10 Ways To Put More Distance In Your Drives

They say getting more distance is the easy part of golf. And yet, millions of amateur golfers are plagued by short shots. 

Does that mean you are a bad golfer? Not at all. Heck, the fact that you are here means that you have a vested interest in learning and improving your skills.

That’s a gold star in our book.

That’s why today we’re going to take a look at some ways to get more distance, by addressing some possible errors you may be making without even realizing it. 

We also recommend you read up on our previous blog The Ultimate Guide To Driving The Ball Like A Pro to accompany this one. 

Let’s get right into it.

Find The Right Driver 

The choice of driver can significantly impact the distance achieved on your drives, making it crucial to select the right one tailored to your specific needs and playing style. A well-suited driver can optimize launch conditions, maximize club head speed, and improve overall performance, ultimately leading to greater drive distances on the golf course.

Various factors should be considered when choosing the right driver, including loft, clubhead design, and shaft flex. The loft of a driver refers to the angle of the clubface, which influences the launch angle and spin rate of the ball. Golfers with slower swing speeds may benefit from higher lofted drivers, as they can generate more lift and carry for increased distance. Conversely, players with faster swing speeds often achieve greater distance with lower lofted drivers, as they can reduce excessive spin and optimize launch conditions.

Clubhead design also plays a vital role in distance potential. Modern driver technology offers various features, such as adjustable weighting, aerodynamic shaping, and low center of gravity designs, that can influence ball flight and forgiveness. By selecting a driver with a clubhead design suited to your swing characteristics, you can increase your chances of consistently striking the ball with the optimal impact conditions for maximum distance.

Lastly, shaft flex is a critical factor in achieving optimal distance. The right shaft flex can help synchronize your swing and clubhead release, ensuring maximum clubhead speed at impact. A shaft that is too stiff may result in reduced swing speed and distance, while a shaft that is too flexible can lead to inconsistent ball striking and a loss of control.

Use Foundation

The fact of the matter is that your body has a time-finite amount of fuel, per se. By fuel, we are referring to ATP; the body’s energy currency. 

Although absolutely necessary for helping you generate maximum power output during your drive, it depletes quickly and can leave you feeling less than stellar in subsequent holes.

Foundation, our offering that contains creatine and Peak ATP, can speed up the regeneration of this precious energy currency to help you get the maximum distance, hole after hole.

Plus, it positively translates to increases in general strength and power output, helpful while working out to make your muscles even more capable.

Fix Your Grip Pressure

The grip pressure you use when holding your golf club can have a significant impact on the distance achieved from your drives. Finding the optimal grip pressure is essential for generating maximum clubhead speed, maintaining control, and ensuring consistent contact with the ball. Both too-firm and too-light grip pressures can negatively affect your performance, ultimately reducing the distance of your drives.

When gripping the club too tightly, you create excessive tension in your hands, wrists, forearms, and shoulders. This tension restricts the natural flow of your swing, limiting your range of motion and preventing your wrists from releasing efficiently during the downswing. 

As a result, your clubhead speed is reduced, leading to a decrease in ball speed and, consequently, drive distance. Additionally, an overly firm grip can hinder your ability to square the clubface at impact, affecting your accuracy and control.

Conversely, holding the club too loosely can also be detrimental to your performance. A grip that is too light may cause the club to slip or twist in your hands during the swing, making it difficult to maintain control and achieve consistent contact with the ball. Inconsistent contact often results in off-center strikes, which can significantly reduce the distance and accuracy of your drives.

The optimal grip pressure is one that allows you to maintain control of the club without creating unnecessary tension. Many golf instructors suggest holding the club with a pressure similar to holding a bird: firm enough to prevent it from escaping but gentle enough not to harm it. By adopting this balanced grip pressure, you can optimize your swing mechanics, generate greater clubhead speed, and ultimately achieve increased drive distance.

Increase Swing Speed

Increasing swing speed is one of the most common recommendations for improving distance. But how does this work, and what can you do to achieve it?

The relationship between swing speed and distance is primarily based on the basic physics of motion. When you increase your swing speed, you're increasing the kinetic energy that's transferred from your club to the ball at impact. 

