Find Your Backbone & Go Big

Article by Lou Kauo & Pat Dempsey as seen in Golf Illustrated

We’ve all faced holes that can turn our big dog driver into a whimpering puppy. However, we’ve also seen golfers who confidently stroll to the tee box and rip it far down the fairway. This may cause you to wonder what the difference is between you and them when you swing just as hard as the next guy.

Keep in mind that hitting the ball far takes more than just swinging hard. It takes backbone. I have two spine-alignment tips that will give you the proper setup to find you backbone and launch it. There are two spine positions you must have for a solid foundation.

To find the forward spine tilt, put your hands on both hip joints and tilt forward, feeling the proper bend. Remember to bend from the hip joints and not the waist of lower back. This will keep you back straight and locked in position for an unwavering swing plane.

The second tip is to find you side spine angle. Take your driver and turn it upside down so the bottom of the head touches your chin and runs down the path of you spine, from this position, lean back in the direction of the take-away. When the grip end of the driver touches your forward leg, you’ve found the second spine angle. This angle will keep you behind the ball and prevent you from executing the dreaded reverse-pivot.

In combination, the forward and side tilt positioning of the spine gives your body a solid and stable base to unleash consistent monster drivers. The next time you’ve got the first-tee jitters, remember your backbone and then go big!