6
JUSTIN
THOMAS
ANYONE CAN GO BIG
WITH GOOD
FUNDAMENTALSP
ound for pound, my swing is the most
powerful on Tour. I’m not one of the biggest
guys but I am one of the longest hitters so it
just goes to show that power isn’t all about size. I love
to really go at it with the driver through impact, but in
all honesty it’s the fundamentals that make me a big
hitter. I focus on flexibility, width, rotation, balance and
swing plane. Nail these driving basics and you can
swing out of your spikes with full confidence.Accurate aim
I constantly check my feet,
hips and shoulders are
parallel and aiming
correctly so I can make a
neutral swing. I like to feel
like I’m standing tall to help
me create width. A handy
trick if you slice the ball is
to drop your trail foot back
about an inch in relation to
your lead foot to
encourage you to swing
more from the inside.1
Left hip up
The downswing is the
easy part. Simply transfer
the energy stored in your
backswing to the ball by
rapidly unwinding your
lower body. My only
thought is to pull my left
hip up and behind me.
This helps me fully rotate
through the shot, while
simultaneously pulling the
left hip up creates greater
dynamic loft at impact.4
Parallel shaft
My lower body moves
very little in the takeaway
but my hands are well
away from my body as the
shaft reaches parallel to
the ground, which creates
width. Pause here and
check that your left arm is
extended, the shaft is
pointing parallel to your
target line, your wrists feel
flat and you’re relaxed
and in no hurry.2
Centre strike
The extent to which my
feet lift off the ground
illustrates how much I’m
pushing down into the
ground to generate
power. But power is
useless without precision.
Hitting the centre of the
face is vital because for
every quarter-inch away
from the sweet spot you
make contact, you lose
10mph of ball speed.5
Create torque
My goal in my backswing
is to create maximum
torque between my upper
and lower body. My
shoulders have turned
more than 90° to the ball,
while my hips haven’t
rotated nearly as much.
This coiling of the upper
body against the lower
body creates resistance
that can be turned into
speed in the downswing.3
Balanced finish
I can only swing so
aggressively because I’m
able to stay balanced and
maintain control of my
clubead. The swing speed
you create will be wasted if
your swing path is poor or
your face isn’t close to
square. Hold a balanced
finish position until your
ball lands on every drive
and you’ll become longer
and straighter.6
PRACTICE DRILL
This drill will help you if you’re in a rut hitting
slices or hooks. 1. Tee a ball up and place two
additional balls on either side. If you’re slicing,
the outside ball should be farther from the target
than your tee ball, and the one on the inside
should be closer to the target. This creates a
gate for your club to swing on an in-to-out path in
relation to the target line. 2. Hit your shot without
touching the other balls. If you hit the outside
ball, you’re still swinging on a slicer’s out-to-in
path. For hooks, reverse the positions of the
surrounding balls to promote a slightly out-to-in
path. 3. Hit 15 to 20 balls with the gate in
whatever configuration that helps you feel the
sensation for the shot you’re trying to hit. If you
can reduce the curve to your shots, I guarantee
you’ll pick up some real distance.DRIVING AVG
309.7 YDS62 GOLF ASIAGOLFING
INSTRUCTION