Everything You Need to Know About Power Loading in Golf

The golf swing can be a daunting and complicated movement to master, with so many specific and important parts. But one thing you have to have down pat is the power load. You know, that explosive takeaway launches your club straight and true off the tee. The power load is so important because, without it, you’ll likely be playing from the rough or some other undesirable position on the course.

What Is Power Loading in Golf?

The power load is the off-the-back weight shift of your body when you’re striking a golf ball. When you hit a golf ball, your entire body acts as one unit that moves towards a well-balanced racket face position at impact. And it’s this movement (the power load) that allows you to achieve good swing path and distance control over the ball. It’s all about timing, but everything else between your posture and grip breaks down without the power load.

The power load is one of the parts of your golf swing (along with posture, balance, and grip) that you can control by adjusting your body weight. If you are a beginner interested in learning more about power loading, or a professional golfer in search of tips to perfect your swing, don’t hesitate to make use of online lessons such as the Brian Mogg power loading formula.

The Grip

Here are some useful tips for generating power through your grip:

1. Unhinge Your Wrist

When holding your club, the last three knuckles of your left hand should be facing the sky. This will allow for a consistent grip and wrist position through impact.

2. Square Your Club Face

After you have set your grip, square your club’s face to the line you are standing on. This will also help with consistency in ball contact during every swing.

3. Allow Your Feet to Lead the Downswing

While the upper body has most of the power in the power load, it’s important that your feet are pushing off of the ground to add force to your swing. Allow them to push forward more towards the target during your power load so that they can absorb the excess energy you create.

4. Stay Over the Ball at Impact

During impact, stay over the ball and allow your hips, shoulders, and arms to be moving in a straight line through impact. That way, you can keep balance with every move and have consistency throughout each golf stroke.

The Stance

Your stance can make all the difference when it comes to achieving the best power for a shot. Here are some useful tips:

1. Adjusting Your Stance

When you first complete a swing, take a moment to notice the power load that you produce with each club. When you stand up, do your hips, and upper body also stop moving forward? That is your power load. When you stand up for the backswing, do your hips and the upper body continues moving through impact in the same direction?

2. Keep Your Weight on the Heels of Your Feet

As you move through your golf swing, your body weight should stay predominantly on the ball of your foot and your back heel. This allows you to transfer more power from your lower body into your swings while keeping yourself balanced.

3. Turn Your Left Foot Out

When you are at the address position, your right foot should be underneath your left foot. While keeping both feet the same distance apart at the address is essential, keeping your right foot facing more towards the target is important. When you start your swing, turn the right foot out more towards the target to create a larger power load in that direction.

4. Add Explosiveness to Your Power Load

In the golf swing, power is a product of hip speed, upper body speed, and separation of the hips and upper body. As you are preparing for your backswing, coordinate your shoulders with the movement of your hips. Use your left foot as a pivot point, but also push off with that left leg through impact so that it absorbs some of the energy you are creating.

5. Brace Your Knee

As you are moving through your power load, brace your knee underneath the left side of your upper body. This will absorb most of the energy created in your power load and allow for greater ball contact.

Bottom Line

The concept of a power load is essential for creating a good golf swing and consistent contact with the ball. The trick to developing and using your power load is by first understanding what it is and how it relates to the bigger picture of your swing. The power load is simply how you move through the golf swing, or more specifically, how you move your body weight as you make contact with the ball.