Squash the sponge

The most important part of the golf swing in terms of hitting a powerful shot is the transition from backswing to downswing. As you start down, you need to feel your weight going straight through your left foot and into the ground. In essence, you're using the ground as the resistance needed to generate power. To get a feel for this, try my "SpongeBob" drill on the practice tee.

Place a thick, rectangular sponge (think SpongeBob) under the front of your left foot. As you turn back, you should feel some pressure on the sponge. But as you change direction and swing down, the pressure should increase dramatically -- in other words, squash the sponge! To do that, your lower body has to move forward in the correct fashion, transferring tremendous energy into your arms and the club and setting you up for a booming drive.

Based at ChampionsGate near Orlando, David Leadbetter operates 30 golf academies worldwide. Click here for more tips from Leadbetter.