Let me introduce you to a golfer with one of the best golf swings I’ve ever seen. Hands down, this is the best left-handed swing I’ve ever seen. He may not be the most famous golfer, and he may not be on the PGA Tour, but you can’t go wrong emulating his golf swing.
His name is John Novosel Jr., and he’s proof that size and strength mean little when hitting long. He champions Tour Tempo, a product that puts music to your swing.
John is a lean 6’0″ and 165 pounds, definitely not your typical long driver. But he’s driven over 400 yards in competition! His swing has been clocked up to 140 mph. Remember the top speed ever recorded in the All PGA tour in 2010 was Bubba Watson’s 128 mph.
There are several more wonderful videos of John on Steve Pratt’s hit it long website, which can be found below in the author’s signature.
Mike Austin used to say that flexible quickness is the key to hitting well, not necessarily strength and size. Mike Austin would have loved this swing, perhaps even more than Mike Dunaway’s.
What does Novosel do to hit the ball at such long distances? Well, he starts with his untypical long-riding stance. The not-too-wide feet allow you to shift your center of mass from one foot to the other quickly. This is much more effective than turning a great distance. Really wide feet cause no movement in the body’s center of mass and therefore we lose tons of potential leverage.
Plus, he throws an excellent pitch, without hindering the clubhead. This means that the muscles in your forearms and wrists are extremely relaxed as you go through the impact, so they act like a free hinge.
His pace and balance are fantastic, making the swing seem pretty smooth and effortless, though the drive at the end of the first video was certainly 350 yards or more. When a technically good swing is put into a musical score, it becomes something extraordinary. I have no doubt that John hits the ball very straight quite often.
Finally, Novosel trains to be fast, not strong. He is a training fanatic and does very specific golf drills where speed is always a big part.
Always use a stick to actively stretch after doing an exercise. This prevents the muscles from becoming too short. Each exercise is similar to your golf swing and is performed explosively.
His routine is very similar to the one I have prepared for you in the members section of my website.
I highly recommend John’s golf swing and exercise routine for anyone interested in hitting it long. And finally, some love to my favorite left-handed golfers – someone to emulate!