10 Ways To Hit The Ball Further - We identify 10 quick and simple ways to hit the ball further without going near a gym or having a lesson
10 Ways To Hit The Ball Further
In today’s fast-paced, frantic society time has never been more precious. We haven’t got time to go out and do the grocery shopping (or any shopping for that matter) or redecorate that room like we’ve said needs doing for the last five years, which means for damn sure that we haven’t got the time to embark on a three-month strength and conditioning program, a no-carbs diet or a series of long game lessons to try and improve our golf game.
What you really want is that quick tip, that lightbulb moment that unlocks 10 extra yards without a drop of sweat beading from your brow. And you need them fast, because the season is upon you and you’re fed up being out-driven off every tee.
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Well we feel your pain, and so have compiled this list of ten realistic ways you can hit the ball further this weekend. They won’t all work for you, but hopefully two or three will be enough to add some yards to your shots and put a spring in your step.
1. Tee the ball higher
You won’t catch World Long Drive Champion Joe Miller pushing his tee peg deep into the ground any time soon as he relies on a high tee height to encourage a more upward hit on the ball.
Doing this not only increases the ball’s launch angle through additional dynamic loft but it also reduces backspin and may even encourage you to attack the ball more from the inside, all of which are key ingredients for more generating more distance.
Related: A quick tip on how to hit the ball further
2. Get fitted on a launch monitor
Many golfers have yet to hit a single shot in a reputable launch monitor. If this is you, you’re missing out on an eye-opening experience every golfer who wants to hit it past their mates needs to go through.
A launch monitor, like the recenlty launched Foresight Sports GCQuad, will quantify your launch characteristics – so things like attack angle, ball speed, launch angle etc will be given a numerical value and your pro can tell you if they’re good or bad and suggest technical or equipment-related tweaks to improve them.
Related: How to get the most from a custom fitting
3. Increase your loft
Generally speaking, the correct driver loft increases as swing speed decreases – it’s about balancing speed, backspin and launch angle to keep the ball in the air for as long as possible. Dustin Johnson’s swing speed is 124mph and he uses an 11° driver. Food for thought?
Loft is your friend, not your foe and the days of 7° drivers are over. Most amateur golfers would generally benefit from a driver with 12° of loft or more.
Related: What loft of driver should I use?
4. Change your ball
While premium golf balls provide the best all-round performance and feel package, if it’s out-and-out distance you’re after then switching down to a lower compression golf ball or one with a bigger core, like the Titleist Velocity, should provide you with extra yardage, plus you’ll save a few pounds too.
Related: How to choose the best ball for your game
5. Invest in new irons
The manufacturers won’t want to admit it, but the lofts of game improvement and super game improvement irons are getting stronger every year. This is mostly down to the lower centre of gravity positioning that has been implemented to get the ball up in the air quicker than ever before, so sadly your 7-iron is barely keeping up with today’s 8-iron. A new set will likely mean you’ll be hitting shorter irons into greens and will put you on the right path towards lower scores.
Related: The 11 best game-improvement irons of 2017
6. Choose a straighter club off the tee
Foresight Sports GC2 launch monitor simulator program found that shots that land on the fairway roll three times as far as those that land in the rough. That’s 18 yards of extra roll out for an average driver swing speed.
So if you struggle to find the short grass with your driver, switching to your more accurate fairway wood might just be the secret to unlocking longer tee shots. We especially like the TaylorMade M1 and Cobra King F7 (pictured) models in 2017.
7. Wear the right shoes
Not only is having the correct size of shoe important for power but so is having the right type of golf shoe. Via it’s Performance Fitting System, FootJoy has proven that the correct style of shoe – be it structured or mobile, can achieve 3-4 mph more clubhead speed on average, equating to about 10 yards. In fact, 98 per cent of tour players achieved more distance with the shoe the system recommended for them.
Related: A 12-handicapper does a FootJoy Performance Shoe Fitting
8. Find a lower-spinning driver
Backspin is forever referred to as the distance killer and while we all need some of it in our lives, a little less is likely to add a few extra yards off the tee. The higher your swing speed, the less backspin you need with your driver (providing the launch angle is high enough) and you’re likely to experience the biggest drop by switching to a low spin driver.
At 108mph clubhead speed, on the new TaylorMade M1 we found sliding the weight from the back setting to the front (low spin) setting reduced spin by over 500rpm and increased carry distance by six yards.
Related: TaylorMade M1 driver review
9. Bin off your old worn grips
Worn out grips cause a golfer to hold the club tighter, which restricts the length of your swing and reduces speed and control. A Golf Pride study found that swing speeds improved by more than two miles an hour when a player replaced an old grip with a new version of the same grip. So come on people, get a grip! Or 14 of them to be precise...
10. Fix your club path
What if we told you that you can swing the club with the same speed and hit the ball 20 yards further? All you need to do is change the way you deliver said club. By altering your delivery from steep and out-to-in (fade) to shallow and in-to-out (draw), you have the potential to add some serious distance to your game with the same amount of effort.
Related: How to hit a draw shot
