It is a combination of swing speed, spin rate, center face contact and proper launch angle. Golf professionals spend many hours each week perfecting their swing and training for new speed.
You are probably sitting there watching a PGA tour event on television or recently watched the pros play in person. You leave the course or sit there questioning how golf pros hit the ball so far.
Then your next thought is…why can’t I do that and what I can do to hit the ball just a bit further.
The reality is that you can hit the ball further and you can gain swing speed!
Many of us have heard the analytics of why distance is so important to the game of golf. The analytics are pretty clear that the shorter the distance on your approach shot, the closer you will hit the ball on average to the hole.
Related: How far do pro golfers hit each club
We all know we would rather hit a shot from 100 yards versus 150 yards. Think about this for a second, if you have a chance to play a par 3 from 200 yards or 140 yards, you are going to pick 140 yards.
Once we assume that certain club face contact is taking place, the number one factor that influences distance is the swing speed of the golfer. The greater the swing speed, naturally the ball is going to travel further.
You can’t make a ball go 300 yards with a 100 mile per hour swing unless you are golfing on a runway or there is a 40 mile per hour wind to your break. Spin rate does have an impact, a lower spin rate or even the perfect spin rate is not going to turn a swing speed of 100 into a 300 yard drive.
We break down the top 7 reasons the pros are able to hit the ball so far and provide 7 tips at the end of each section to help you maximize this area.
Overall factors that increase shot distance include:
- Swing Speed
- Spin Rate
- Clubs
- Center Face Contact
- Launch Angle
Related: Average driving distance by age
Reason #1 – The Pros Train for Swing Speed
The pros train for speed through overspeed training and keeping their bodies in shape.
Two common things you will see on tours: golfers in the fitness center and golfers training with speed stick system such as SuperSpeed Golf or The Stack System.
Check out any driving range on tour. You will see a variety of swing trainers to help maximize speed. In order to swing fast, you must train fast. It is not about swinging harder, but instead it’s about swinging faster. So how do train to swing faster?
Related: How to get to 120mph swing speed
Tip: Use OverSpeed Training
We would recommend the SuperSpeed Swing Training System. This system provides you with 3 training clubs, all at different weights. The green club is 20% lighter than your driver, the blue club is 10% lighter and the red club is 5% heavier.
The whole purpose of this system is to train your mind and body to be able to swing faster. Your mind will only allow your body to swing as fast it can and still feel safe.
This neurological training system gets you swinging much faster than your typical speed with your driver. When I first started with this system, I was swinging my driver around 98-100 miles per hour. I am now in the 103-105 range and have seen a 5-6% increase in swing speed, resulting in great distance.
The SuperSwing system provides you with multiple levels of training protocols that encourages you to train 3-4 days a week and provides the development of your neurological system to allow you to swing faster.
You can see a 5-8% increase in swing speed as soon as the first time you train with the system. Maintaining your training over time will help this increase become more permanent. If you want to train with SuperSpeed golf, make sure you use Golfjourney365 as a discount code to save 10%.
Use the link here and enter the code.
Related Post: My SuperSpeed Golf Results.
Related: Why is my swing speed so slow?
Reason #2 – They Maximize Spin Rate
Did you know what your typical spin rate is with your driver? Well, the pros all know their spin rates within a certain range. You will find their spin rates anywhere as low as 1500 to 2500. A lower spin rate allows the ball to fly further.
Too much spin rate can reduce your total carry and hurt your overall driving distance. Too little of spin can cause the ball to actually knuckle off the club. The spin rate is often a function of your angle of attack and your golf equipment.
Related: Why is spin rate important in golf?
Tip: Measure Your Spin Rate on a Launch Monitor
Invest in a launch monitor or visit a local golf professional who has access to a system such a Trackman or a less expensive system that provides spin rate.
I am able to monitor my spin rate with my SkyTrak. While I typically use it in my golf simulator setup, I also am able to take it to the range and get results right on my phone. You would be amazed in the carry distance difference between a drive that spins at 2500 RPM vs 3500 RPM.
The 2500 RPM shot can carry any extra 15-20 yards at my spin rate. When I play the course, I can see a shot that I spin too much as it seems to float and doesn’t get the same carry. Rain or Shine golf has multiple golf launch monitor options including the SkyTrak. They have excellent customer service and are worth check out. Here is a direct link to their page.
