PGA Pro Tips: Add 30 Yards To Your Drives With The Power-X
The idea of having a fluid, tension-free swing that is at the same time powerful and dynamic enough to drive the golf ball 300 yards seems like a contradiction until you understand the concept behind the Power-X.
The Brute Force Approach to Distance Doesn't Work
The common misconception is that driving the ball farther takes more power. This is the brute force approach most golfers instinctively take when they try to "muscle up" on the swing to get more distance. Yet if you were to ask these same golfers to describe their best drives, they would use words like "effortless", "smooth", "fluid", or "solid", which are not power terms.
To drive the golf ball farther you need to maximize your swing speed. Yes, there is power in the swing. But it has to be the right kind of power: dynamic power that produces effortless speed.
The Answer to Dynamic Power is the Power-X
When you cross your arms in front of your body while standing so that each arm is pointed down the opposite leg (left arm points down right leg), your arms will form an "X". This simple visualization of arms crossed in an X can help you understand which muscles provide dynamic power throughout the swing, and which muscles are relaxed.
The left arm/right leg side is the strong and dynamic axis. The right arm/left leg is the tension-free, relaxed axis. This is the "Power-X."
To get more distance make the left arm and right leg as strong and powerful as possible. At the same time, keep the right arm and left leg relaxed.
Although it may seem like a contradiction to have one part of your body strong while keeping another relaxed, consider a weight lifter performing a curl with barbells. The muscles that do all the work are the biceps. The triceps remain relaxed. The biceps are the protagonistic muscles, while the triceps are the antagonistic muscles. If the weightlifter activated their antagonistic triceps they would not be able to curl the barbell. The protagonistic biceps do all the work.
Effortless Driver Distance Comes From Using the Correct Muscles
In much the same way, using the protagonistic left arm/right leg to do all the work of supplying the power and speed will help you drive the ball 30 to 40 yards farther. Use the image of the Power-X to help understand where dynamic power comes from in the swing.
