Min Woo Lee: The secret to optimizing the driver swing from a talented golfer on the PGA Tour

Despite his slender build, Min Woo Lee is one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour. With extensive tournament experience, he shares simple yet effective tips to help amateur golfers improve their skills.  

1. Min Woo Lee: The Story Behind the Powerful Drive

Min Woo Lee wasn't always passionate about golf. When he was young, he considered golf a boring sport and even quit playing for a year. Instead, he preferred soccer, Australian rules football, taekwondo, and weightlifting.

But when Min Woo learned how to increase his driver speed and hit the ball farther than his peers, he started to take the sport seriously. Under the guidance of long-time coach Ritchie Smith, Lee gradually unlocked his potential and became a talented golfer.

Currently, he is among the top golfers on the PGA Tour, with a ball speed of 303 km/h – an impressive number considering he only weighs 75kg. Not only does he have an impressive ball speed, but Lee also ranks 4th in "strokes gained off the tee," demonstrating his exceptional ability to optimize his driver.

2. Min Woo Lee's Driver Shot Optimization Secret

Ritchie Smith, Min Woo Lee's long-time coach, has described Lee's swing as unlike any other. It's this uniqueness that sets him apart.

Smith believes that Min Woo Lee's creative and flexible swing is a major strength, and he suggests that amateur golfers can adapt these techniques to improve their own game.

2.1. Leaning into the shot: The key to extra distance

To hit a powerful drive, golfers should position their body so that their left shoulder is higher than their right. According to Smith, this helps the ball travel further. However, leaning too far forward can make it difficult to shift your weight during the swing.

"Min Woo tended to have his left shoulder much higher than his right. This prevented him from rotating his body fully and he would just lift his arms. We adjusted his stance so that his right shoulder was slightly lower than his left," Smith explained.

Reducing the shoulder tilt when addressing the ball also helps amateur golfers avoid the common fault of keeping their weight back. Additionally, it's important to check the grip: the right hand shouldn't be positioned too high relative to the left to avoid a weak grip, a common mistake among beginners.

2.2. Shifting weight to the right side when swinging helps control the ball better

To have an effective backswing, keep your arms straight and your right shoulder low at the top of your swing. 'When Min Woo relaxed, his arms would often rise too high, losing control. By keeping his right shoulder low, the shoulder turn helped him limit and control his speed,' Smith explained.

Min Woo shared that during his backswing, he aims for a wide arc while keeping his front arm close to his body and maintaining a compact posture.

For amateur golfers, maintaining a low right shoulder will make it easier to swing from the inside and create a smoother transition. Additionally, Smith recommends shifting weight to the right hip and keeping the right knee forward to maintain pressure.

2.3.Use your abs to increase the power of your driver.

Min Woo Lee focuses on using his core muscles to drive the club down, rather than relying on his hips or back. Smith explained that this allows Lee to bring the clubhead in front of his body and release it fully, generating impressive clubhead speed at impact.

A tip to ensure that your core is working effectively is to keep your left ankle stable throughout the follow-through. 'If your core isn't engaged, your hips will rotate and slide, reducing the power of your swing,' said Smith.

Lee emphasized that his core is the driving force behind his powerful swings. 'I let my core do the work,' he said. 'It feels great when your body and core work together to generate power.

3. Learn from Min Woo Lee to improve your Driver

Min Woo Lee has become one of the most creative and powerful golfers thanks to the guidance of Ritchie Smith and his own relentless practice. While not everyone can achieve a ball speed of 303 km/h, amateur golfers can still learn a lot from the techniques he uses to fine-tune his driver.

By incorporating these tips into your practice routine, amateur golfers can improve their consistency, control, and power off the tee, ultimately leading to better scores on the golf course.

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