There’s one thing that every golfer wants more of… DISTANCE!

Learning how to increase driver distance not only makes you look awesome in front of your playing partners, but it also makes the game a whole lot easier.

There is nothing more rewarding then stepping up to the tee box and knowing that you are going to launch the ball down the middle of the fairway.

Driving the golf ball straight and long is an important skill that every golfer should develop.

Golf is a game of confidence and nothing builds confidence faster than hitting a beautiful draw long and straight down the middle of the fairway.

It leads to shorter approach shots, more greens in regulations, and better golf scores.

Have you ever wondered:

What are the key elements that lead to longer drives?

What is the most effective way to train for speed?

How big of a role does driver technology play with distance improvement?

In this article we are going to answer these important questions and, show you step-by-step how to increase your driving distance.

Let’s dive in!

The Art of the Long Drive

Have you ever watched the World Long Drive Championships?

It is amazing to watch the fastest, most powerful men and women in golf smash the ball amazing distances.

While the vast majority of recreational golfers will never come close to matching these athletes in terms of clubhead speed, there are certain elements of their swing that you can apply directly to your own swing.

Watch any long driver of the golf ball and they will absolutely be doing the following four principles in their setup:

1. Ball Height

As a general rule, the equator of the golf ball should be directly in-line with the top of the clubface at setup. Your primary goal when using a driver is to “hit up” on the golf ball and teeing the ball this height will encourage an upward strike.

2. Wide Stance

The driver is your longest club in the bag and therefore the club you can swing the fastest.

If you are going to be increasing your speed you need to make sure you have the proper golf stance, and a solid base to maintain balance. Too many times amateurs will set up with their feet too narrow which leads to sloppy, unbalanced swings. To ensure your body has a solid base, set up with the outside of your shoulders extended down to the inside of your feet.

3. Forward Ball Position

Many amateurs make the mistake of placing the ball too close to the middle of the stance as if they were preparing to hit an iron shot (see image below).

Many problems occur when the ball position is too close to the center of the stance. Notice how the clubhead has been de-lofted as a result of this improper setup.

In fact, this is one of the most common mistakes amateurs make with their driver. When the ball is placed in the middle of the stance it affects how a player’s shoulders are set at address and changes the path of the club.

Players with a ball position too close to the center will strike down on the ball, the exact opposite of what we are trying to do. A downward strike with a driver puts excess spin on the ball, resulting in a ballooning shot that goes very high but travels a very short distance.

In order to maximize distance, you must strike up on the ball. Place the ball on the inside of the forward foot to help insure your clubhead bottoms out earlier in the swing and you can hit the ball on the upswing (see proper stance below).

4. Spine Angle

At setup your upper body (specifically your spine) should be slightly tilted away from the target.

What does this mean?

This means for the right-handed player, their left shoulder should be slightly higher than their right shoulder at address.

The best drill to feel the correct amount of tilt is to setup and place the grip of the driver at your sternum with the clubhead resting directly between both knees. Tilt away from your target, until the clubhead touches your lead leg. This small amount of movement represents the correct angle to tilt at address.

Use this drill to ensure you are tilting the correct amount as too much tilt will restrict your turn in the backswing. The tilted spine is again important as it puts your body in a powerful position to strike up on the golf ball.

3 Important Factors That Influence Distance

Clubhead speed has a direct correlation to your potential distance off the tee.

If you want to increase your distance off the tee you will need to increase your clubhead speed, however notice how we wrote “potential distance”.

Increasing your clubhead speed is not always the fastest and most effective way to increase distance. For example, if you currently have a 25-yard slice with your driver, increasing your clubhead speed will only increase your slice (learn how to fix a slice here). There are three important elements that we should address before learning how to train for speed. Let’s examine them now:

1. Centeredness of Contact

The easiest way to increase your distance is not by increasing your speed, but rather striking the ball closer to the center of the clubface.

How important is it to hit the center?

Let’s assume a 20-handicapper hits his average drive a modest 200 yards off the tee. Given his handicap, he most likely is striking many shots away from the center of the clubface resulting in an immediate loss of distance.

A one-inch off-center hit translates into an approximate 12% loss of distance.

By consistently learning to hit the ball in the center of the clubface this player could immediately gain 20-25 yards off the tee by changing this one single element.

What’s the best way to strike the ball in the center of the clubface?

Swinging in balance.

Practice a proper driver setup with your feet as wide as your shoulders and take some practice swings while focusing on completing your swing and finishing in a balanced follow through position. Most off-centered golf shots are a result of a loss of posture. If you can swing in balance and hold your finish, you will start to strike the ball closer to the center of the clubface.

