HOW TO GAIN POWER

ith a single extra MPH of clubhead speed gaining you three extra yards of distance, even a modest swing power increase can get you a club or two closer to the green. That said, that extra speed is only any good to you if it is controlled and allows you to find the centre of the face. Tailored to your skill level, these ideas will allow you to achieve that...

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Apologies to all 100-Breakers. I’d love to talk to you about X-Factors, Force Plates and ground reaction forces, but I’m afraid I have a much simpler approach for you. All I want you to do is take your 7-iron, find a patch of thick, lush rough – well away from the course’s playing lines – and swing away.

SIMPLER IS BETTER

If you’re disappointed by this lack of sophistication, don’t be. Simplicity is at the core of many of golf’s best training exercises – this one was good enough for Seve and is no exception. Driving the clubhead through thick, heavy grass is not just the perfect way to strengthen your hitting muscles; it also develops your sense of timing by forcing you to apply maximum power through the impact zone.

ROUGH DIAMOND

Try swinging at thick rough for any length of time and the first thing you’ll notice is your arms getting tired pretty quickly! But persevere and you’ll also notice that your mechanics start to improve. You’ll see the futility of hanging back or flicking at the grass; instead you’ll drive your weight forwards, your hands leading the clubhead through the long grass. In other words, you’ll develop the often underused leverage in your arms and wrists that allows you to maximise clubhead speed. If you can build in three 10-minute sessions a week, you’ll see a clear improvement in both your power and your ballstriking.