The faster the clubhead is moving, the more energy is transferred, which translates into greater ball speed. Greater ball speed, in turn, leads to more distance, as the ball will travel farther through the air before it lands.

There are several things you can focus on to help increase your swing speed. First, work on strengthening the muscles that are used during your golf swing, particularly your core, hips, and shoulders. By building power in these areas, you'll be able to generate more force as you swing, resulting in higher swing speeds.

Work On Your Fitness

Improving your overall fitness is essential for maximizing your golf performance, including increasing your drive distance. Being physically fit not only enables you to generate more power and clubhead speed but also helps to improve your swing mechanics, endurance, and mental focus.

Unfit players may struggle to play to the best of their abilities, as physical limitations can hinder their performance on the course.

Strength and conditioning play a significant role in achieving greater distance in golf. By building strength in the muscles involved in your golf swing, such as the core, hips, and shoulders, you can generate more force and power, ultimately leading to increased clubhead speed and distance. 

Flexibility and mobility are equally important components of golf fitness. Greater flexibility allows for a fuller range of motion in your swing, enabling you to generate more clubhead speed and achieve better contact with the ball. Regular stretching and mobility exercises can help to improve your flexibility, as well as reduce the risk of injury.

But let’s not forget that endurance and stamina also play a vital role in golf performance. A round of golf can be physically demanding, requiring you to walk several miles and maintain focus throughout the game. 

By improving your cardiovascular fitness through regular aerobic exercise, you can enhance your endurance and maintain a high level of play throughout your round.

Incorporate Explosive Movements In Your Workouts

We opted to list this separately from general fitness training because it’s not something most casual golfers tend to practice or partake in.

Done correctly, it can take the distance you achieve to the next level.

Incorporating explosive plyometric exercises into your fitness routine can significantly contribute to improving your drive distance on the golf course. Plyometrics are high-intensity, dynamic exercises that focus on rapid muscle stretching and contracting, developing power, strength, and speed. 

This type of training can enhance your golf performance by improving your ability to generate explosive force in your swing, leading to increased clubhead speed and, ultimately, greater distance.

Plyometric exercises can target various muscle groups, including the legs, hips, and core, which are essential for generating power in your golf swing. By building strength and explosiveness in these areas, you can effectively transfer energy from your body to the clubhead, resulting in higher swing speeds and increased distance. Examples of plyometric exercises that can benefit your golf game include box jumps, squat jumps, medicine ball throws, plyo push-ups, and lateral bounds.

In addition to developing sheer power, plyometrics also improve your overall body control, coordination, and balance. These aspects are crucial for maintaining proper swing mechanics and ensuring consistent, solid contact with the ball. Improved body control can lead to better accuracy and precision in your shots, complementing the increased distance achieved through greater clubhead speed.

Master Your Weight Transfer

Weight transfer plays a pivotal role in maximizing drive distance in golf. As a golfer, understanding and mastering the mechanics of weight transfer can greatly enhance the power and efficiency of your swing, ultimately leading to increased distance off the tee. 

The principle behind weight transfer is rooted in the proper distribution and movement of your body weight during the golf swing, which helps generate the necessary force to propel the ball forward with increased velocity.

At the start of your swing, your weight should be evenly distributed between both feet, providing a stable base from which to initiate the backswing. As you move into your backswing, shift your weight to your back foot, loading up power like a coiled spring. This transfer of weight creates potential energy, which will be unleashed as you transition into your downswing.

During the downswing, you should focus on moving your weight from your back foot to your front foot in a smooth, coordinated motion. As you transfer your weight, your hips, and legs drive your upper body through the swing, allowing you to efficiently generate and transfer power from your body to the club head. 

This weight shift not only increases your clubhead speed but also ensures a solid, square impact with the ball, resulting in better contact and increased distance.

In order to master weight transfer, it is essential to practice maintaining proper balance and coordination throughout your swing. 

Avoid swaying or sliding, as these movements can disrupt your weight transfer and lead to a loss of power. Instead, focus on rotating your body around your spine while shifting your weight from one foot to the other.

