How To Hit A Driver For Maximum Distance

This article is all about some of the high tech secrets the pros use to maximize their distance off the tee. This article is not going to discuss swing mechanics as much as it will look at a few factors that will show you how to hit a driver using today’s technology.

Driver technology improves every year but the average golfer is not taking full advantage. This article will look at three of the main factors that influence how far a ball goes; the launch angle, swing speed and spin rate.

There are a few different swing aids out there to help increase swing speed but probably something most golfers could benefit from is simply making sure that they do not try to accelerate too quickly at the start of the downswing which can result in the club actually reaching it’s maximum speed before impact rather than at or slightly past the ball. To make sure your maximum club speed occurs where it should try gripping the club at the hosel and take swings until the whoosh made by the grip-end of the club is loudest at impact position or even a foot or so past.

When it comes to launch angle the average golfer should be aiming for 15 or 16 degrees. This assumes a swing speed in the neighbourhood of 90mph. What this means is that if you hit the ball slightly on the upswing, say 2 degrees, then the loft of your driver should be the difference – 13 or 14 degrees. This is why many golfers find their 3 wood actually travels further than their driver.  To help ensure you hit your drives on a slight upswing have the ball almost off of your front foot at address and keep your head behind the ball at impact.

The third major factor is the spin rate or rpms. The slower your swing the more spin you need to get the ball to travel as far as possible. However the issue is almost always that too much spin is being imparted on the ball. To keep your spin rate down the first thing is to ensure you are hitting the ball slightly on the upswing and are not delivering any sort of a downward blow with your driver. Perhaps the biggest secret in this article is that today’s drivers work best when impact is about 2/3 of the way up the clubface. This further reduces the spin put on the ball and increases distance – especially the roll you will get after landing. With the size of today’s drivers this means you need to tee the ball quite high so the club can clear the ground and still hit the real sweet spot!

You may have been saying to yourself that this is all very interesting but how do I figure out what my numbers are? The answer is by using a piece of equipment called a launch monitor. Many of the large golf superstores have them. Once you determine your swing speed there are charts available that can tell you what your ideal launch angle and spin rate is and then it is just a matter of experimenting with different lofts and shafts until you find the best combination for you. Tips on golf swing mechanics and golf swing drills are great but don’t forget to also take full advantage of the latest technology if you want to get the most out of your game.