Jack Nicklaus’ swing is key to hitting long drives down the fairway

Golf instruction is always changing, but the best advice is timeless. In GOLF.com’s new series, Timeless Tips, we highlight the greatest pieces of advice from teachers and players in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today, we’re revisiting a power tip from Jack Nicklaus from our April 1968 issue. For unlimited access to GOLF Magazine’s digital archive, join Inside GOLF today; you’ll enjoy $140 worth for just $39.99 per year.

Power off the tee is an irreplaceable skill in golf. If you can hit the ball longer than your opponent, you have a faster advantage.

This fact has been true for as long as golf has been played. One example? The Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus.

Although it is true that Nicklaus can do it everything well on the course, one of his greatest skills early in his career was his strength off the tee. Arriving on the scene in the 1960s, he played golf in a way few had seen before.

Nicklaus’ dynamic ability was a major factor in establishing him as an unstoppable force in the 60s and 70s. During those two decades, the Golden Bear won 15 of his 18 major titles – and it all started with his incredible skill off the tee.

Back in 1968, GOLD Magazine highlighted the keys to Nicklaus’ power, which you can read below.

The key to Jack’s power

Jack Nicklaus is one of the best golfers anywhere in any shot you want to name, although his versatility is sometimes almost forgotten. Ask a fan to describe Nicklaus’ game in one word, and every time that word comes back loud and clear — strength.

This is because no one hits the ball faster than Jack, so he is recognized as the longest hitter in golf today. Although he is a big man, standing 5-feet 11-inches and weighing more than 200 pounds, the secret of Nicklaus’ height lies mainly in his great swing, perfect timing and great power generated in his hips and legs. The study of the Nicklaus swing is really a study of power – but it is also a study of precise action and the optimal use of the body for maximum efficiency.

Jack uses a straight stance and starts his swing with a big roll of the shoulders and hips. When he backs off, he moves his left side out of the way early, at the right time, to release the maximum force from his body.

Coming to the ball, Jack drives his right elbow firmly to his right side, delaying the wrist break until the hands reach hip level. The main source of strength is in the knees, and especially the right knee. His entire lower body – hips, knees and feet – all work together to generate power and a fluid swing, but the knees act as the focal point or coordinator of the swing.

When looking at Nicklaus’s swing, one sees that as the club returns the left knee turns to the right and the right knee becomes an important part of the entire swing. It’s locked into position in the swing, as it should be, and the knee then acts as a metal-to-metal joint where the body rotates.

This stiffness helps build strength and makes it impossible to swing the ball, thus losing power.

Nicklaus’ power is released by pushing off the right foot, which causes the hips, knee and foot to move forward, into and through the swing. The right knee turns directly towards the target after impact and on follow-through, and pushes the whole body with all its strength when the ball is hit.

It’s the Nicklaus technique – with proven success in both distance and accuracy – and it certainly involves more than simple strength.