Hitting the Big Time -2

You could ask all of the top coaches in the world and I don’t think they would guess what it is.

The position that we see at the top of the swing is simply classic. Henrik is now fully loaded, his shoulders having turned through a full 90 degrees, the club nowparallel with the ball-to-target line. And yet, as he arrives here, he is already in the process of starting the reverse-coil back down.

Look at the action of the left leg between frames 3 and 4; it is stronger as he reaches the top in readiness to support the transition and shifting of weight back into the left side.

Again, the reverse coil starts from the ground up. This is something you can improve in your own swing with basic body pivot exercises. As you unwind, you should get a sense that your belt buckle is re-rotating back towards the target.

As Henrik reverses momentum, we can see that his left arm and right leg fall nicely are in line - and these, incidentally, are great lines for power delivery. The quality of this body action is what helps him to retain the lag betwen his left arm and the shaft, and that spells one thing: power.

This power line is again evident at the moment of impact, as the left arm and left leg 'match up’. He is retaining what I term the 'pressure line’; his body is in the process of turning and opening to stabilise the impact (and when you hit it as hard as he does, you need stable impact!).

Through the ball, he displays a strong left side and good extension - a continuation of the previous frame and simply the result of one good move leading to another, a reaction to a particular action.

The finish is simply the conclusion to a series of great moves, and though we’re looking at a static frame, it hints at the wonderful balance that typifies Henrik’s entire action. One thing you have to understand to properly learn and develop a golf swing is that power is not purely about speed.

I believe there are four power sources to draw on - speed, pressure, rotation and leverage - and the longest hitters out there use all four. Henrik achieves a high percentage in each category, which is why he is long and straight. One of my favourite quotes is 'the road to success is always under construction’.

Those of you who are serious about taking your game to a higher level need to work on improving your body action - the body is the engine room, the arms and club are the steering wheel.

If you’ve got a good engine, it’s easy to steer. And Henrik’s firing on all cylinders.