John Jacobs
I like a decent workout as much as the next person, when I have the time, but if you offered me the chance to gain 10 yards off the tee without doing hours of strength workouts... I'd snap your hand off.
More speed and power is one way to do it, but you still need a centred strike with your driver to have any hope of nudging up your yardage.
As luck would have it, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach John Jacobs has provided us with the chance to hit longer tee shots without the pain of millions of push ups and endless squats.
As a PGA professional with more than 30 years experience in the industry, who has coached elite professionals and Major Champions like Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick, John is the perfect person to help us find those precious extra yards.
In fact, by trying his 3 simple tips, I am confident you can hit your longest ever drives during the 2025 golf season...
3 Simple Tips To Gain 10 Yards Off The Tee In Golf
John has been Head Professional at Cumberwell Park in Wiltshire since it opened in 1994. He gets as much pleasure teaching beginners as he does county players, although being Wiltshire's Head Coach, Boys Coach and Girls Coach means he's always in demand. He also works with England Golf, and was England Coach Of The Year in 2020. He's had the pleasure of working with many top players over the years, and has fond memories coaching the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Tom Lewis before they made the leap into professional golf. John specialises in swing analysis and short game development.
These might sound like simple tips to implement into your game, but simple is exactly what we need.
The more effort-laden process would require regular participation in the best golf exercises, which is also a great plan for those looking to build strength and power, but in this piece we want to provide something every golfer can implement in minutes.
Gaining 10 yards could be the difference between having a makeable shot into the green or not having enough to reach, so the boost could be game-changing for your scorecard.
Try these minor adjustments on the tee box to give yourself the best chance of flushing your driver, I'm sure you will wish you had tried this sooner.
Golf Monthly editor and single-figure handicapper Neil Tappin demonstrates the ideal setup for finding extra yards with driver
1. Tee The Ball Up Higher
Tee the ball up a little bit higher, get it a touch further forward in your stance and then really get it into your mind that you’re going to be hitting up into the ball a little bit more.
2. Setup
Set up a fraction more behind the ball by tilting your spine and leaning your sternum away from the target a bit. Then try and follow the line of your shoulders through impact.
3. Stance Width
I would recommend setting your stance a little wider than normal, thinking ‘width’ and focusing on more rotation. When you turn, try to feel as though your back is facing the target at the top.
Increasing tee height slightly can help to promote more distance off the tee with driver
What is the average driving distance for amateurs?
According to the latest 2025 Shot Scope data, the average amateur drives the golf ball around 245 yards. However, if you look at the average driving distance of a scratch golfer (285 yards) in comparison to a 25-handicapper (204 yards) there is quite a significant gulf.
If you increase your driving distance, the data suggests you have a much better chance of shooting lower scores and reducing your handicap index.
What are the best golf exercises for power?
If you want to go down the training route to improve the power in your golf swing, and ultimately find those precious extra yards, then these golf speed training exercises are exactly what you need.
In the link above, Golf Fitness expert Jamie Greaves provides detailed breakdowns and instructional videos to help you build strength and power, but here is a sneak peek.
Using a medicine ball you can improve your explosive power with just a few simple exercises, including the med ball slam.
To do this, take a medicine ball and raise it above your head. Ensure you have an appropriate surface below you, like a gym mat or a grassed area outside, then slam the medicine ball down into the ground.
Pick the medicine ball up and repeat ten times. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat this process three times.
This will help to build strength in your lat muscles, which are crucial for developing power in the golf swing.
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