Jessica Marksbury
September 12, 2021
Brooke Henderson knows a thing or two about bombing bombs.
Getty Images
Ten-time LPGA Tour winner and Major Champion Brooke Henderson has bombarded her since childhood – a talent she attributes to her father’s willingness to let her enjoy herself on the pitch without worrying too much about tech .
“I’ve had the same momentum since I was around three years old,” Henderson said in a recent interview on behalf of her shoe sponsor Skechers. “My father is my coach and I just enjoyed the game. He just let me do whatever and go far. I really appreciate the fact that as an adult I can just swing freely and have fun with it. “
What it’s like to get a virtual lesson from your golf idol
Jessica Marksbury
Since childhood, Henderson has become one of the longest bombers in women’s games, an average of 275 yards from the tee and an impressive 72 percent of the time hitting the fairway.
And when it comes to hitting both long and straight, Henderson has some simple but effective advice for recreational players.
“I love beating drivers,” she said. “It’s my favorite club in my pocket. It’s just so exciting when I can just kick to a tee and take it as hard as I can. When I was growing up, I always chased my older sister. She’s six years older, so she’s always been a lot more talented and done a lot further than me, but I’ve always tried to keep up and catch up with her. So I always tried to swing out of my shoes and get out as far as possible.
“I think recreational players are often swinging at full speed,” continued Henderson. “Maybe they have to take it back a bit and just swing it 90 percent. Because it should help with accuracy. It’s funny, sometimes, if you swing a little less, it goes as far or even further. “
To add more pop to your swing, get a driver fitting from the experts at 8AM Golf partner True Spec Golf.
As a four-year-old member of the first class of college female golfers in Columbia, Jessica can trump anyone on the masthead. She can also leave them behind in the office, where she is mainly responsible for the production of print and online features and oversees large special projects, such as GOLF’s first Style Issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview series “A Round With” debuted in November 2015 and appeared in both magazine and video on GOLF.com.