly into-out as you approach impact. Problem is, most rec players swing slightly (or extremely) out-to-in (as in, left of the target). A visual aid can help.