Every golfer I know wants to hit the ball farther. I have never encountered any player saying they wished they did hit the ball so far; everyone wants more distance. Over the 2021 season, I made some fundamental changes with my driver that increased my distance while keeping my accuracy. The changes I made are only the beginning, however I wish I had notice Annika Sorenstam’s tip earlier to help speed up my learning curve.
I changed several things with respect to my driver set up, however adopting the ‘less is more’ philosophy was by far the toughest change I made to my driver and fairway woods. With my new set up, I found that if I tried to swing fast at the ball, I would pull it left……consistently. Of course there is sweet spot between tempo and club head speed that we all seek and not trying to grip it and rip it is the first step. As I ran through my morning news feeds, I found this video that would have helped earlier in the season.
I tried placing my thumb over my grip to see how it felt. I took a few practice swings (no ball contact yet because my DIY driving net will not be set up until the new year) Sorenstam’s tip definitely forced me to grip the club looser. This, inturn, forced me to swing the club with less tension in my arms, wrists and hands. Hence, the natural ‘less is more’ golf drill.
Before I get too excited, I will need to hit balls to see if this drill will produce the results I am looking for in my golf swing. Moving forward, I will have to wait for a bit, but it is knowledge I can store and recall when the time is right. As you know from previous years of reading The Grateful Golfer, my off-season is the time I try to expand my knowledge and prepare my tools for my next golf season. Annika Sorenstam’s thumb over drill is a perfect example of my process that helps me keep me focused on ways to improve my overall golf game. As my golf journey continues, I am grateful for the time and access to knowledge that helps reduce my learning curve.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
I believe that trying to build more power when you are over sixty years old has more potential to have negative effects on scoring and can lead to more injuries. You cannot turn back the clock. I was watching Bernhardt Langer the other night. He has lost some yardage in the last couple years, yet remains competitive due to his ball striking.
Playing within yourself gets more important every year. I find the search for more length is likely going to reduce consistency which is counter productive to better play. I would double down on improving mid iron or hybrid approach shots as the course gets longer each year, or so it seems.
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Lorne,
You are definitely right about preventing injury when getting older. I struggled with that all season. A smooth consistent swing with my physical abilities is always the goal….just takes a little long to teach an old dog new tricks. 😉
Cheers Jim
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Less is more. That’s a lesson that was hard to let sink in but the times I’ve hit the ball the farthest were times when I wasn’t trying to. Grip and rip it works great for the Bryson’s of the world who can swing 1000 times a day. For me, it’s far better to keep it feeling as smooth as I can. I get more speed, I get a better connection, and I do it more consistently.
If I can get to the course through traffic in time Sunday I’ll give Annika’s suggestion a try and see what happens. The course we’re playing tomorrow has a nice raised tee box for the range which is nothing something we see around here in flatland all that often.
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Kevin,
Have a great time on the links today!
Cheers Jim
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I gave Annika’s tip a shot but hated how it felt to hold the club that way. I do get what she was getting at though. It’s a loose feel. Especially at the transition. You can’t help but feel the club head falling in line unless I guess if you’re gripping with the lead hand too tight,
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Kevin,
Thanks for the feed back. I think you are right that it is designed to teach use to grip lighter, but not something I would use a great deal.
Cheers Jim
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