Driver Distance

[NorfolkShaun]

Looking for some tips to get more distance out of the driver.

I used to have a issue with getting ahead of the ball through the shot and have now gone the other way where I am staying back far to much reducing power etc...

Any tips / drills to improve my technique much appreciated.

Funnily enough this is only really an issue with the driver I am fine with my irons hybrids etc.

Thanks in advance

 

[MadAdey]

Looking for some tips to get more distance out of the driver.

I used to have a issue with getting ahead of the ball through the shot and have now gone the other way where I am staying back far to much reducing power etc...

Any tips / drills to improve my technique much appreciated.

Funnily enough this is only really an issue with the driver I am fine with my irons hybrids etc.

Thanks in advance

I've always noticed that people that are struggling for distance with a driver more often than not have a very narrow swing arc. Another thing that is needed for hitting longer drives is generating more 'lag' on the downswing.

A little drill that I find good for getting a wider arc with a driver is this:

Setup to the ball and put another ball behind the head of your driver on the floor. The idea is to push the ball behind your driver back in a straight line on your backswing. I do this on the range when practising to achieve 2 things, a lower wider take away and also it encourages a more controlled smooth take away

 

[NorfolkShaun]

I've always noticed that people that are struggling for distance with a driver more often than not have a very narrow swing arc. Another thing that is needed for hitting longer drives is generating more 'lag' on the downswing.

A little drill that I find good for getting a wider arc with a driver is this:

Setup to the ball and put another ball behind the head of your driver on the floor. The idea is to push the ball behind your driver back in a straight line on your backswing. I do this on the range when practising to achieve 2 things, a lower wider take away and also it encourages a more controlled smooth take away

Cheers, now it has been mentioned I think I may well of gotten a little narrow.

Will give this a go at the range

 

[delc]

Looking for some tips to get more distance out of the driver.

I used to have a issue with getting ahead of the ball through the shot and have now gone the other way where I am staying back far to much reducing power etc...

Any tips / drills to improve my technique much appreciated.

Funnily enough this is only really an issue with the driver I am fine with my irons hybrids etc.

Thanks in advance

1) Feet at least shoulder width apart to get the most leg power into your swing.

2) Complete your backswing. Remember with a longer club your swing should feel a bit slower.

3) Don't hit from the top.

4) Make a full balanced follow through.

5) Hit the ball off the centre of the club face. Anywhere else will cause the club to twist and you will lose power.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Looking for some tips to get more distance out of the driver.

I used to have a issue with getting ahead of the ball through the shot and have now gone the other way where I am staying back far to much reducing power etc...

Any tips / drills to improve my technique much appreciated.

Funnily enough this is only really an issue with the driver I am fine with my irons hybrids etc.

Thanks in advance

How far do you hit it at the moment, and are you inconsistently squinty or generally fairly straight

 

[NorfolkShaun]

How far do you hit it at the moment, and are you inconsistently squinty or generally fairly straight

about 220 - 250ish straight, miss the off fairway right but only by 15 ft max

Trouble is for me too many are on the 220 and not enough near the 250.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

about 220 - 250ish straight, miss the off fairway right but only by 15 ft max

Trouble is for me too many are on the 220 and not enough near the 250.

OK...that's not too shoddy - but yes - room for 20yds more perhaps - and handicap?

 

[Jensen]

At set up with shoulders tilting away from the target, imagine a spot hovering above your left or lead shoulder. Concentrate on that shoulder remaining in contact with that area. That should certainly stop moving towards the target on downswing and also help with staying too far back.
This was a tip I saw in the latest feature of Today's Golfer or Golf Monthly

 

[NorfolkShaun]

OK...that's not too shoddy - but yes - room for 20yds more perhaps - and handicap?

Play off 12. May I hasten to add it is more through an ok short game and putting rather than my driving.

I use game golf and it is showing my driver not far past my hybrid and three wood.

This
To me is because I have poor technique with the driver. While it may be easy to say take the wood hybrid from the tee, the point to me is I should be able to hit my driver further consistently than I am

 

[MadAdey]

Play off 12. May I hasten to add it is more through an ok short game and putting rather than my driving.

I use game golf and it is showing my driver not far past my hybrid and three wood.

This
To me is because I have poor technique with the driver. While it may be easy to say take the wood hybrid from the tee, the point to me is I should be able to hit my driver further consistently than I am

What sort of distances you hitting with your irons?

 

[NorfolkShaun]

What sort of distances you hitting with your irons?

PW 120
9 iron 135
8 iron 145
7 iron 155
6 iron 165
5 iron 175
4 iron 185
hybrid 195
3 wood 210
driver 215 (currently) have averaged around 250 so what am I doing wrong, and funny but currently I am hitting my irons and hybrid better and my distances are going up though clearly winter has been a factor.

My feeling is that if I can eak a few extra yards from the driver, rather than a 5 iron into a green I will be taking an 7 iron or so. This makes the game much simpler.

I have a lesson tomorrow so that will be interesting. I am sure I have got a little narrow and am hanging back.

