Bobby Schaeffer's Ultimate Power Golf Swing Positions

1. Address

This one of the few times when your left wrist is bent as the butt of the club should be pointing directly at your belt buckle. Make sure that your shoulders are open to the target line. The club face will be slightly closed as it lies next to the ball at this address position.

2. Back Swing

As you take the club away from the ball with the back stroke, you accumulate the potential energy. The large muscles of the back take the club away, not the hands. (Refer to the mop drill from the video.) Initiate the take-away with the feet, thus rotating the hips.

3. Top of Swing

From the top, as you initiate the down stroke, energy is loaded. Keep the tension out of the wrists and allow the weight of the club to cock the wrists naturally. Keep your head behind and maintain eye contact with the ball. Maintaining the wrists in a fully cocked position and turn your body to the ball. The sensation here is that your hands stay at the top of the swing and feel as if they never approach the ball.

4. Down Stroke

The club shaft moves in longitudinal acceleration as you begin the turn. Wrists remain cocked and the hands do not assist in bringing the club down. The turn of your body should accelerate the butt of the club handle toward the ball. This can only happen if your wrists remain cocked. Any action by the hands or pressure from the thumbs will cause you to cast the club (movement horizontally across the shaft). This wrist cocked position is a big key to both power and accuracy.

5. Release Point

Trust your pivot, with the wrists fully cocked in order to conserve the angular momentum, to bring the hands and the butt of the club to the release point. This is where the world famous Ben Doyle is quoted as saying that they key is, "having the courage to trust your pivot". Conservation of angular momentum. From the golfers visual perspective, the hands appear to be ahead of the ball. The handicap player tends to panic and casts the club head in order to "catch up" to the ball. This causes that player to "hit at the ball" rather than "swing the club."

6. Impact

While the pivot continues, the left wrist will automatically uncock into impact. Proper impact position will always maintain a flat left wrist and a bent right wrist all the way into follow through. Allow the wrists to uncock naturally. Trust the turn. Do not apply independent hand action. Again, this would cause you to cast the club, which is them ost common error of struggling golfers.

7. Follow-Through

The club shaft remains on plane and proper impact positions are maintained into follow through. 16 to 20 inches past impact the left wrist bends and the left elbow folds as the club comes back up the incline plane. Follow through is the first time that both arms are straight in the swing.

8. Finish

Allow the momentum of the club to continue in the arc, pulling your left shoulder away from the target.