Drive It Longer
What golfer doesn’t want to hit longer off the tee?
If I were starting my son or daughter in golf today, I would let them just rip it first and learn the finer points later. The bomb and gouge approach as it it’s called. So, where does that leave more mature golfers that really need a few more yards? We have a fix for you that can really add 10 or more yards to your tee shots.
First, it is very important to hit the ball squarely on the club face. Once you can make consistent contact, the secret is your angle of attack. Given three golfers of equal swing speed who have descending, flat, and ascending angles of attack (even 5%) at impact, the resulting driving distance will vary greatly. Hitting down on the ball by 5% with a 90 MPH swing could cost you 30 yards. A golfer with the same swing speed at a flat or 0% angle needs more club loft to achieve an optimal launch angle. Hitting up on the ball by 4-6% will produce an optimal launch with less spin. Less back spin will produce more roll and the optimal launch angle will maximize carry.
Now, the key is how to achieve this. Here are four steps for you to work on this spring which will increase your average driving distance.
1. With today’s large driver heads, you need to tee the ball higher so that about half the ball is above the grounded club face and address the ball forward in your stance to promote an ascending hit at point of impact. Take a few practice swings and note where your swing bottoms out, and then tee your ball about 3 inches forward of that point. This will most likely place your ball between the instep and toe of your leading foot. A lot happens when you do this. Your trailing shoulder will naturally be a little lower. Your hands will fall over the thigh of your leading leg and your body is in more of a stack and tilt position. All good things for distance and consistency.
2. A cardinal rule is to keep the club shaft at 45 degrees. Virtually all professionals test out between 45 and 47 degrees from set up through impact. Staying on that swing plane maximizes your efficiency to optimize swing speed. For most normal human builds, that means the butt end of your driver will point to your belt buckle at address. The hard part for most amateurs is keeping on that plane as your upper body unwinds. Practice with a PVC circular swing trainer can really help.
3. Take your new swing to the range. Yes, practice the above and note where the club face contacts the ball by either using swing tape or an erasable marker on the center of the back of the ball. Ideal contact is about 1/3 of the club face below the the top edge of your over-sized driver.
4. After improving your distance and consistency by practicing the above, you can buy a better game and squeeze out a few more yards. Get fit for the proper driver with the right shaft length, flex and loft for you. The pros have a huge advantage here with the equipment manufacturers catering to their game. It’s pricey, but you can get a similar fitting from most of the name manufacturers. Club fitting is touted at many local golf shops. Just make sure that the professional has the proper training in club fitting and is not primarily interested in selling you new clubs.
When you’re ready for new equipment, please visit our affiliate Austad’s by clicking the banner below.
