PHOTO PROVIDED Push the hands away on the backswing.

Push the club away from the body on the backswing. Extending the arms out when taking the club back creates a straighter ball flight and more distance.

Stretching the arms out on the takeaway will induce a higher trajectory and increase distance. Pulling the hands in on the backswing is also the leading cause for pulling the ball to the left or the right for the lefthand golfer.

Address the ball with the arms hanging from the shoulders but push the club away from the body on the takeaway, creating a big arc. The club should go back on a straight or outside path and return on a more inside-out path, due to the right hip moving out of the way on the downswing, the left hip for the lefthand golfer. Pushing the club out on the backswing will feel different at first, but the results are excellent.

Don’t forget to enjoy this great game called golf.

Rick Musselman, a golf author and professional, Founder of Musselman’s Golf in Williamsport.