Jack Nicklaus was the longest hitter in the game during his prime, by quite some distance as well (excuse the pun).
When Nicklaus burst onto the PGA Tour scene in the early 1960s, he instantly upset the apple cart regarding the dominance of Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.
Nicklaus’ arrival was great for the game of golf and, despite early friction with ‘Arnie’s Army’, he quickly endeared himself to the fans.
He went on to win 73 PGA Tour tournaments throughout his career, including a record 18 major championship titles.
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The now 85-year-old’s main strength was his exceptional driving of the golf ball.
Nicklaus was long and straight and he flighted the ball beautifully with a nice high fade.
In fact, Nicklaus claimed that he’d drive the ball 50 yards further with the use of modern technology, if he was in his prime in this day and age.
Jack Nicklaus shares the secret to hitting longer drives
There aren’t many golfers who are better to learn from when it comes to driving the ball than Mr Nicklaus.
He had plenty of natural power, but that doesn’t mean that he just got on every tee and hit the ball as hard as he could.
Nicklaus actually had a really intriguing approach to hitting long drives.
The 18-time major champion once shared his key secrets to consistently hitting longer drives, as quoted by Golf.com.
“There are times when we all want to hit the ball farther,” Nicklaus said.
“Well there’s only one thing I know, and that’s to make this, the clubhead, move faster. Not my arms, not my hand, not my legs, not everything else. Just the clubhead.
“The natural tendency when you want to hit the ball hard is to swing faster.
“I make a very conscious effort to swing more slowly so that I give myself all the time in the world for all those elements to happen, so the clubhead moves faster and the ball goes farther.
“I want to make sure my legs are driving to create as much leverage so when I release the clubhead, the clubhead is coming into the ball faster.
“I want to make sure I make a long finish to keep that clubhead moving so I don’t ever stop the clubhead in the hitting area.
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“If you do that, I think you’re going to find that you’re not only going to hit the ball farther, but you’re also going to control it better than you would if you were to just take a wild swing at it.”
Jack Nicklaus’ advice still remains pertinent today
Many amateurs will be reading that advice wondering, ‘why on earth is Jack talking about swinging slower’?
Well, the key to Nicklaus’s tip is that it’s all about giving yourself time to make a full shoulder turn and to load up all of your energy at the top of the golf swing.
Many amateurs have wasted the majority of their energy and speed by taking the club back too fast.
After doing that, they almost decelerate into impact.
Golf has changed beyond all recognition since Jack Nicklaus’ prime. However, the key fundamentals to better golf have remained the same throughout the years.
And Nicklaus’ advice to help amateur golfers hit longer drives is just as relevant now as it was many years ago.
