Stephen Denton
Ever wonder why you’re not hitting the ball as far as you think you should? Your swing might have a power leak, and, more specifically, that leak might be in the palm of your hands. Simply put: If your hands aren’t releasing through the strike, you’re probably holding the face open and slowing down through the hit.
A great way to mitigate the lack of a powerful delivery in your hands is to imagine holding a mug full of water in your trail hand as you swing. As you move through the downswing, you want to pour the water and splash it out in front of you and to the left of the target line.
You can try this with an actual cup of water if you want and take notice of how the water splashes through the impact zone. If it’s sloshing up, behind you or to the right, you’re holding the face open. If the water is splashing in front of you and to the left, you’re doing a better job at releasing the hands to hit farther shots.
Carol Preisinger is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and serves as the lead teaching professional at The Landings Club in Savannah, Ga.