Admit it. Whether you’re new to the game, on Tour, or in your 90’s and refusing to walk away, you want to hit the long ball. We all do. That’s why clubheads grew to the size of cantaloupes in the 90s and balls moved to solid core.
So how can you get a few extra yards out of your driver without taking a slow stroll through the woods or lake?
(SIDE NOTE: We make apparel and fun golf stuff. Why should you trust us with golf advice? Well, we’ve summed up a nifty article on length from Golf.com. This is gold.)
Let’s take a look at 5 tips.
1. Increase your backswing speed.
This one may make you nervous. We tend to back up slowly to keep our form perfect. Forget that! An intense backswing leads to a bigger hip and shoulder turn. This lengthens the swing and helps you gather more speed for the downswing.
2. Stay back longer during downswing.
Keep your trail shoulder back longer during the downswing. Speed up the arms, wrists, and club through impact. The torso alone will only give you so much distance. Tap into the firepower from your arms and wrists. This will also help you keep your head behind the ball until impact increasing air and reducing spin.
3. Tilt before launch.
An easy way to increase distance on the tee box is to make sure the ball is forward in your stance, and in line with the inside of your lead foot. When you do this, your shoulders should tilt back and away from the target. Your lead shoulder should be higher than your trail shoulder. This leads to a correct swing path and your club face will stinking launch the golf ball. (Our words, not theirs.)
4. Practice harder swings.
This may seem like a no brainer, and in fact, it kind of is. But a faster clubhead will mean greater distance. Keep your mechanics the same. Just swing harder. With continued practice, you’ll find you’re hitting the ball as straight as before, but the ball should bounce well beyond where you were landing.
5. Get your wrists involved.
Let your wrists move. With the right grip, the club is in your fingers in such a way that you can twist your wrists at swing time. Believe it or not, this can dramatically increase your clubhead speed and distance. It’s been found to help big time with kids, women, and seniors who may not have Bryson DeChambeau strength.
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Obviously, the key to all this is hidden there in step 4. It’s practice. Oh joy! But while you’re out on the range working through a bucket or two, practice these 5 principles and get ready to show off on the tee box! (Of course, if you really want to show off on the tee box, go with a Fairway Monkey polo and cap.)