Don't try to hit hard, but try to swing "long".

[mangohead]

Had a very interesting 9 today. Started the round hooking 2 balls OB. So +3 right on the first hole. Something clicked. Just make clean contact. Forget trying to hit it hard. Try to look like Freddy. Barely kept tee shot in play on #3. But, it was straighter. Something in my head really clicked. Just don't overswing like a jerky hacker. Had an effortless drive for 200 yards on #4. Dead straight. Felt like a half swing. Smooth as butter. Practice swing. That is as long as I ever drive. That was my entire mission for the day. "Forget trying to hit long, just hit clean and smooth". Process, not results. #6, another smooth clean drive. Dead straight, and some loft. Satisfying as hell. 188 yards. #8, hooked the drive into the water, but did not overswing. But, stayed with the mission. 2nd tee shot was smooth. Last hole. Be strong. Don't try to grip and rip for last hurrah. SMOOTH. Don't overhit. Smooth, slow, dead straight, and high. "Bombed" it 190. LOL, I have jack for distance, but the swing took a quantum leap forward today.   

 

I think I can summarize today's mindset as follows:  Don't try to hit hard, but try to swing "long".   Focus on deeper take back, club horizontal, (Daly goes past horizontal, but that was the target "feel").    I tend to cut my backswing short, as a self-taught hacker looking for consistency.  Let the longer acceleration arc power the club.  Not jerky muscle.   Swing longer, yea.  Longer allows you to be smoother.  That was the breakthrough.   
 

[gioguy21]

slow is smooth, smooth is fast. 

[Joe40]

19 minutes ago, mangohead said:

Had a very interesting 9 today. Started the round hooking 2 balls OB. So +3 right on the first hole. Something clicked. Just make clean contact. Forget trying to hit it hard. Try to look like Freddy. Barely kept tee shot in play on #3. But, it was straighter. Something in my head really clicked. Just don't overswing like a jerky hacker. Had an effortless drive for 200 yards on #4. Dead straight. Felt like a half swing. Smooth as butter. Practice swing. That is as long as I ever drive. That was my entire mission for the day. "Forget trying to hit long, just hit clean and smooth". Process, not results. #6, another smooth clean drive. Dead straight, and some loft. Satisfying as hell. 188 yards. #8, hooked the drive into the water, but did not overswing. But, stayed with the mission. 2nd tee shot was smooth. Last hole. Be strong. Don't try to grip and rip for last hurrah. SMOOTH. Don't overhit. Smooth, slow, dead straight, and high. "Bombed" it 190. LOL, I have jack for distance, but the swing took a quantum leap forward today.   

 

I think I can summarize today's mindset as follows:  Don't try to hit hard, but try to swing "long".   Focus on deeper take back, club horizontal, (Daly goes past horizontal, but that was the target "feel").    I tend to cut my backswing short, as a self-taught hacker looking for consistency.  Let the longer acceleration arc power the club.  Not jerky muscle.   Swing longer, yea.  Longer allows you to be smoother.  That was the breakthrough.   
 

I love this.  Makes perfect sense to me. 

[larryw]

Long, smooth tempo always produces better shots for me and is easier on my aging body.

 

Another thing I concentrate on is holding wrist lag as long as possible. Premature release is not good in most things - including golf.

[YMark]

7 minutes ago, larryw said:

Long, smooth tempo always produces better shots for me and is easier on my aging body.

 

Another thing I concentrate on is holding wrist lag as long as possible. Premature release is not good in most things - including golf.

 

"Holding" the lag is going to kill your swing. Can't release the club too early.

[Joe40]

3 minutes ago, YMark said:

 

"Holding" the lag is going to kill your swing. Can't release the club too early.

I know what you mean, but I know what larryw means as well.  I can’t think of a good analogy but I like to feel that I’m keeping the arm/club triangle the same as long as I can, like  Joe Dante describes in his book.  Not making any effort to hold the angle, more like keeping my body ahead of it for a bit so it doesn’t open up too early.  That probably makes no sense, but that’s what it feels like to me.