Maximizing Distance Off The Tee

Maximizing distance off the tee starts with your setup. The right setup produces a smooth fluid swing that allows golfers to take advantage of a driver's loft. A poor setup opens up power leaks. Unfortunately, weekend golfers don't always setup correctly for hitting the long ball. So they have leaks that drain their swings of power. If want to add serious distance to your drives, try incorporating the setup adjustments we describe below. Doing so can transform your drive and make a big difference in your golf handicap.

To Flare Or Not To Flare

How you set up your feet helps determine how much power you deliver at impact. Some golf instruction sessions teach weekend golfers to widen their stances a bit and flare their front foot for more power. These adjustments increase the speed at which your hips unwind and enable you to swing the club faster. But what if your hips already unwind too fast on the downswing? In that case turn your foot in and use a narrower stance. These adjustments restrict the unwinding of your hips on the downswing, providing more consistency on your drives.

Neutralize Your Grip To Hit A Fade

Players often read golf tips that say you must hit a draw to hit it farther. But that's not the only way to hit it long. Some golfers, Jack Nicklaus included, like to hit a power fade off the tee. Employing a power fade allows you to hit the ball higher and maximize carry distance. Generally speaking, the longer the ball stays airborne the farther it goes. You can hit a power fade by weakening your grip. To do that, lay the thumb of your glove hand on the shaft so that the crease made by the thumb and index finger points more toward your chin than your right shoulder (left shoulder for left-handers).

Sweep The Ball

The quickest way to launch a ball off the tee is to change your angle of attack. That's the angle at which the clubhead travels on its way to impact. Hitting the ball on a downward path results in a negative angle of attack. Hitting the ball on the upward path results in a positive angle of attack. No great driver, as I once read in a golf tips magazine, employs a negative angle of attack. Instead, they use a positive angle of attack. They sweep the ball off the tee. To do this, set your spine angle at address so your front shoulder is higher than your back shoulder. This adjustment lets you shallow out your swing so you can hit the ball on the upswing at the optimum launch angle.

Pause At The Top

The final adjustment in maximizing distance off the tee is making a full shoulder turn, as I've said often in my golf tips and golf lessons. Pausing at the top of your swing for a split second helps you do this. It also helps get everything in sync before making a smooth transition to your downswing. But many weekend golfers make a sloppy transition. If you pause at the top of your swing, you can swing as hard as you want on the downswing and still stay in rhythm.

If you're serious about maximizing your distance off the tee—and increase your chances of shaving strokes off your golf handicap—get the ball airborne. Swing speed is a key to hitting the ball great distances. So is leg strength, which helps determine how quickly you can turn your hips. A third factor to launching it long and far is loft. The higher you hit the ball with the right amount of spin, the father it goes. Launching a ball with the right amount of spin at setup. Use the adjustments discussed above to help you setup for maximum distance off then tee.


Copyright (c) 2009 Jack Moorehouse