How Golfers Can Hit Big Drives

1-13-97
University Park, Pa. -- Power and the right body mechanics, not size and muscles, allow golfers to hit the 300-yard drives, notes the January issue of the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter.

"You don't have to be big to hit a golf ball a long way," says Ralph Mann, Ph.D., a biomechanist and president of CompuSport International. "Three famous long hitters -- Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Tiger Woods -- are not really big people, but all have similar body types. They are tall, don't have big chests, have rather broad hips, and are not really developed in terms of large muscles.

"Size can be a definite advantage," Mann adds. "Most of the guys who win long drive contests are big, strong players who also can generate power. On the other hand, people with wide body types , such as big chests or big stomachs, have trouble playing golf because it is hard for them to get the head of the golf club moving in an outside-in path during the downswing. As a result, they tend to hit fades or slices."

The key to hitting 300-yard drives is not stature, but rather explosive power combined with excellent mechanics. Having either taught, played with or observed Nicklaus, Norman and Woods, Mann describes all three as power athletes.

Any striking ability that involves a club, racket or bat begins with large muscle groups and ends with small muscles, says the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter. There is a sequence of movements that is common to almost all sports. You have to first utilize the feet against a playing surface to start the sequence that moves from the muscles of the legs to the trunk and finally to the arms.

"Rotate your body so that all the large muscle groups stretch, then unwind rapidly," Mann says. "All the while, the arms and club are left behind. When a golfer of any size has the strength and timing to let the arms and club move in a coordinated fashion with the legs and trunk, tremendous velocity is generated."

Rotating the hips toward the target is one component in the chain of movements to get more distance, Mann adds. Tiger Woods' hips rotate back only 30 degrees and are completely facing the target by the time he strikes the ball. His hip speed (forward rotation) is said to be the fastest on the PGA circuit.

Average athletes may be able to generate lower body power but have trouble transmitting the power to the club. Shoulder muscles are usually the weak link. When large muscles are firing toward a target, they have to drag the arms along also. If the body has to slow down and wait for the arms, the opportunity to generate power is lost. The idea is to unwind so that the speed of the club is accelerating as the shoulders come in line with the ball, the newsletter says.

"Although strengthening shoulder muscles is desirable, improving the mechanics of your swing is more important," Mann notes. "You can lose distance in driving a golf ball because of inadequate power production, but distance is also lost because of an improper swing."

He adds, "There are players on tour who would put on a pitiful display in the weight room. But their mechanics are good in delivering the club head to the ball, and they are among the best drivers in the world."

**pab**

The Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter is a monthly publication of the Department of Kinesiology in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development.

Also in this month's issue:
-- Managing the warm-up in tennis.
-- Drinking carbonated beverages after exercise.
-- Pre-event eating: when, how much.
-- Swimming: different strokes, added exercise.
-- Healing time for fractures.

For subscription information, write to: Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter, P.O. Box 3000, Denville, N.J. 07834. Customer service: (800) 783-4903. The subscription cost is $34 a year for 12 years.

Jim Brown, Executive Director of the Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter, serves as the sports expert for the ABC ON-LINE children's magazine, Kidzine. Dr. Brown provides weekly sports tips, answers sports-related questions and develops sports games and contests. Children can visit the site on American On-Line. Key word: ABC Kidzine, then Gamez, Sportzine and Coach Jim's Corner.

EDITORS: For media interviews, contact Penn State Sports Medicine Newsletter Editor Dr. Jim M. Brown at (770) 682-1670 (phone); (770) 682-1810 (fax); or JBrown8830@aol.com by e-mail.

Contacts:
Paul Blaum (814) 865-9481 (office) (814) 867-1126 (home)pab15@psu.edu

Vicki Fong (814) 865-9481 (office) (814) 238-1221 (home)vyf1@psu.edu