Here’s a Useful X- Factor Image. Think of your torso as a coil spring. Imagine your shoulders at the upper end with your hips at the lower end. Do you have the picture? Now grasp your spring at the upper (shoulder) end and rotate it around its longitudinal axis without securing the lower end. As you might expect, you’ll encounter no resistance because the bottom end is not attached to anything. Now repeat the twisting action. But this time, secure the bottom end of your spring with your other hand. Notice that the more you twist the more resistance you experience as the twist (or X-factor) increases. This coiling is the mechanism behind a power swing. Now imagine suddenly releasing the shoulder end of your imaginary spring. Can you see the speed and power as your shoulder unwinds like a sling shot whipping towards the ball.

Turbo-Boost Your Drives - You can consciously increase your X-differential by turning your hips towards the direction of the target just as your shoulders complete the backswing. If you are right handed, you’ll turn your hips counter clockwise and the reverse if you are a leftie. By accentuating your hip action in the direction of the target you will “turbo-boost” your drives. That extra “little twist” acts to give your more torsion through the unwind phase of your stroke with a noticeable and effortless increase in speed and power at the club head.

You’ve heard of air-guitar? Well there’s also air-golf. Practice turbo-boosting your drives whenever you have a few idle minutes during your day. Hold your hands together as if grasping an imaginary driver (your air driver). Move your arms to the top of the back swing position. Use your legs, turn your hips in the opposite direction. You’ll experience a nice stretch in your abdomen and what’s more it feels good. It won’t be long before you become a master of isolation and you enjoy those longer drives from the get go! And with longer drives you will hit more greens and score better.