Keys To Improving Distance From The Tee

Players taking my golf lessons often confuse length off the tee with muscle power. They're not the same. While you may never drive the ball as far as John Daly, quite possibly the Tour's longest driver, you can generate additional power off the teeand improve your golf handicap by developing a sounder technique.

Here are 7 keys to a great drive:

Widen your stance for stability
Point your left toe slightly toward target (for right-handers)
Hover the clubhead above the ball
Don't rush the back swing
Hit hard with your right hand
Take advantage of playing elements.

If you've read my golf tips, you know I often mention improving your technique. That's because good technique promotes good shots, whether you're driving, pitching, chipping, putting, or just hitting an iron. And good technique starts with your address.

Once you've selected a target and determined the ball's flight path, take an address position designed to generate power. Widen your stance slightly, which improves stability and provides a solid base from which to swing for power, and place about 60 percent of your weight on your left side (for right-handers), promoting a good power coil.

Greg Norman does two additional things to generate more power: (1) he points his left toe toward the hole slightly, encouraging his left side to clear out of the way more easily through impact; and (2) he hovers the club above the ground, promoting a smooth one-piece takeaway. The takeaway produces a wide arc and builds rhythm, as I've written in my golf tips, both of which are required to generate additional power.

At the top of the backswing, your shoulders must turn a full 90 degrees, and you should end up with your back pointing at the target. Lifting your chin away from your chest encourages the shoulder turn. John Daly drives the ball great distances. Many players ask about him during their golf lessons, wanting to know his secret. In addition to sound technique, Daly takes a massive shoulder turn and maintains a wide swing arc, yet he's never out of sync. He always has rhythm and tempo throughout the swing.

Once you've completed the backswing, you start the downswing phase. This transition is critical. If you rush it, you narrow and cramp your swing arc. You also create a tendency to swing straight down on the ball, sapping your powerthe opposite of what you want to do. Fred Couples' transition is nearly flawless. He shifts his weight to his left side and tucks his right elbow in at the right side, all while maintaining the right angle between his wrists and the club, which generates power.

Maintaining a straight left arm is also critical during the transition, as most golf instruction points out. A straight left enables the clubhead to be returned to the ball squarely and at the right attack angle. This move re-establishes the swing radius, keeping it wide and power laden. Curtis Strange provides a good example of someone who makes the transition well. Even though his left elbow is bent during the backswing, he straightens his left arm in the downswing, re-establishing the radius of his swing and generating power at impact.

The position at impact is something that distinguishes all great drivers. Whether they have a herky-jerky swing or a smooth big-hitting one, their swings are identical at impact. The image to keep in mind at this point is that of swinging through the ball, not to it. Another key is hitting hard with your right hand. As Henry Cotton said, it's not possible to hit too hard with your right hand as long as the left had works in unison."

In addition to improving your technique, taking advantage of the playing elements helps generate more distance. Those elements include the wind. Use a following wind to add extra distance to your drive. Also, teeing the ball higher than normal generates higher ball flight, with more carry through the air, so that you can get more distance.

Playing into a headwind, on the other hand, kills power. In this situation, you want a shot with a more penetrating trajectory, but be careful not to swing down on the ball, as we said previously. Doing so creates excessive backswing, which has the effect of putting backspin on the ball, making it climb higher. (However, teeing the ball lower also has a tendency to make you swing on a more upright plane, creating a fade. Bear that in mind.)

Whether you're taking advantage of the wind or working on your technique, try to maintain your rhythm and tempo. Swing about 75-80 percent, allowing the club to do the work.

Once you've mastered these suggestions, you will see some well-deserved distance improvements and can start taking serious aim at lowering your golf handicap.