Alex Elliott
Trying to improve your driving distance can sometimes feel like facing an uphill battle, but it doesn't have to be a slog.
There are many ways that you can achieve this commonly held ambition, such as ensuring a centred strike with driver or regularly completing the 10 best power boosting exercises for golfers, but one of our experts also has some great advice.
Gain Distance With Driver Using My Super Simple Formula
Alex spent a great deal of time learning the game from fellow northwest of England golfer, Andrew Murray, who was a European Tour regular from 1979 to 1995. He spent three years on the European Tour caddying for Andrew’s son, Tom, before taking his PGA qualifications. His passion for the game and personality in front of the camera has helped him to create a thriving social media platform on Instagram and YouTube, where he offers a whole host of tips and advice to help viewers shoot lower scores.
Hitting longer drives is a realistic target for any amateur golfer. Whether you are a senior, a high-handicap golfer or a junior - anyone can find extra distance off the tee with the right guidance.
Making simple adjustments at set-up with driver and a stronger, wider turn in the backswing is something that we can all achieve, but many club golfers fall into the trap of being a little lazy with their approach to hitting tee shots.
As we know, driving distance is king in terms of reducing your handicap, so it is important to factor in these simple tips every time you pull the headcover off your driver.
Hitting longer drives isn't just reserved for the best players in the game... you can do it too!
For more distance off the tee, I’d recommend a stance slightly wider than shoulder width apart, with feet flared so they would point to ten and two on a clock face.
The perfect ball position should be just inside your lead heel and there should be a little shoulder tilt with the lead just slightly higher than the trail. You should also raise the tee height so that half to three-quarters of the golf ball is above the face.
A 50/50 weight distribution creates a solid base from which to hit powerful drives.
Getting the setup right is crucial to boosting driving distance
A great position to get into at the halfway point of the backswing is for your lead shoulder to be around the midpoint of your stance.
This promotes an earlier, more effective chest turn. Another way to think about this key position is that your lead shoulder should be around the middle of your stance by the time your lead arm is parallel to the ground.
This creates a fuller backswing, as wider arcs are more powerful than narrow ones. The hips have rotated nicely, avoiding the common fault of an ‘arms-led’ swing that lacks power.
Follow these simple steps and you'll be hitting longer drives in no time at all.
If you crack the position at halfway in the backswing, the top should look just like this
How Important Is A Centred Strike?
Golf Monthly's Instruction Lead Baz Plummer says:
Crucial - missing the middle of the face is a complete distance killer. Matt Fryer expertly outlines this in the video at the top of the page, but it's so important that amateur golfers work on strike location.
There are a number of ways you can do this, but one of my favourites is the dry shampoo drill. Grab a can and spray the clubface all over. Tee it up and let one rip, then take a look at your clubface to see where the mark left against the dry shampoo is located.
This will give you some instant feedback and help you to understand what a great strike feels like.
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