Q: Corey Hodges:
Good Afternoon!

I have just begun to swing with fairway woods at my local driving range and have an average distance of 160-180 yards. I am 18 years old and started playing golf about a year and a half ago. I have become a better ballstriker and putt and chip well. My overall problem is distance. I strike most of my irons and woods straight but the distance is not there most of the time. What reccomendations would you suggest for more distance? Faster rotation? More flex in the lower body? I exercise four days a week and stay flexible and always warm-up.

I appreciate your answer and thank yourself and everyone at the PGA of America for this great day of free instruction! Happy Holidays!

A: Todd A. Sammons (South Florida Section):
Clubhead speed is going to equate to distance. The faster the speed the more distance you will see, but it must be with the correct rythm. Are you doing strength training specifically for golf, meaning are you strengthening the muscles that you use in the golf swing? Consistently making the right moves at the right time is also going to equal distance also. Hope this helps! Your local PGA Professional will help also!

Q: Keith:
To keep from having the ball drift right (not slicing) with my fairway woods I compensate by closing the face of the clubs. Is there a better way to eliminate this problem?

A: David Kraus (South Florida Section):
Keith, we never want to compensate. If your ball is starting straight and then drifting we know that the path of your club is down the line, but the face is slightly open. So, what is causing this? If all of your other clubs are going straight then we don't want to mess with the grip. If they are all drifting then I would suggest a slight strenthening of the left hand by turning the hand clockwise - to the right. The right hand should follow suit. This would help you close the face of the club. If your grip is strong enough already, then the open face could be caused by not releasing the hands completely by impact. It is more of a pull action. We call this holding on... the hands don't release completely and therefore the face never squares up. If this is the cause, concentrate on feeling the hands swinging freely. Sometimes too tight of a grip will cause us to "hold on." Hope this helps.

Q: Glenn:
I understand the importance of staying connected in the swing, but when I go for a little more distance with my long irons and woods, I tend to take lots of shoulder turn on the backswing, but on the downswing, my lower body gets too far ahead and I block my shots. How can I stop doing this occassional move that costs me distance and accuracy?

A: John P. Henry (South Florida Section):
Hello Glen,

"Getting out in front of the shot" is a normal swing flaw when reaching for a little extra distance. Taking a larger shoulder turn can disrupt your normal downswing sequence and tempo. The key for you will be to try to better coordinate your lower body tempo with the extra shoulder rotation that you are using. Try starting your downswing by keeping your lower body a little less active, allowing your upper body time to catch up.