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(Seamus) Power Up Your Swing with One Simple Move
By Keith Stewart, PGA
Published on
Watch this wonderfully controlled wedge shot by Seamus Power during the second round at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He’s an amazing ball striker who’s had great success since his breakthrough win at the 2021 Barbasol Championship in a playoff.
The reason for his consistent success from July to now has everything to do with his ability to use his legs to promote stability and power. Look back at the video again. Watch his right leg turn, load, and then quickly unload before the arms drop and the club transitions back to the ball. This short swing really portrays Power’s important move.
The best part about Seamus’ simple move is that everyone can do it. All it takes is learning the proper sequence. Let’s get up and find a wall in your home or office. Once you reach the wall, do the following:
- Place your trail foot next to the wall. The foot should be flat against it from toe to heel. The whole outside of that trail foot should be touching it.
- Take your address position as if you were going to hit a shot. You won’t need a club for this.
- Now start your takeaway.
- By the time your hands reach the wall, your trail hip should be behind you.
- Observe the position you are in.
Most of you will bump into the wall the first time. This demonstration displays how you slide rather than turn your lower body. Go back and try it again. This time start your takeaway by turning your hips and pelvis rather than moving your arms. Notice what happens? When you lead with a turn, the body moves around the spine. When you lead with just moving your arms, we all tend to sway.
We follow whatever is the initial movement. By starting with a lower body turn when our hands get to the wall, our trail hip is way behind us. That turning means it didn’t move away from the ball. This might feel like you are rotating over the ball, and that’s okay. If you’re used to swaying, without that lateral shift everything is going to feel a little forward. Keep practicing these movements without a club against the wall.
Once you get comfortable with the correct motion, go outside, and bring a club and a chair with a low back. Stand against the back of the chair just like you did the wall, this time holding a club. Make the same correct turning motion again. Notice what it feels like with a club in your hands. Practice the lower body leading the takeaway more. To break a simple motion habit like a sway will take time. Keep doing this exercise until you get good enough to do it with your eyes closed.
While you are working on the move, make sure you get to the practice range and test it as well. You will feel a significant difference in the strike on the ball when you engage your lower body turn. It will also make you much more consistent at impact. All great elements of an amazing ball striker like Seamus. After all, he doesn’t have to be the only one with all the Power.
