Kristen Nielsen was a participant at the Peanut Butter Classic and wanted to share the following with us:
Lisa Longball’s Power Tips
Lisa’s Tips from the 2015 Peanut Butter Classic at Heritage Pointe sponsored by Shane Homes:
- Swing through the ball. Your club head should be moving fastest after impact. Keep swinging until the finish! This will stop you from chicken winging and leaving weight on your back foot.
- Relax your grip pressure. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the death grip), your grip should be about a 3 or 4. If your grip pressure is too tight you will not be able to release your wrists, robbing yourself of distance and opening the club face. If you slice the ball, this may be why.
- Warm up before you play. (Shoulder circles, arm in front of chest, club behind back and most importantly the twisting drill with club held out at chest height twisting side to side.)
- Close your NON Dominate eye (triangle drill) and line your shaft up over your ball towards your target,standing behind the ball.
- Pick an intermediate target 1-2 feet in front of your ball. Line your club faceup to that first, not your feet!
- Tee the ball up off the instep of your front foot. Use the feet together drill, then simply move the back foot (for driver). Also, you should see at least half the ball over the back of the driver when you tee it
- Both of these tips promote hitting the ball on the upswing.
- Fan your front foot to a 45 degree angle to make it easier to clear your hips through impact and takes pressure off the lead knee. Do this for all of your clubs!
- Posture: Stand straight with shoulders back, bow at waist (bottom sticks out) & crack the knees.
- Make a good shoulder turn. Get your front shoulder underneath your chin. This rotation helps create power and ultimately distance. Think of trying to get your back to face the target in your backswing. You need to turn your torso not just lift your arms. The girls will come with you 😉
- Don’t start your downswing with your arms. You will lose all of the coil and torque you have built up.
- Instead, start your down swing by turning or firing your front hip. This is a turn, NOT a slide. (Swing thoughts: think fire front hip, or front pocket, or belt buckle, or guts. This will make you turn the lower body 1st).
- Turn your shirt in backswing, turn your pants in down swing!
- If you Pull the ball you may be starting your down swing with your back shoulder or arms. To stop a pull, start your down swing with your lower body first! If you Slice the ball watch your grip pressure and make sure your weight gets on your front side in your follow through!
- Finish with your belt buckle towards your target with your weight on your front side in balance! See if you can lift your back foot. If you can’t you haven’t transferred all your weight and have lost yardage and it could cause a slice.
Lisa “Longball” Vlooswyk is the 7-Time Canadian Long Drive Champion and ranked top 3 in the World.