There are not many better feelings in golf, than hitting a long, sweet drive down the centre of the fairway. However, there is more to hitting a long, accurate drive, than simply swinging the driver as hard as possible. To maximize distance off the tee, it’s all about club head speed.
Club head speed is probably the most difficult thing to increase in golf but it’s certainly not impossible. Yes, strength and flexibility play a part in generating good club head speed and these are things which can be improved in the gym, just ask Rory McIlroy. However, there also ways to increase your club head speed without improving strength or flexibility and this involves hitting drives high, with less backspin.
When attempting to hit the ball higher, do not be tempted to flick the wrists, as a way of generating extra height on the ball. This will add loft to the ball but it will also add unwanted backspin and this will actually decrease the length of your drive.
To increase height off the tee, without adding backspin, firstly tee up the ball, opposite the instep of your left foot. On backswing, your left shoulder should be over your right instep, with weight transferred to the right leg.
During the downswing and on approach to the ball, you should feel like you are leaning the shaft of the driver towards the target, while swinging it upward. During the swing, it’s important to keep the muscles relaxed, as tense muscles will only serve to hinder the swing and make it less fluid.
In terms of keeping the ball straight, the arms need to keep in a triangle shape, as they are at set-up, until the driver gets to the top of the swing. An issue many beginners have when attempting to drive the ball longer, is commencing the downswing, before the backswing has been completed. This is usually as a result of trying to swing the driver too hard. So, if you are following all the tips but still not driving the ball any further, why not ask someone to record you at the driving range and check you are always finishing your backswing, before commencing the downswing.
If you commence the downswing too soon, your shoulders will be open at impact and this will result in a short drive and most probably, a slice to the right. Therefore, if you are driving the ball short, it is worth checking you are completing your backswing fully.
