The Secret To Getting More Power In Your Golf Swing – Advice For Women Golfers

I want to drive the golf ball further with more power and more accuracy. Every golfer does. I came across this article by Barry Eisenzimmer, Head Teaching Professional at Flowing Springs Golf Course in Regina, Saskatchewan. His advice is simple but very effective. Take his tip to the driving range and see if your power and accuracy improve.

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The biggest challenge facing women golfers is they generally possess weak wrists. This promotes more arm/ wrist action in the swing and therefore weaker results. You can combat this by doing more physical strengthening of the arms/wrists or you can use more shoulder-arm-hand movement in the swing.

What I mean by all this is the hands do not work independent of the arms and the arms not independent of the shoulders. All three must work in unison at the same time. Not one or two without the other/s. While the wrists need to be active and supple in the swing (Moe Norman didn’t think so) they cannot hit the ball on their own. They must be complemented with the arms and shoulders.

Learning how to move that triangle is the golf swing in its simplest form. 

If you are a RH player put a club in your left hand and stretch your arm and club straight out in front of your face to someone who may be facing opposite to you. Now move the club east and west by moving your shoulder -arm-hand-club as one unit. All segments should always be held in a straight line throughout. If it is not, then you are using one or two of the pieces but not all in unison. It’s like putting just with your wrists but no arm or shoulder. Not very powerful and not very accurate. 

That is how your left arm should move through the backswing, downswing, hitting area and slightly beyond before it starts to fold.

What you do on one side you must do on the other side so pay attention to your body movements and less on the club- its not that important in the golf swing. I can swing with a broom just as well as a golf club. 

We only generate power Down. We setup to create opportunities. We load in the backswing. We generate power in the downswing. We follow through to the finish.

To generate power we must be able to establish balance, first and foremost. That means balance at setup, balance in the backswing, balance on the downswing, and balance in the finish. Power does not mean trying to drive the body (legs, hips, shoulders, etc) to the target. The body works rotationally at all times (there is no lateral movement!) so the main thrust of energy is down to the ball in a balanced position on both feet. If you get there first and let your hands and arms go by your body you will hit more solid shots – longer and more consistently.

Do these things first and then think about deriving greater power from other areas and movements.

Got more questions for Barry? You can reach him directly via: bzimmer1@accesscomm.ca

  2 comments for “The Secret To Getting More Power In Your Golf Swing – Advice For Women Golfers

  1. Kathy Ekdahl says:

    These are really great tips and solid advice. I love the notion of the triangle- and use that even in my mind as I set up. Barry is so right when it comes to accuracy and power- it is about strength.. Women can get stronger wrists and foremarms not only by training those specific muscles- but by holding any weight during any exercise. Rows, presses, curls, lunges and squats with weights-all
    strengthen the wrists and forearms. It is very important that the woman golfer understand that JUST strengthening the arms is not enough… we need to get the shoulders, back, abs, glutes and legs strong as well.

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