The Gary Woodland driver distance stats are never far away from the top – last year the 2019 US Open champion ranked 7th with an average drive of 313.5 yards.
For years he was known as one of the big bombers who struggled the nearer he got to the green. These days, as we witnessed at Pebble Beach, things are very different.
Four years ago at the Open at St Andrews Woodland was part of an Under Armour get-together where the whole buzz centred around Jordan Spieth’s possible Grand Slam.
There was also some time with the players who also included Hunter Mahan, Bernd Wiesberger and Matt Fitzpatrick so what better to ask than Woodland how to truly get the most out of the driver.
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Gary Woodland driver distance: How he bombs it
“When I grew up we would go to the range and try and hit it as far as possible. All my power is going forward. I have thrown all the energy I have into the ball and not wasted anything.
“I am lucky in that I have a lot of balance which enables me to keep my speed. At impact here I have got my hands in a great position, my right elbow is bent which allows me to create a lot of speed and power. I am also very flexible. A full hip release plus a good position of the right arm equals power.
“After impact my feet are off the ground and my hips have released fully. But what I really focus on is getting the ball on to that sweet spot, you will never hit your best drive unless you find this.
“If I’m looking to really get hold of one I widen my stance and move the right foot back. That gives me more speed, I try to be very deliberate going back as I don’t want to lose any energy. But once I make that transition I want to throw all that energy into the ball.”
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Gary Woodland driver distance: What he uses
Ping G410 (9° set to 7°, Accra RPG 475 M5+ shaft)
See Woodland’s full WITB for more or read all about his win at Pebble Beach on our dedicated US Open website.
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