Optimize Clubface Contact

Achieving consistent and solid clubface contact is a critical factor in maximizing distance in your golf shots. Proper clubface contact ensures that the energy transfer from the club to the ball is utilized, resulting in increased ball speed and ultimately greater distance. 

The quality of clubface contact not only impacts the distance but also the trajectory, spin, and accuracy of your shots.

The sweet spot, located near the center of the clubface for most drivers, is the ideal point of contact for achieving maximum distance. When the ball is struck on the sweet spot, the energy transfer is most efficient, and the clubhead's vibration is minimized. 

This results in a higher ball speed and a more stable ball flight, which translates to increased distance. In contrast, off-center contact can lead to energy loss, reduced ball speed, and undesirable side spin, causing the ball to curve away from its intended target and ultimately resulting in shorter, less accurate shots.

To improve the consistency of your clubface contact, it is essential to work on your swing mechanics and address any issues that may be causing off-center hits. Some common issues include poor alignment, incorrect ball position, and swing path problems. 

By focusing on proper alignment, positioning the ball correctly in your stance, and maintaining a consistent swing plane, you can improve the quality of your clubface contact, leading to increased distance and accuracy.

In addition, practicing with drills and training aids designed to promote solid contact can be beneficial. For instance, using impact tape or foot spray on the clubface can provide instant feedback on your point of contact, enabling you to make adjustments and refine your swing.

Practice Proper Breathing Technique

Breathing techniques play an often overlooked, yet crucial role in enhancing your golf performance, including improving your drive distance. By practicing controlled breathing, you can maintain focus, reduce tension, and optimize your swing mechanics, leading to more powerful and accurate drives. 

Proper breathing helps to deliver oxygen to your muscles, improving their function and enabling you to generate the necessary force to hit the ball farther.

The ideal breathing pattern during a golf swing involves inhaling deeply during the setup phase and exhaling slowly and steadily throughout the swing. As you address the ball and prepare for your swing, take a deep breath in through your nose. 

This action helps to oxygenate your muscles, relax your body, and sharpen your focus. As you begin your backswing, slowly exhale through your mouth, continuing to breathe out as you transition into the downswing and make contact with the ball.

This controlled exhale serves multiple purposes. First, it helps to release tension from your muscles, allowing for a smoother, more fluid swing. Tension can restrict your range of motion and hinder the transfer of energy from your body to the clubhead, ultimately reducing your drive distance. Secondly, exhaling throughout your swing promotes greater concentration and focus, enabling you to execute your swing with precision and confidence.

Ensure Your Body Is Well Nourished

Fueling your body properly before and during a round of golf is essential for optimizing your performance on the course. Eating a meal before you head to the golf course provides your body with the necessary energy to power through the game while consuming a Whole In One Bar between holes helps maintain energy levels, ensuring you can perform at your best and achieve maximum distance from your drives.

A well-balanced meal prior to your round of golf should include a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats. Carbohydrates are your body's primary source of energy, providing fuel for your muscles and brain during physical activity. 

Consuming a meal rich in complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, allows for a slow and steady release of energy throughout your round, helping you maintain focus and stamina. 

Proteins and healthy fats aid in muscle recovery and repair, as well as contribute to overall satiety, ensuring that you feel full and satisfied throughout your game.

The Whole In One Bar serves as an ideal snack to consume between holes on the golf course. Its carefully formulated blend of nutrients provides an immediate boost of energy, helping to combat fatigue and enhance concentration. Packed with high-quality carbohydrates and proteins, the Whole In One Bar supports muscle function and prevents energy crashes that can hinder your performance. 

Additionally, the bar's convenient and portable nature allows you to easily consume it during your round without interrupting the flow of your game.

By maintaining consistent energy levels throughout your round of golf, you are better equipped to execute powerful and accurate drives. Fatigue can lead to a breakdown in swing mechanics, resulting in decreased distance and accuracy. 

By fueling your body with a pre-round meal and a Whole In One Bar during play, you can combat the effects of fatigue, maintain proper swing technique, and ultimately achieve greater distance from your drives.

Final Words

Keep at it! Like any other aspect of golf, practice and a little patience will see you get to your goal. Just keep in mind that a big drive isn’t the end of it all; you still need to dominate the short game as well!