Tip #9: Hit It Deep

There are tee-shots, and there are big tee shots. After all, nothing feels better -- or does more for your confidence -- than hitting the ball on the screws, watching it jump off your clubhead, soar forever, and roll to a point beyond the balls of your playing partners, beyond your own previous career drive.

It's foolish to swing all-out all the time, so pick your spots intelligently and don't try too hard.

I know when I pull out the stops and do everything just right, I can hit it over 350 yards -- and believe me, that's one of the greatest kicks in the world.

Now, I'll also admit I don't try to hit this shot off every tee. It's foolish to swing all-out all the time because you sacrifice accuracy. The only golfers who should go for maximum distance on every tee shot are youngsters just learning the game. For them, it's important to learn distance first, and let the techniques of accuracy come later.

I save my biggest tee shots, ironically, for the shortest holes. On short par-fours, such as the aforementioned third at Sunningdale and 18th at St. Andrews, a big blow will get me to the green and eliminate the second shot. The same goes for the shortish fives where a good drive will enable me to get home in two and make my third shot a putt.

So lesson No. 1 is to pick your spots intelligently. Lesson No. 2 is don't try too hard. In golf, trying fails you just get in the way of yourself. Don't try to hit the ball 275 yards if you've never hit it 250. Don't try to hit it harder or longer than you ever have. Your goal should be to hit it more solidly than ever.

You can preprogram the key aspects of this swing as you take your address. For maximum distance, the ideal launch angle for any projectile is 45 degrees. But since the average driver has only 11 or 12 degrees of loft on it, you need to be sure of catching the ball just slightly on the upswing. So tee the ball a bit higher than normal.

As you take your grip, give some thought to your grip pressure. There's a misconception that when you want to hit the ball a long way you should firm up your hold on the club. Actually, just the opposite is true. You want to make a free-flowing swing, so don't strangle the club-that will only tighten up your armswing. Instead, caress it, hold it a bit less firmly than you would for a normal drive. (Incidentally, this is a also a good idea when you're in a tense situation-the tighter the situation, the looser the grip.)

The next key is to widen your stance a bit, in order to set up a wider, more powerful arc. Do this by moving your right foot a bit to the right of its usual position-no more than an inch or two. As for the left foot, flare out the toe a bit more than usual. This will help you to uncoil powerfully into your downswing. The last pre-swing adjustment relates to ball position-move it forward to a point between your left instep and toe. This will have the same effect as the high tee, to help you approximate that 45-degree launch angle.

The wider stance will lower your center of gravity and will help you to make what is probably the most important move when it comes to long-distance driving-an extra low, extra long takeaway. When I take the club back for a big drive, I try to glide back from the ball for as long as possible. It's important to feel as though you're stretching your arms out to their maximum as you make this crucial first move. Since the right foot is farther back than usual, this stretch won't be as taxing as it would with a stance of normal width.

Unfortunately, that same wide stance-and the flared left toe-will make it more difficult for you to make a full backswing turn. The coil will not come naturally, so you have to work on it a bit. Since this is a conscious action, I've found it useful to have a key "power-swing thought" on long drives: When I step up to the ball, I say to myself, "R.P.B., Greg." R.P.B. stands for "right pocket back." Through practice, I've found that when I key on making my right-front trouser pocket turn around to the back as far as possible, I'll virtually ensure my maximum hip turn. And when the hips turn, the back and shoulders turn. Once that coil is maximized, the big gun is loaded. Actually the swing is exactly like a slingshot-the farther you can pull it back, the more forcefully it will snap through, and the longer your shot will go.

I hit upon this R.P.B. key on the practice tee one day when I was trying to determine which type of move would best enable me to maximize my distance. "Right pocket back" works for me because I know that most of my power comes from my legs.

If your main power source is your legs, I suggest you give this a try. If, however, you get most of your distance from another source, it's important that you develop a key that better fits you. If, for instance, you have relatively "quiet" leg action and have more of an upper-body swing, as does Arnold Palmer, you should develop a power key that makes you turn your back and shoulders. If hand action is your strength, as it is with David Graham, find a thought that will ensure a fast, powerful whip-through of the club in the hitting area. If you're extremely flexible and have an upright swing, as do young players such as Tiger Woods and David Duval, you might want to concentrate on getting your hands high for maximum height of your arc.

Whatever your main power source is, develop a swing key that will help you maximize it. Then go hit your longest tee shots.

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