 

[Snelly]

Hit it better, not harder.

 

[garyinderry]

The air is cold and ground soft. see what your distances are in two months time.

 

[turkish]

The air is cold and ground soft. see what your distances are in two months time.

Yeah I agree- my distances are easily 20 yards shorter the now with driver and a bit less with irons!

 

[turkish]

At set up with shoulders tilting away from the target, imagine a spot hovering above your left or lead shoulder. Concentrate on that shoulder remaining in contact with that area. That should certainly stop moving towards the target on downswing and also help with staying too far back.
This was a tip I saw in the latest feature of Today's Golfer or Golf Monthly

I'd be interested to see a video or photo shoot of this as this is a problem that leaks into my drives and cause my push slice... I think of it as keeping my sternum in same line with ground but this might actually be better. I also feel like clubhead over takes hands at impact (in reality its square on the good hits)

 

[Jensen]

PW 120
9 iron 135
8 iron 145
7 iron 155
6 iron 165
5 iron 175
4 iron 185
hybrid 195
3 wood 210
driver 215 (currently) have averaged around 250 so what am I doing wrong, and funny but currently I am hitting my irons and hybrid better and my distances are going up though clearly winter has been a factor.

My feeling is that if I can eak a few extra yards from the driver, rather than a 5 iron into a green I will be taking an 7 iron or so. This makes the game much simpler.

I have a lesson tomorrow so that will be interesting. I am sure I have got a little narrow and am hanging back.

I would say from those distances with 3 wood and hybrid, it's gotta be your technique with driver.

 

[MadAdey]

PW 120
9 iron 135
8 iron 145
7 iron 155
6 iron 165
5 iron 175
4 iron 185
hybrid 195
3 wood 210
driver 215 (currently) have averaged around 250 so what am I doing wrong, and funny but currently I am hitting my irons and hybrid better and my distances are going up though clearly winter has been a factor.

My feeling is that if I can eak a few extra yards from the driver, rather than a 5 iron into a green I will be taking an 7 iron or so. This makes the game much simpler.

I have a lesson tomorrow so that will be interesting. I am sure I have got a little narrow and am hanging back.

I would say that hitting at around the 240/250 mark is achievable going on your distances. I only asked as I have seen people before wanting to hit their driver over 250, yet they struggle to hit a 7i 150.

All i I would say is, do not get too caught in reading article after article on the Internet about hitting yor driver further. I could probably pull 10 up now that all claim to increase driver distance, but all have their own ideas on it. You are doing the right thing in having lesson, let someone identify the real cause and stop the guessing.

I I had a problem with inconsistent driving distance a few years ago and had a lesson. That is where the drill I told you about earlier came from as my bad habit is getting too narrow on my backswing.

 

[the_coach]

PW 120
9 iron 135
8 iron 145
7 iron 155
6 iron 165
5 iron 175
4 iron 185
hybrid 195
3 wood 210
driver 215 (currently) have averaged around 250 so what am I doing wrong, and funny but currently I am hitting my irons and hybrid better and my distances are going up though clearly winter has been a factor.

My feeling is that if I can eak a few extra yards from the driver, rather than a 5 iron into a green I will be taking an 7 iron or so. This makes the game much simpler.

I have a lesson tomorrow so that will be interesting. I am sure I have got a little narrow and am hanging back.

hopefully the lesson will put you on the right track

lack of distance will be about clubhead delivery at impact most likely being a combination of path to clubface alignment so some kinda wipe across as opposed to solid contact, with AoA being a big part of the issue and just where on the face the strike location is

grip posture alignment at set-up plus ball position and height of ball on the tee - too low would likely give an issue, and this whole bunch of stuff will play into lack of solid contact/distance/direction

as will any lack of connection between body rotation to arm swing - often times lack of driver distance is down to the whole motion being more arms/hands alone - plus whether the wrist set is in good order or not

how the club is being taken back will set-up the delivery - too narrow, too inside, too arms alone outwards and lifting with a tilt, all that kinda stuff

but for sure posture, alignments in regard to ball position/tee height all in relation to ball/target line are crucial to good shot outcomes

lesson with a LM would be a great ways to go - to identify what the AoA is - if narrow could well be a negative attack into the ball
a ways difficult to give any information without knowing/seeing what exactly is playing into the driver issue

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Your distances through the bag are absolutely fine so what are you doing differently with your driver to the rest of your clubs? Trying to hit it too hard? Or a badly fitted driver?

 

[NorfolkShaun]

Your distances through the bag are absolutely fine so what are you doing differently with your driver to the rest of your clubs? Trying to hit it too hard? Or a badly fitted driver?

The driver is just an Ebay driver so never fitted but I used to hit it further, on this point I went to American golf to see if a different club would help. In absolute credit to the shop staff I tried a few clubs and the chap simply said it is a swing issue leaving me with the closing line of 'there is a better driver in this shop for you but not today, sort the swing issues and then come back another day' I do accept though that the results on display were no better than with my current driver though so anything other than frigging the figures would of shown an improvement