Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, John Daly, Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Ian Woosnam, early Rory McIlroy, early Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, and Scottie Scheffler all have something in common—they share the same intentional, chronological sequencing of power creation and acceleration. While they may look different, they rely on the same fundamental inner mechanics for generating power and speed. They share their relationship to power.

In this article, I’ll explore the different ways golfers produce power today and explain why the FMM way—the old-school style—represents a completely different relationship to power compared to most modern protocols.

For reader context: this article is a part of the Forgotten Master Moves Swing Page (my system for teaching the great’s core movements). I recommend that you start here instead.

Creating Power without Definition

Most golfers have no clear, conscious understanding of how they produce power. Instead, they simply react to the task they’ve subconsciously set for themselves.

It typically goes like this (and I don’t mean to sound insulting): The ball is there → I hit the ball → this results in a short downswing arc and excessive grip pressure → which leads to a very open clubface just before impact → ultimately leading to two common outcomes:

1. The golfer figures out forearm rotation and develops a chaotically closing clubface, becoming a two-way miss player (about 10% of golfers).
2. The golfer compensates with an over-the-top swing, as the instinctive response to a ball veering right is to swing left (about 85% of golfers).

Relationship to Power – Using an Ax

As you start digging deeper and talking to others, you’ll eventually come across abstract yet digestible concepts for generating power. One of these is the idea of axing the golf swing. This concept provides much-needed clarity and is an extremely effective way to produce power. It involves creating lag between the hands and the club path, then releasing the stored energy at a precise moment—before, at, or after impact.

If my sole purpose as a teacher were to get golfers down to an 8–10 handicap (or even lower), this would be the only thing I’d teach. It’s simple, powerful, and easy to grasp.

So, what’s my issue with it? It relies on a single, punctual event—once you’ve axed the swing, it’s essentially over. This isn’t how the old-timers swung. They utilized the entire swing arc to generate power.

Relationship to Power – Using a Whip

Another abstract concept is cracking a whip after the ball. To make this work, you must close the clubface early in the downswing and then peak the intentional power output way past the impact zone. This extends the arms away from the body.

This method is even more powerful in terms of raw speed because the whip action can be combined with aggressive body rotation, introducing a sling effect into the motion.

I experimented with this extensively and was able to break scratch using it. The problem? The arm extension away from the body exposing physical weakness and induced injury. Additionally, the process of closing the clubface during the long transition phase (P4–P5.5 for the swing nerds) is incredibly difficult to execute mentally. And like the axing motion, once the whip is cracked, the swing is effectively over.

Relationship to Power – Forearm Rotation

Another way to generate power—while also achieving a more consistent strike—is by mastering forearm rotation. Unlike other methods, this is a less intuitive concept that must be drilled into muscle memory to be effective.

The tire-smashing drill from the mid-1900s, popularized by English coaches like Henry Cotton, trained golfers to square the clubface using their hands and forearms. This was necessary because, at some point in the swing, the blade naturally opens in relation to the path. More recently, the Advanced Ball Striking methodology (developed by John Erickson and taught by Bradley Hughes) utilize this concept together with interesting ground force building drills.

So how does forearm rotation actually produce power? The enforced rotation amplifies the centrifugal force in the shaft, while its centripetal counterpart is built into the tire-smashing motion.

Most golfers who train this way are either low single-digit handicaps or trending in that direction. It’s a proven and effective system. However, in my opinion, it’s not what the old-timers did. My main issue with it—though it’s really just a matter of preference—is that it prioritizes control over raw power.

Relationship to Power – The Sling

My belief is that the modern “baseball-style” sling shot swing has gained popularity because of the idea that you shouldn’t “flip the golf club.” This technique introduces a different method of power generation compared to what we’ve discussed above.

The focus here is on creating separation between the arms and the body, which generates a “sling” effect. Technically, this means delaying the arms, hands, and club—while the body is aggressively opening up. This causes a stretch in your muscles, which stores potential energy, and when timed correctly, you release it into a square face at impact.

It’s a great technique if you know how to do it—and players with a baseball background tend to excel at this, as they’re used to generating this kind of power. But from my experience, few golfers have the natural ability to execute this properly.

Therefore, if you decide to pursue the baseball-style sling shot swing, it’s crucial to emphasize professional guidance. Coaches like George Gankas or Milo Lines are excellent examples of experts who can provide the necessary structure and support to ensure you’re executing this technique properly. They can help you develop the required body strength, flexibility, and coordination to safely perform the swing while minimizing the risk of injury. Without this guidance, the risk of developing poor habits or over-stressing certain body parts becomes much higher.

Creating Power with the Swing Arc –  The FMM Relationship to Power

You’ve probably seen me quote Ben Hogan: “Do the complete opposite of what you think, and you probably have a great golf swing.” This idea fits perfectly with everything we’ve discussed.

The old-timers had a fundamentally different approach to power. They generated speed early in the downswing arc and then used that momentum to accelerate, lead, and control the swing through the entire arc. This is a stark contrast to methods like axing the ball, where the power event is singular and abrupt.

Think about Arnold Palmer’s helicopter finish. He wasn’t trying to force a fade—it was a natural byproduct of the immense input power he generated early in the downswing. That energy had to go somewhere, forming an additional swing arc beyond his normal finish.

Once you grasp this power dynamic, you’ll see how it encourages a more synchronized body movement. I’ve often noted that the chest rotation of old-timers surpasses that of most modern pros—except for rare examples like Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, and Ludvig Åberg. This early power creation is why.

At its core, this method has two key elements:

1. Generate power early.
2. Accelerate, lead, and control that power.

The mind trick? It looks like these players generate power late. But that’s just an illusion—observations often miss the underlying intent.

Some players emphasize different aspects of this approach:

• Arnold Palmer pushed acceleration beyond the finish, making his motion look extreme.
• Ben Hogan & Sam Snead had a more harmonized, balanced application of power.
• Ernie Els let gravity create massive early power, then simply led it, earning the nickname The Big Easy.
• Fred Couples accelerated power in an effortless, fluid way.
• John Daly created power earlier than anyone with his massive backswing, then carried acceleration well past impact—while still appearing relaxed. Modern equivalent? Jake Knapp.

The takeaway? Initiating power earlier provides huge benefits—not just physically, but also mentally and in terms of consistency. It’s a simpler, more efficient way to generate speed while staying in control.

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