In 2004, a team of biomechanics found it was possible to have awesome power by breaking a few of the fundamentals of golf. The following findings turn traditional instruction on its head.

• More power and less strain by using a comfortable top of backswing position
• A slight bending of the left arm gives (this gives you a mechanical advantage)
• A shorter backswing and a smaller shoulder turn
• A stable (quiet) body on the downswing
• An easier and powerful downswing by using your arms and hands (this is so much simpler than thrashing your body)

The findings not only impressed the scientists (many of them were golfers who thought they needed to follow traditional advice) but also the golf industry who now had some proof that long held beliefs were making golf learning harder than it needed to be.

Interesting snippet: My swing was tested multiple times with the following results.

I had the shortest back swing and the smallest amount shoulder turn

I had the least amount of torque of my spine muscles (we were all hooked up to electrodes that measured muscle activity)

I had the fastest club head speed – 123mph

Next: Learning a more powerful golf swing