Hitting a Ball Farther

Recent research has determined what physical attributes and training are most related to driving distance. Distance may be the best way to lower a golf score. Mark Broadie, author of “Every Shot Counts”, concludes that PGA Tour player who can hit the ball 20 yards farther with no loss in accuracy gain about 1.4 strokes on their competitors. The is because the farther you can hit, the sooner you can use a more accurate iron. And the more accurate you are, the lower your score will be. Strength and power translates to club head speed and distance.

A study of the various types of physical strength found that club head speed is driven by:

• Lower body and upper body explosive strength.

• Strength, in both the lower body and upper body.

• Height, body mass and wingspan.

While height and wingspan cannot be changed, increasing lean muscle mass will help you swing the club faster. Poor mobility and limited flexibility can be overcome by adjusting your movement. For example, if golfers cannot reach the top of their backswing due to poor flexibility, they will simply compensate by moving their body in a different way—making flexibility less relevant than many have thought over the years.

Recommend exercises:

• Lower body power: Any type of body weight jumping exercise will work well, such as a vertical jump, standing long jump or jumping up to a box.

• Lower body strength: Exercises such as squats and lunges are excellent choices.

• Upper body power: Medicine-ball throws (such as a seated chest pass or standing rotational toss) are great exercises to develop this physical quality.

• While trunk strength is not viewed as critical physical attribute, the lower back is an area that golfers often suffer with. With this in mind, exercises such as planks, glute bridges and rollouts are a good way of keeping the abdominals and gluteal muscles strong, which will help to support your lower back.

Stand Closer to the Ball

If you are reaching for the ball your head will dip and your weight falls towards the ball. How can you check if you’re standing too far from the golf ball?

First, focus on the club position at setup. When setting up to the ball, the butt end of the club should be pointed at the middle of the zipper on your pants. This tells you how much you need to bend from the hips with each club. This sets the club. The next step is to get good posture.

To check your distance from the ball, simply take your trail hand off the club, reach it out in front of you [towards the ball], and make sure you have an open hands-length from yourself. If you have more distance than that, you need to move closer to the ball.

It is important to make sure you’re doing it after you’re setup and have the proper balance — with the weight on the balls of your feet. If your weight is wrong, then you could be either too close or too far from the ball when reaching your arm out. Your setup is the same for every club, but your distance from the ball will be farther away with longer clubs because of the length of the club

Wire Association to Hear Polara History

In August we will be at the Ohio Chapter of the Wire Association International Annual Educational Seminar where we were invited to tell the story of “Polara, the ball that changed the rules of golf”. We will present a case study describing the rich history of Polara Golf: how its self-correcting golf ball was developed and later improved, the courtroom battles against the USGA and how Polara’s internal strife pushed the company to the brink of bankruptcy and beyond. Through it all we will see what results when principled business is corrupted by short term pragmatic decisions and why Polara has earned a special place in golf lore and maybe your bag.

The Wire Association International, Inc., a technical society for wire and cable industry professionals. The WAI Canfield, Ohio Valley Chapter Golf Outing helps fund the Chapter's scholarship program for deserving students. The Seminar is being held at the Kennsington Golf Course which was designed by award-winning golf course architect, Brian Huntley. The 7,050 course blends lakes, scenic ravines, along with tree-lined fairways.

Golf and Career Opportunity

The Wall Street Journal reports that companies are eager to hire strong golfers who can use hybrid work schedules to schmooze clients on the course. Business golf outings are back in a big way. Golf alone won’t get you a job - but not playing could cost you one. Still just 26% of golfers are women according to the National Golf Foundation. Clubs have relaxed rules against mobile-phone use on the course. Americans played a record 531 million rounds last year. Weekday play has nearly doubled since 2019.

Excellent golfers can put well-practiced swings on autopilot and devote most of their attention to business development - not chasing down slices into the woods. Some strong golfers will dial it back so they are matching their potential clients and not point out their difference in skill levels.