Jon Rahm is a beast.
After a dominating and clutch performance for his first major victory at the 2021 US Open, it’s clear that he’s a force on the PGA Tour. He seems to have all parts of the game; long distance, stellar iron play, a crafty short game like his idol Seve Ballesteros, and a fiery competitiveness.
One of the most impressive parts of his game is how much power he generates with such a short backswing. If you’re watching him on TV, you could blink and miss his entire swing.
But just because it’s shorter and more compact than most, doesn’t it mean it isn’t wildly effective (clearly). To help you generate more power in your game, steal his secret power drill to increase distance, especially with the driver.
Jon Rahm’s Secret Power Drill
Jon Rahm works with Dave Phillips, a top 100 golf teacher and co-founder of the Titleist Performance Institute. One of the ways he has helped Jon with his swing is getting his lower body very involved and loading up on the right side.
Remember, power starts from the ground up!
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you master the big power move for effortless distance, even if you don’t have the type of lower body muscle Jon has…
Step 1 – Feet Together
Start by grabbing your driver, teeing it up like normal and put your feet together.
You want both feet slightly flared out so that you can make a full rotation as well. This is a common trait among long drivers and notoriously great ball strikers like Tiger Woods.
If this feels awkward at first, don’t worry, that’s 100% normal and you aren’t actually hitting from this position.
Step 2 – Move Your Back Foot
With your feet together, move your right foot back (assuming you’re a right-handed golfer) to a distance that feels comfortable. This should be slightly wider than shoulder width since it’s the longest club in the bag and want a stable base.
A few things to note here… do not move your front foot. Leave it in the same position from step one.
This should result in the ball position being just off your left heel. This will make it easy to hit up on the ball for maximum distance and forward spin.
Another important piece is to not adjust your shoulders too much. Too many amateur golfers shift their right shoulder down, which can throw off your plane and backswing.
Step 3 – Maintain This Stable Position
From here, you want to load your right side on the way back (not sway), and maintain your position as much as possible. The key is to shift your mass to the backside and not laterally move your weight, which makes it nearly impossible to unload on the downswing.
Step 4 – Unload and Explode
The final piece is to unload and give it full effort on the downswing. You want to shift your weight (not move your hips) so you can explode at impact position.
By building a strong base and keeping the position throughout the entire swing, you should get extra distance and accuracy too.
Bonus – Pure Your Irons Like Jon Rahm
While Jon is an excellent driver of the golf ball, he’s also a tremendous iron player too.
According to the PGA Tour, in 2021 he’s averaged more than 70% of all greens in regulation. His coach also shared a helpful drill to hit better irons as well. It’s known as the “Impact Fix” and was a favorite drill among one of the best ball strikers of all time, Ben Hogan.
Here’s how you can do it…
- Step 1: Grab a mid-iron and prepare to hit a golf ball off the deck.
- Step 2: After addressing it like normal, move to impact position without swinging the golf club. Proper impact position means hands and shaft leaning forward, weight on the left side, hips open, and chest open to the target. This will give you the feeling of what you want your entire body to be like at impact.
- Step 3: Once you do this a few times and get comfortable, then you can even hit a few shots. From impact position, take a half backswing and swing at 50% with a shortened follow through. With enough repetition, this should help you ingrain the proper feeling at impact so you can hit down on your irons for maximum accuracy.
Overall, these two drills from Jon Rahm’s coach can make a huge impact on your driving and iron game. The next time you’re at the driving range, try them out and see how it helps your performance.
Have you ever tried either of these drills before?
Let us know in the comments!
Written by Michael Leonard
