Most golfers strive to hit the ball further. It can have huge benefits on your scores long term and so it’s worth trying to gain a few extra yards.
There’s a few simple things every golfer can do to up their swing speed and distance. In this article, we discuss different things you can do to up your driving distance for this season.
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Benefits of Driving it Further
Hitting your driver further isn’t just an ego boost it can also really help your score.
The Professional Golf Association have did some research, to prove how much of an impact it can have on golfer’s. Check out this tweet from Jack Wells, a PhD researcher in golf biomechanics and Sport Scientist for the PGA:
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They are crazy savings per round.
Now, I’m not saying you should abandon every other performance aspect and go on a relentless pursuit of power, but there are some simple ways I believe everyone can make gains.
How to Hit Longer Drives
Tee the Ball Higher
Increasing tee height will allow a golfer to strike the ball more on the up, or at least shallow the angle of attack somewhat.
We want to do this as the more we hit down on the ball, generally the lower it will launch and the more it will spin, which is not optimal or maximum distance.
Hitting more up on the ball gives us a better energy transfer from club to ball out of the sweet spot, which means you are getting maximum distance for your club head speed. it allows you to launch the golf ball higher with less spin, which is the most efficient way of producing distance. Teeing the ball higher might also help neutralise your swing path, as if you swing steep and over the top making good contact is very difficult.
Widen the Stance
Widening the stance might seem like a simple tip, but it’s what a wider stance allows us to do that is important.
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One of the key ways to gain speed is to just swing it longer, as the longer the swing the more time the clubhead has to generate speed in the downswing, think John Daly.
It is very hard to have a long swing and remain in balance with a narrow stance, so we must widen it to have a solid base to swing off. Another benefit is that a wider stance tilts our spine away from the target which again shallows the angle of attack.
Put in 100% Effort
Give it everything you’ve got!
The first point in hitting the ball further is to make sure that you’re giving it everything you can each time.
Don’t worry about where the ball is ending up to start with, or even if you’re going to make the perfect contact with the golf ball.
When you’re building speed, you’ll need to get used to that speed through impact first. Start on the range first before transferring those newly learned skills onto the golf course.
Get More Turn
The bigger the body turn the more speed you can generate when hitting your driver. A huge shoulder turn starts with a huge hip turn, so allow your trail leg to straighten and your front knee to bend, and you will be amazed at how much freedom this gives your shoulders.
The more body rotation you get going back, the more time you have to generate momentum in the downswing for long drives.
This can be practiced at home without a ball, in your garden or even inside without a club. Additional mobility work can also help increase your turn.
Play a Draw
This one might be the most difficult one for amateur golfers, as we know that most amateurs play a cut (which can turn into a slice…).
However, trying to work out how to play a tight draw can really add distance to a drive.
Releasing your hands through impact will allow for a greater club speed and help with the draw shape.
Playing a draw helps to reduce cut spin on the golf ball, which adds distance through the air, and can also allow for longer roll-out once the ball has hit the deck.
Hit the gym!
Something like this won’t happen overnight, it will be a gradual process.
If you’re going to be committed to the process of increasing swing speed, ball speed and distance, then hit the gym!
Start lifting weights to improve your overall strength, along with swing speed training.
- RELATED: Top 10 Golf Exercises to Improve Swing Speed & Distance
- RELATED: 8-Step Golf Workout for Seniors: Improve Strength and Mobility
Speed Training
You need to train your body to move quicker than it normally does, so the best way to do this is with over-speed training. Grab an alignment stick or something that is way lighter than your driver, and make some swings swinging as fast as you can. This will be quicker than when you have driver in your hands, so you are training yourself to move faster. This will over time translate into faster swings with your driver.
Also, when practicing dedicate a part of the session to swinging the club as fast as you possibly can.
You can also purchase training aids like the Stack system or super speed sticks which give you workout programs to follow using different weighted clubs, doing different types of swings which will help you hit the ball harder.
Conclusion
Hitting the ball further off the tee is proven to lower a golfer’s score. There is a no age or handicap limit on increasing your swing speed. Above we have given all the different ways to enable you gain those extra yards out on the course. So, give it a go and see much much further you can hit it…
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