2. Angle of Attack

Thanks to launch monitor companies like Trackman, golf professionals now realize the most efficient way to strike a golf ball is by using more loft and having a positive attack angle (hitting up on the ball) at impact.

Justin Thomas, the 2017 PGA Tour Player has one of the highest launch angles with his driver, with an average 14.11 degree of launch at impact. Considering Thomas uses an 9.5 degree driver, this means his is hitting up almost 5 degrees at impact.

So how does this apply to your game?

Simply put, you need to have an upward strike on the ball with your driver in order to maximize distance.

Review the 4 elements of a proper driver setup we discussed earlier one more time. I can’t stress how important this setup position is to create a positive attack angle and more distance off the tee.

3. Face Angle

Delivering the club into impact with a square clubface is also very important.

An open clubface at impact leads to a slice which is the most common problem amateur golfers suffer from.

The best way to control your clubface is to ensure your hands are placed in a powerful position on the club.

While there is no perfect grip in golf, a stronger grip is almost always better than a weaker grip for the average amateur golfer. A stronger grip encourages the proper release of the clubface and will help you increase distance.

Ensure that you can see between 2-3 knuckles of the left hand at address. This puts your left hand (the controller of the release) into a powerful position.

At least two knuckles of the glove hand should be visible at address (red dots), while the lines created by the thumb and forefinger should be parallel and point to the right shoulder.

The Most Efficient Method To Train Speed (& Increase Distance)

Sometimes people classify golf as a boring sport that is “too slow” and non-athletic. If you’ve seen any of the young players of today’s generation, you know golf is anything but slow and boring.

Golfers of this generation are athletes, trained to unleash sudden bursts of power and energy when swinging the driver. These powerful bursts of energy come from the fast twitch muscle fibers in our body that are specifically trained by moving both heavy and lightweight objects in a fast motion.

One of the best exercises you can perform to train your clubhead speed and increase your driver distance is to swing a combination of both heavy and lightweight clubs.

Best Drill To Increase Speed (& Driving Distance)

Begin this exercise by grabbing an alignment stick and swinging it 5 times as fast as you can with your normal stance.

After completing these swings, grab one of your irons and make an additional 5 swings with your normal stance.

Repeat this exercise a total of three times on both sides (right handed and left handed) while focusing on accelerating your club through the impact area and hearing the “swoosh” of the club well past impact.

Swinging an alignment stick is a powerful exercise that trains the fast twitch muscle fibers of the body.

How Does Equipment Effect Your Driving Distance?

Over the last few years golf equipment companies have been criticized for releasing products too often, forcing golfers to upgrade their sets a couple times a year to stay current with the latest technology.

While advancements in the game are always being made by R&D teams, the reality is that a sound golf swing with proper technique will help you improve your distance much faster than upgrading your equipment.

One of the best examples of this is the European Tour golfer, Lee Westwood. A loyal PING ambassador throughout his entire career, Lee Westwood used his PING G10 driver for over 6 straight years. As PING debuted new technology advances with the launch of its G15, G20, and G25 lines of clubs, it wasn’t until PING released its G30 line that Lee finally upgraded his driver. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Lee has always been a premium ball striker and consistently hit his driver over 300 yards. Why would he need to upgrade?

Another example is Henrik Stenson, the 2016 Open Champion. Henrik is famous for using his 3-wood off the tee and in fact prefers it over his driver. Henrik has used his current Callaway 3-wood for over 7 straight years! Once when asked why he doesn’t upgrade his woods, Henrik simply replied, “If you hit your 3-wood 300 yards would you change it?”.

I had the pleasure of spending a week with Henrik Stenson and learned all about serious golf power.

It important to note that we are not discrediting the amazing work equipment companies do each and every year to keep improving.

We are simply stating that you don’t necessarily need to upgrade your equipment to see results. The vast majority of golfers can improve their distance off the tee by improving their swing mechanics and training to improve speed.

Start Increasing Your Driving Distance Today!

Learning to hit the ball farther is a process that involves many different elements.

Our goal with this article is to educate you on some of the most important factors involved (the 4 key elements of a great driver setup for example) and some of the common problems you can immediately fix to improve distance.

Once you have improved your setup and are starting to swing in balance and find the center of the clubface more often, begin training speed and you will start to see some amazing transformations in distance off the tee.

No more excuses.

August Noble

August Noble was first introduced to golf at 7 years old. In 2013 he started seriously working on his game and was able to reduce his handicap from 19 to 3.4 in less than two years. He’s been helping other golfers do the same ever since.

