Power Up Your Drives

My tips to help you hit it further

- Neil Tappin

When I teed it up in the 2016 US Open at Oakmont, I was still an amateur and ranked 571st in the world. Over the past 18 months or so, I’ve turned professional, won four pro events – two on the European Tour and two on the PGA Tour – and reached World No.2.

One of the reasons for my success is my driving. Last year, I ranked third on the European Tour in driving distance and averaged more than 311 yards off the tee. For me, power is easy. My secret? Put the big muscles to work. Let me show you how...

1 WEIGHT ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE

If you’ve seen me on TV, you will know I like to hit fades off the tee. And given I don’t like to think about technique during play, I use my set-up to produce the fade for me.

My principle key is to concentrate at least 60 percent of my weight in my right leg. But I don’t tilt to the right to set my weight, like some amateurs do. I really get into it. I like to feel like I’m sitting into my right glute, not so much my leg. If you do it right, you’ll feel your right hip tighten. That’s a signal that your right side is set, so you can turn against it.