Distance/Equipment

Question
Any input on this issue would be appreciated.

Me: 40, 5'10", in good health, play twice a week and shoot high 80's/low 90's. Have always struggled with distance.
A good drive for me is 215yds and I would like to gain 10-15 yds. I play with TaylorMade R5 driver regular flex, 10.5 deg. The salesman (i'm sure just trying to make a sale)tell me that technology has improved greatly since i bought my R5 (2 years ago) that switching to the R7 will give me the distance i'm looking for. I've hit the R7 in the simulator and seem to gain a few extra yards but not enough for me to open my wallet and upgrade.

I'd really appreciate your opinion/input.
Lee  

Answer
Hi Lee,

You're not going to realize much more distance with an R7. There haven't been any significant advances in distance over the past two years (it's pretty well peaked). The newer drivers simply have a great moment of inertia which means the club will twist less on mishits, so you will hit the ball straighter and perhaps your mishits will go a little farther than they used to.

If you want more distance, work on your conditioning (strength and flexibility) as well as improving your golf swing.

I'd recommend Mike Pedersen's golf fitness program. Take a look here:
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=1084487

If you want to improve your golf swing, I sell a great DVD from my site called "Hit Down Dammit" in which you'll learn what it means to hit down on the ball and how to do it.

Another way you can gain some distance is ensuring your launch conditions optimize distance for your swing speed. Find a place which has a launch monitor and hit a bunch of balls with different loft drivers. I think you'll find you hit the ball further with a loft of about 12 degrees.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
Ken Tannar
www.probablegolfinstruction.com