THE LESSON TEE
driving
for show
Advances in technology have
made driver optimization a
realistic goal for amateurs
d
ana Dahlquist has taught the
golf swing to everyone from
PGA Tour players Grant
Waite and Eric Axley to the LPGA's
Anna Rawson, actor Michael Pena
and some of the top junior players in
Southern California. So the veteran
instructor, based at El Dorado Park
Golf Course in Long Beach, has his
finger on the pulse of all the latest
discussion and debate about how
golfers can improve their games.
One of the areas that has advanced
by leaps and bounds in recent years
is driver optimization, thanks in part
to adjustable clubs and significant
technological improvements in
launch monitors and the data that
they can capture. Dahlquist is 100
percent on board with using these
new tools to help players get the most
out of what they already have.
"We now have technology that
proves what the ideal swing
conditions are – it's basically like
getting an MRI at the doctor's office,"
Dahlquist said. "You can look at a
player's swing and make a slight
adjustment in the face angle, and all
of a sudden they have gained 30
yards without swinging any harder
or going to the gym."
Dahlquist recently found himself
picking sides on Twitter in a heated
debate between Golf Channel analyst
Brandel Chamblee and four-time
major championship winner Rory
McIlroy on whether it's most effective
to hit up or hit down on the ball with
your driver. (click here.)
McIlroy delivered some data that
argued strongly in favor of hitting up
on the ball, and Dahlquist was fully
behind that assessment.
"The average amateur golfer needs
to hit up on the driver at least four
degrees to hit the ball as far and as
straight as possible," Dahlquist said.
"The data is out there, and because of
that there are universal truths that we
can all look at for proof."
Dahlquist believes that getting the
most out of your driver isn't
something only professionals can aim
to achieve. With a little bit of work
and the right data and instruction,
amateurs can improve greatly.
"There is no way to measure angle
of attack with the naked eye," he
said. "You can measure other
elements of the swing without it, but
by and large, looking at angle of
attack with an advanced launch
monitor is the most important thing
you can do to improve how you hit
your driver."
>
click here to contact Dana
Dahlquist for information on lessons
at El Dorado Park Golf Course.
< When it comes to gathering data for
driver optimization, today's technology
can provide invaluable assistance.