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My non-golfing buddies often joke about our game not being a sport. Their ignorance makes them believe there is no athleticism required, but that could not be further from the ttruth. Golf is hard because it requires a strong mental state, hand-eye coordination, and precise swing mechanics.

All of these factors need to gel for you to produce consistently long and accurate shots. In addition, you should aim correctly and account for the wind to get your golf ball to the target. There is much to think about without inducing anxiety to remain calm during your swing.

1. Grip Pressure

Bobby Jones once stated that “…a correct grip is a fundamental necessity in the golf swing. It might even be said to be the first necessity.” It sounds obvious, but it is true. This is something that amateur golfers often forget.

Your grip needs to offer increased control of your golf clubs to generate optimal power on the downswing and a square clubface through impact. These 2 components deliver long, straight shots for optimal distance and accuracy.

You tend to leave the clubface open at contact when your grip is too weak. This prompts a fade or slice. Conversely, a firm grip causes your bottom hand to close the face at impact, creating a hook or draw-shape.

As a baseball grip guy, I can confidently say that the type of grip you employ is irrelevant. Those are your 10 fingers, Varner, and interlock grips. What matters is the strength of your grip and the level of control you enjoy over your club.

Our guide, titled proper golf grip, gives you 8 simple steps to improve your golf club handling. You can read that for a detailed rundown. However, I will provide the top tip below on how to improve in this area.

Tip on How to Overcome This Challenge:

Fewer Knuckles For A Lighter Grip

Golfers consistently hooking their shots should consider loosening their grip to enable them to control the clubface through impact. This is done, by increasing the number of knuckles visible on your left hand, if you are right-handed.

More Knuckles For A Stronger Grip

Conversely, you need to see at least 2 or more knuckles for a firmer grip. This will help you close the clubface to a square position before impact, unlike a weak grip, which limits your control and prompts the clubface to open through impact.

2. Ball Position

My playing partner is currently struggling with this issue. At one point in his life, he was a 2-handicap, but an accident destroyed his ambition to be a professional golfer.

Regardless, he puts his ball too far forward for iron and fairway shots and excessively behind his back foot on wedge strikes. This causes him to chunk every shot from the tee box to the green. It is an easy fix, but the man is stubborn and takes advice from nobody.

When he sets up for a long iron or fairway wood shot off the deck, the ball is too far forward in his stance. As a result, his golf club sole strikes the fairway or rough at the swing’s lowest point before catching the top of the golf ball. This leads to a bad shot and a couple of throwing clubs around the golf course.

On the contrary, his back ball position in his short game prompts a steep angle of attack, causing the club to bounce off the turf and into the upper part of the golf ball. Sadly, that is the best-case scenario. Sometimes, the club digs into the soil, and it doesn’t make contact at all.

Tip on How to Overcome This Challenge:

Tee Shots

When your ball is teed up, it should sit parallel to the heel of your front foot. The aim is for your swing’s low point to occur before impact so that your clubface catches the ball on your upswing.

Long Iron, Hybrids and Fairway Woods

Long iron, hybrid, and fairway wood deck shots require the ball to be forward in your stance. But, it should sit approximately 2-inches back from the tee shot position. Your mission is to catch the ball at the low point to compress it to produce high ball flight for maximum carry distance.

Mid Irons

Ideally, you should place the golf ball towards the center of your stance for a mid-irons shot. Like a fairway wood strike off the deck, you must catch the ball at the low point of your golf swing.

Wedges

Wedges contain the shortest shafts in your bag. That means you need to move your ball to the center-back position of your stance to enable you to catch the ball cleanly on your downswing to get it up and spinning.

Putter

The way you set up for putts is dependent on your preference. However, I suggest placing the ball in the center of your stance to simplify the alignment process in the beginning.

3. Alignment

Golf is a target sport, and besides worrying about your grip, ball position, and swing mechanics, you have to know how to aim. There are two elements involved here, your feet and clubface. Your clubface should aim at your target while your feet run parallel to that mark.

Alignment is typically the culprit when the average golfer gets everything right in their setup and swing but misses the target.

Tip on How to Overcome This Challenge:

Alignment Aid

We recently compiled a list of the 10 best alignment stick drills you can do. It is a versatile training aid that you can use for multiple facets of your golf game. However, in this instance, you use it to keep your clubface on target.

Place an alignment road down, and point to your target. Next, place your ball 2-inches behind the rod, and address the ball. Your clubface aims at the target, and you are ready to strike the golf ball. The more you use this tool, the easier it becomes to achieve a precise aim.

