How I got longer off the tee without losing my accuracy
Left: I like my setup here. I used to struggle to get my body behind the ball. Middle: This impact position is good. I'm still behind the ball. More power. Right: I'm in good balance here. I used to be in a reverse-c finish position here.
My golf game is influenced heavily by the wind-swept links of my home in England, a place where low-flying, accurate iron shots are much more important than 300-yard drives. The courses are designed differently, and there is a different mentality in the way the game is played. Back home, accuracy is the goal. Here, it's distance. So when I came to America for college five years ago, I knew I had to get longer.
When I entered Northwestern University and started working with Coach Pat Goss, I discovered just how inflexible my body was and how that played a key role in my lack of distance off the tee. I could carry a driver only about 240 yards. To help me get longer, we worked on increasing my hamstring and torso flexibility. We also elongated my posture. I have this tendency to make a sitting motion during the backswing, which shortens my swing radius and makes it tough to hit the ball high.
Now my posture has improved and, thanks to increased flexibility, I can make a more complete turn with my chest and arms. I would say I was 25 yards longer off the tee when I won my first PGA Tour event -- the Southern Farm Bureau Classic last year -- than when I won the NCAA Championship in 1999. Even better, I've lost no accuracy in the process.
Standing tall
Analysis by Pat Goss
with Ron Kaspriske
Luke's swing has always been simple and solid. He is one of the most accurate iron players I've seen and incredibly consistent. Even though 2002 was his first full year on the PGA Tour, he ranked among the top 36 in driving accuracy and greens in regulation. And, in addition to his win at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, he made the cut in his last 10 events. That's consistency.
Now comes the negative: When Luke came to me at Northwestern, he couldn't fly the ball far enough or hit it high enough to compete on the PGA Tour level. He's not a big guy to start with and wasn't nearly as flexible as he is now. And he would compound the problem by making a sitting move during the backswing. On the downswing, the club would get stuck behind him, and he would have to flip his hands to square the club, limiting his release. The ball would fly low and roll, which is great on links courses, but not here.
We've worked a lot on posture, getting him to stand taller over the ball and to tilt forward from his hips. Luke also worked a ton on flexibility, which has allowed him to turn with the clubhead remaining in front of his chest. This takes a good range of motion, and Luke has that now. He wears out the guys in the fitness trailer on tour going through stretching routines. Five years ago, if he were to lie on his back, he couldn't raise one of his legs until it was vertical. But now, he might pull it 30 degrees past vertical toward his head.
The taller posture and increased flexibility have allowed Luke to hit a high draw.
In the swing sequence below, he explains how he's able to do that.
1. I would like to stand taller, with less knee flex. But this is pretty good. 2. I wish the clubhead were rotated a little more open. This is a sign that I'm still sitting a little.
3. You can really see here how fast my hips are unwinding. This could be slower. 4. My hands are flipping slightly because of how fast I'm swinging a driver. But it's not a problem I have with my irons. 5. You can see how well my right side has released. It's a stronger finish position than my old swing.
