Creating a more EXPLOSIVE swing
Everyone wants more club head speed. The question is, how do you get that extra power to help you hit monster drives down the fairway? A lot of times the answer to that question is of course, lots of time in the gym doing different exercises. While I do not disagree that workouts can help you boost your power, I do think there are a few simple things you can put into your swing to make a difference TODAY. Let me be very clear, while these changes WILL give you more speed and power, it does not mean you will immediately start hitting it further because centerness of contact is key. (More on how to accomplish this later)
1) Lets start very basic with information you have hopefully heard by now, SEPARATION. I am wanting you to be able to turn to the top of you swing and then fire your hips, rotating them around very quickly while your upper body and hands are still. You will reach a point that you can not separate anymore and this will start to pull the torso and hands through. The more we can separate, the more power we are creating. Lots of people struggle with this, but creating a good feeling to go off of is key. Want to increase the amount you can separate? This is definitely where the workout comes into play. You will want to increase the amount of rotation you have first, then practice using it. What I mean is, increase your flexibility first, then apply it.
2) Next, lets work on getting your hands high on your takeaway. Imagine you are trying to turn and reach up for something almost out of reach. While doing so you want to create a stretchy feeling, and with the hands high we force a bigger arc. If you are limited doing this you could suffer from tight latissimus dorsi or lower trapezuis not being activated. A couple of simple stretches in the gym can solve these issues.
3) USE THOSE LEGS! This is more than likely a feeling you will have to learn. I want you to be able to activate your glutes, and use your stretch shorten cycle that you use when jumping. The SSC simply put is the action of loading the muscles for a very brief second before firing them. To better understand, try this. Stand up and jump. What did you do? You had to squat down a small amount and very quickly, then you rebounded up. All my clients wanting to generate more speed practice this with me to make sure we are on the same page. The most IMPORTANT thing with this, is when to release the stored power. Too early, and it was wasted, too late and it was not used when hitting the ball.
As you have figured out, a lot of speed and power are based off feelings. It is my job to teach clients the proper feelings. Sometimes when talking with different players I use different words to describe it based off of their understanding and feelings.
Lets take PGA Tour caddy for J.B. Holmes, (my brother) Brandon Parsons as an example. While obviously related our swings and body make up are quite different. When he started his club head speed was 105. As he is on the road a lot and unable to hit very often, we talk on the phone. If you heard one of our conversations you wouldn't even think we were talking about golf. Through lots of misunderstandings we are now on the same page and able to tweak certain things in his swing to create the POWER we both want quickly. He is currently able to reach 122 club head speed, and little to no time spent in the gym.
These three simple things are just a taste of unused power your body holds. Be sure to check back often for more information on how you can become EXPLOSIVE!