4. Swing Mechanics

If you were not convinced that golf is a difficult sport after the first 3 points, prepare to be humbled. You seek to achieve 2 core objectives with your swing. The first is to optimize your clubhead speed to impart on the ball at impact, leading to maximum distance in your long game.

Secondly, your job is to get the clubface square at impact. And none of this is possible if you do not produce ample hip and shoulder rotation. That reduces your power and restricts your ability to get the clubface into the desired position for impact.

You can achieve an accurate long shot whenever you combine optimal rotation with a smooth rhythm and tempo. The orchestra of muscles activating and bones rotating accelerates your swing speed and prompts you to square your clubface through impact.

If your tempo and rhythm are off, you can produce catastrophic results, such as sending your ball out of bounds.

Besides tempo and rhythm, you need to focus on your swing path. If you swing along an outside line on your backswing, you generally swing inside on the way through. This line prompts fade or slice sidespin and causes your clubface to remain open at contact.

Conversely, an inside-out golf swing encourages a closed clubface through impact and creates draw or hook sidespin.

Tip on How to Overcome This Challenge:

Short and Slow

I resort to short and slow whenever my swing mechanics are a mess. That means I shorten my backswing, between ½ and ¾ length, and slow my clubhead speed down. Sure I lose a couple of yards with each club, but it improves the consistency of my fairways in regulation record.

5. Suitable Equipment

Winston Churchill famously quipped, “golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.” Fortunately, the equipment has advanced significantly since the late Prime Minister navigated the links.

ESPN ranks golf as the 51st hardest sport, which I utterly disagree with. But, personal opinions aside, the game is impossible when using inappropriate equipment.

If your clubs possess lofts that are too strong for your swing speed or shafts that are too stiff, you are on a hiding to nothing. These clubs will promote a low-flying golf ball, which costs you carry distance.

Conversely, weak lofted clubs with flexible shafts are a nightmare for faster swingers. This construction can cause you to generate excess backspin and sky your shots. As a result, you have less forward momentum, flight, and total distance.

Do not purchase clubs for the sake of it. Ensure that they match your needs and will help you card fewer bogeys and the odd birdie.

Tip on How to Overcome This Challenge:

Get Fitted

Golfers unsure of their idea specifications should consider getting fitted for the correct clubs. This helps you understand what works for you and why making it easier to find your equipment in the future.

6. Course Management

An area where most casual golfers fail is course management. As Kenny Rogers said, “you gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” The same rings true on the golf course.

Be smart and pick your battles. In the event that the hole is tight and leaves no margin for error, you should play it safe. On these holes, you know to hit a long iron from the tees instead of a driver. In addition, you cannot attack every par 5 green in 2. Sometimes, you should lay up to avoid the sand or a water hazard.

Furthermore, play for position on doglegs. Pick the side of the fairway that gives you the clearest line to your target. A simple slip up to the wrong side of the fairway can rule out a green in regulation.

Finally, if your options are limited, do not try and pull off a miracle shot. Simply execute a routing chip shot to get back onto the short grass.

Tip on How to Overcome This Challenge:

Use Common Sense

Play smart, and pick the right moment to attack the flag. In addition, play to the safest side of the fairway to set yourself up for an easy approach shot. Be patient and earn the right to card a birdie. When the shot is not on, do not go for it and ruin your round of golf.

7. No Golf Lessons

Far too many casual golfers have never had a golf lesson and complain that they struggle to play the game. PGA tour players work consistently with their coaches to master every aspect of their game, from drives to bunker shots and putts.

An instructor sets you on the straight and narrow by correcting the basics in your game. They teach you the fundamentals to victoriously navigate from the tee box to the green. Without lessons, you traverse the grassy terrain of a golf course ill-equipped with the knowledge to successfully play golf.

Only if your finances permit and you are serious about improving your swing, book a weekly lesson with your instructor. This ensures continuity to consistently reduce your net score. Those without the budget should book at least 5-lessons in to cover the basics.

Tip on How to Overcome This Challenge:

Take Lessons

The solution to this problem is simple. Call up your local teaching professional and book a lesson with them. This may be a costly endeavor, but it is an investment in your golf game and will pay off as you shed strokes from your game. If your budget is tight, start saving up and follow our in-depth tips and drills to lower your handicap.

Related Reading: If you are reading this, you are likely questioning your motivation for taking up the game. Relax, and read our steps to help you avoid asking questions such as why I suck at golf.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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