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Driving
Jhonattan Vegas: How To Go Deep When You Need To
Everybody wants to swing faster and hit the ball longer. But I make fewer than 20 driver swings a year where I use more than 75-percent effort. Why? The longest bombs happen when you get the right combination of launch and spin, and that comes from swinging under control and in good sequence—not from swinging harder. When you really need a long drive, you want to hit the center of the face and get that great launch. I'll show you a couple of tips to make it happen.
LEVEL OUT YOUR TURN
I bet you've heard "you need to turn more" plenty of times. I won't disappoint. You do need to turn. But the driver works the best if swung on a shallow plane. You lose that plane if you make a very steep turn, and your left shoulder dips very low on the backswing and then comes around very high. That makes the bottom of the swing steep and narrow, not flat and wide like it should be. To feel a good turn, hold a club across your chest and turn back and through with the shaft remaining roughly level with the ground. Recreate that feel when you play.
LET THE ARMS LEAD
When my driving is off, it's usually because my lower body has unwound much faster than my upper body. When that happens, I have to use my hands to try to save the shot, which costs distance and accuracy. How you start down is crucial. While keeping your feet anchored to the ground, let your arms and club start to drop before unwinding. This helps sling the club faster through the impact zone. You'll start hitting it farther without any extra effort. Remember, you're not trying to attack the ball. You're trying to launch it.
Jhonattan Vegas, winner of the RBC Canadian Open, averaged 304.4 yards off the tee in 2016.