Clubhead speed is not the only factor that contributes to distance. (Courtesy of Wicked Stick Golf Links)

Get the message: Hit the golf ball farther by 'TEXTing'

By B.J. Hathaway,
Contributor

In an age where everything is done quickly, if you could get more distance with your golf clubs by texting, would you do it?

Who wouldn't?

Before we go into "TEXTing" for distance, let's go over the parameters that contribute to distance.

The first would be clubhead speed. The fact that an 87-year-old is outdriven by his 17-year-old grandson is not only due to the age difference but also the fact that the grandfather isn't very good at TEXTing.

The next factor is center contact. The fact the grandson can swing 120 mph will produce little benefit if contact is made even a quarter-inch left or right of the club's center, which will cost him about 20 percent of his distance.

The other two factors are the path of the club through the impact area, and the angle at which the club is moving up or down, referred to as the angle of attack.

Imagine the grandson is hitting the ball a bit more centered but swinging down 20 degrees with his driver. All that clubhead speed will still not produce enough useable distance and remind Grandpa to have him chop firewood for winter.

So what does any of this have to do with TEXTing for distance? Well, if you're missing the sweet spot, swinging down too steep or shallow and swiping across the ball with little clubhead speed, then learning how to "TEXT" will soon become the coolest thing you've learned all year.

TEXTing = tilting, ex-tending and turning

The bad news? Even Apple doesn't have an app that can make you hit the ball farther simply by using your electronic device. TEXTing is my abbreviation for the three-dimensional movements of the spine in the golf swing.

T-ilting

T-urning

If this idea that the spine must tilt, extend and turn is new to you, then welcome to the modern age of TEXTing, which is done by all the great players.

"These are the basic movements of the swing," explains Andy Plummer. "It is an anatomical fact that all golfers who are good tilt, extend and turn. However, most golfers are taught only to turn, which is only part of the equation. The extending and tilting have been ignored in golf instruction and left for golfers to learn only by imitating great players. By identifying the basic movements we can turn players new to game into better golfers much faster."

This form of TEXTing really isn't new, but what I like about it is that through the Stack & Tilt system, they were the first ones to organize the information and present it in a way that makes sense.

If you want to hit the ball farther, you need more clubhead speed. If you want more speed, you need the club to orbit around a stable center so that contact is made near the sweet spot. And if you can also control the angle or path into the ball to create a controllable curve and proper loft, then you have the best of all worlds.

If you want to learn how to tilt, extend and turn correctly be sure to check out the list of this list of Stack & Tilt authorized instructors. And when you start hitting if farther, send me a text.

August 6, 2012

Over the course of B.J. Hathaway's career, he has established himself as the leading junior golf instructor in the Southeast and one of the leading mental golf coaches in the country. While working at Augusta Golf Instruction, he received the prestigious Master Certified Mind Factor accreditation; the first golf instructor in the U.S. to receive this advanced certification.