Reason #3 – They swing towards a target and not at the ball
One of the greatest swing issues with amateur golfers is they are stuck on hitting at the ball instead of through the ball and towards a target. As a result the swing speed occurs at the wrong place. Unfortunately, the highest swing speed for amateurs are sometimes before they even reach the ball.
With a pro their highest swing speed occurs just before the ball or even sometimes just after it. This allows you to maximize the swing speed with every swing.
Related: How to increase swing speed for seniors
Tip: Get Your Speed Past the Golf Ball
Too many golfers hit their top speed in their swing prior to reach the golf ball.
The best way to get your speed out front is to focus on the target and think about swinging towards the target instead of at the ball. We believe Shawn Clement is the best at teaching this approach. If you are tired of positions based golf, then Shawn Clement is your person!
Here is a full review on Shawn Clement.
One other option very similar to Shawn Clement is the Art of Simple Golf. This is the only swing designed specially for Seniors. Check out the Art of Simple Golf, here.
Reason #4 – They Stay Fit
You don’t have to be a gym rat to maximize your distance, but you need to keep yourself in decent shape. Simply walking and doing some core exercises can help make sure you aren’t losing distance as you get older.
Many of the best on the PGA tour do visit the weight room frequently and are known for their workouts. Some of these guys include Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson the guy who revolutionized working out with golf…Tiger Woods.
All of these guys put great pride in not only their swing speed and distance, but they also want to stay healthy to make sure they have longevity in their career. A guy that has recently taken a big interest in distance and staying healthy is Phil Mickelon.
He can be seen using the SuperSpeed Golf system and through his social media accounts he has worked hard to lose weight and is trying to add some years to his career.
Gone are the days of getting older and fatter and losing distance. These guys are leading the way and there are guys on the Champions Tour competing into their early 60s.
While us amateurs might never be able to hit the ball as far as some of these guys, we can learn from what they do with training, staying fit and their equipment choices.
Related: Golf swing speed trainers: best products and systems
Tip: Find A Fitness Routine that Works For You!
Find the right workout routine for you. There are many options, but simply moving and being active is key. Recently, I started playing a lot of racquetball, which I believe has helped with weight control, speed and agility and forearm strength. There are many options to stay active…find one for you!
Reason #5 – Proper Equipment
The pros are fitted for their clubs. Not only having the right brand for you, but factors such as the right loft, shaft and even shaft length can help you maximize your distance through swing speed and spin rate.
The wrong shaft can have a major impact on the amount of spin rate that you are producing. Recently, I even cut an inch off my driver shaft in hopes of finding more fairways. The studies will show you will not lose any distance with a slightly shorter shaft and just might hit more fairways.
Tip: Get Fitted For the Right Club
Head out and go get a personalized club fitting session with someone that knows what they are doing. You want to eliminate the variable of if you have the right equipment and if you are hitting the right spin rates on your driver.
Reason #6 – Center Face Contact
Many pros have hit millions of golf balls in their careers. When you combine their athletic ability with the amount of swing training they have completed, you will often get a center struck shot in the club face. The good news is that you can improve your club face contact through proper training.
Tip: Get Feedback
Consider purchasing sticks that show your center face strike or spray that you can utilize. Get feedback and test your ability to hit the center face at different points throughout the season. In the meantime, hit plenty of golf balls and continue to work on improving your golf swing.
Reason #7 – Launch Angle
Much like the spin rate, there is an optimum launch angle depending on your swing speed in golf. Too low and you won’t carry the ball far enough. Too high and you will lose distance.
Tip: Get Measured on a Launch Monitor
Hopefully, you can use the same luanch monitor to measure your launch angle as you do to measure your spin rate. I believe in owning a device to track your stats throughout a season and that you can use during the offseason to hit an get feedback with.
Take Action…
There are 7 excellent ways to start to hit the ball further. We all want more distance and nobody should blame us. As the drivers have been capped out for the most part on distance gains, the action is put on your shoulders to take the steps and visit each of these 7 areas to create a plan to improve your game.
We all know that the extra 10-20 yards off every tee could mean 3-4 shots over the course of the round. It also means hitting an 8 iron instead of a 7 iron even from the same distance if we are able to increase swing speed.
There are many options out there for you. Give your game an accurate assessment and see what your next action step is to better golf! We have plenty of other posts to help you improve your game. Check out our series below. You just never know when you are going to find something to help your game!
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
If you are looking for our Top 5 Online Golf Instructors. Check them out, here.
