When it comes to golf tips, the buzzword at the moment is “using the ground.” What exactly does that mean?
If we go back to the physics classes we took in school, we will remember one of Newton’s laws of motion, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. You may wonder how this applies to golf, so allow us to help! In today’s blog, our team at IJGA explains how you can generate power from the ground up in your golf swing.
Driving the Golf Ball Farther
Have you ever wondered how tour pros like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, and Justin Thomas are able to drive the ball so much farther than the average player? It’s all about creating speed and power. With today’s science and technology which has advanced golf’s newest training equipment, players are able to measure and analyze their balance, torque, and ground force reaction and parlay that knowledge into achieving greater distance. By pinpointing exactly where in their swing they need to make adjustments, golfers are able to make changes in their balance pressure, producing the greatest results.
Golf Swing Analysis Technology
IJGA is one of the few academies that own a Swing Catalyst 3D Motion Plate & Studio. It provides our students with an opportunity to see and learn firsthand how the top golfers in the world generate power and distance. The Swing Catalyst 3D Motion Plate & Studio is a unique combination of pressure plate technology (Balance Plate) and a highly advanced force plate to measure torque and ground force generated during a golf swing. The synchronization of the 3D Motion Plate with high-speed video images results in data used by players to analyze foot pressure, center of pressure (CoP), vertical and horizontal forces, ground reaction, and rotational force.
While this advanced technology sounds great, how do you apply this to your swing?
Generating Power of the Ground Up Technique
As you make your backswing, pressure loads into your trail leg, your feet, and the ground. As the pressure changes direction (Around the lead arm parallel in the backswing), it is loaded into the lead side, creating max pressure between the lead arm parallel in the downswing and your hands, found at waist height. As you are pushing energy into the ground, Newton’s law is pushing back. You now have all of this stored energy being built up to be released at impact. A person may weigh 70kg at the top of their backswing, some of the best players in the world weigh 114kg on the way down because they are really pushing into the ground generating force.
For example, look at a player like Rory Milroy, who ranks second in driving distance on the PGA Tour in 2022 while standing at just 5ft 9! The reason this is possible is due to his ability to create so much force into the ground in the downswing and then up out of the ground into impact.
If you can get the feeling of pushing down into the ground in your downswing, you will begin to store all of this energy to be unleashed at impact. When you look at the best long drivers in the world, you’ll notice that they begin to spring up and post as the club passes the trail hip in the downswing, by rotating the lead shoulder and hip open and out of the way. If you begin to do this, you will hit the ball farther. The goal is to maximize distance, yet retain as much accuracy as possible.
Expert Coaches and Advanced Technology at IJGA
Students at IJGA have the best coaches and the most innovative technology in the world. We offer a full-service boarding golf academy that prepares students for the best college golf programs in the country. Find out more about the IJGA experience by downloading our admissions guide.
