Are you tired of hitting short and crooked drives, leaving yourself with difficult long irons or shots from the trees?
What if it was possible to hit your driver longer and straighter?
One of the greatest myths in the game of golf is that if you hit your driver longer that you are going to lose accuracy.
When a golfer adds distance, they don’t have to sacrifice accuracy. The golfer does not have to decide between distance or accuracy.
Instead, with the right training and the tips below, the golfer can increase his or her distance, while also improving their accuracy.
Over the past five years, I have had success adding distance and accuracy all at the same time, resulting in much better scores from having shorter approach shots and more shots without being in the trees or having an obstructed approach shot.
The golfer ultimately wants the following:
- Shorter approach shots, which will leave you closer to the hole on average, which increases your make percentage with putting.
- More shots where you can make a full, unobstructed shot for your approach shots
So how do we make this happen?
How To Hit Your Driver Longer and Straighter?
The golfer ultimately needs to 1) train for speed, 2) learn to control the club face, 3) have a dependable swing path, 4) have the proper equipment, 5) get plenty of repetitions in practice sessions.
Key #1: Train for Speed
The game of golf has evolved to where speed is important in the game of golf. The faster your swing, the further the ball flies and the more shorter irons or wedges you have into a green.
Training for speed is a great idea and one worth exploring! One of the great byproducts of the SuperSpeed System below is that many golfers increase their swing and improve their swing mechanics through the training.
If you are going to train for speed, I would highly recommend the SuperSpeed Training System.
Gone are the days of simply being content with the distance you currently hit your golf ball. Many older golfers have proven over the past several years that an increase in swing speed is possible.
There are training systems to help you get your game to the next level and distance is arguably the fastest way to make this happen!
My number one recommendation is to check out SuperSpeed Golf and their protocols to help you find a safe way to increase your swing speed.
I spent many years wondering how I can increase my swing speed. When I was playing junior golf, we weren’t fortunate enough to have some of the training aids and knowledge that is now available. Smart people have studied the golf swing and have created training aids and protocols to help all golfers increase their distance!
At around the same time, the statistics from the PGA Tour have become more clear and the importance of speed is acknowledged by many to be a key to being the best on the PGA Tour.
Within the past several years, there have been several products hit the market to make speed gains possible. While many people for many years waited for the latest driver to come out to gain an additional 5-10 yards, you can now do this even with your current clubs.
Did you know that with the SuperSpeed Training System you can gain 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first training session? This would allow you to gain somewhere between 10 and 30 yards depending on your current swing speed.
The SuperSpeed Training System is based on three different swing speed sticks all weighing at different weights. There is a green club that is 10% lighter than the average driver, the blue club which is 5% lighter and the red club which is actually 5% heavier!
Following their prescribed protocols the golfer completes the training every other day. The total time to complete most of their protocols is between 10-15 minutes. Most people can find the time to make this happen. The golfer will also need a swing radar to measure their progress.
The science behind the SuperSpeed Training System is based on overspeed training. Overspeed training has been around for several decades now and has been used by olympic athletics in the sport of Track and Field.
The science behind this overspeed training is based on the premise that your brain will only allow your body to move as fast as it feels it can stop safely! So, you get to work and swing the clubs as fast as possible, retraining your brain to allow you to swing your driver faster.
For more permanent results, the golfer should continue these training protocols for several months. The initial 5-8% is great and can become more permanent with the right length of training. The golfer can expect to continue to break down barriers every several months at a 1-2% increase.
My own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!
Phil Mickelson (a senior golfer now) has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!
Check the current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!
| Original Swing Speed | After 4-6 Weeks | New Carry Distance | Total Distance |
| 95 | 102 | 245 | 265 |
| 100 | 108 | 259 | 279 |
| 105 | 113 | 271 | 291 |
| 110 | 118 | 283 | 303 |
Key #2: Learn to Control The Clubface
While geared towards helping you hit the ball straighter, the more stable your clubface is at impact, the more center face hits you will experience, increasing length and straighter shots at the same time.
Key Fact: The golf ball is going to start in the relative direction of the position of your clubface at impact. If your club is point right at impact, it will star to the right. If your club is pointing left at impact, it will start to the left.
Ideally, you want a clubface that is 1-3 degrees to the right or left to help produce a reliable stock shot (draw or fade) that is dependable and allows you to go at the ball with decent speed. The myth is that a 0 degree club face and a 0 degree swing path is ideally. This might be the most difficult match up to replicate. Instead the golfer should hit a slight fade or draw to provide greater accuracy. This shot is often referred to as a stock shot.
Here is an excellent drill that will help you with your irons and your driver:
Stock Shot Drill
- At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
- If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 feet right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
- Complete your initial assessment to see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.
- The goal is to eventually complete this successfully 7 out of 10 times!
This drill is intended to help you start the ball on the proper start line with a predictable curve.
Key #3: Dependable Swing Path
If you are able to get your clubface in the 1-3 degree range, you will have much more comfortable start lines. The next step is to control your swing path to help produce a tight draw or fade.
Key Fact: Also from the ball flight laws, we now understand that the ball will start in the relative direction of your clubface at impact and curve away from the path. For example, if your clubface is 2 degrees open at impact, the ball will start to the right. If the path is 4 degrees to the right, the blal will start to the right and fade away from the path, creating a slight draw that is curving towards your eventual target.
However, if your clubface is 2 degrees open at impact, and your swing path is 4 degrees left, the ball will start right and fade/slice right, curving away from the target.
While we want a slight difference between the clubface and the swing path, we don’t want too big of a gap.
For example, a 2 degree open clubface at impact with a 12 degree path to the right, will result in an overdraw or hook that ends up well left of the target.
The golfer with too big of a draw or fade, has too large of a gap between the clubface and swing path relationship and should use the stock shot drill above to bring the two closer together.
Key #4: Proper Equipment
If you are struggling with your current driver, it might be time to also get fitted for a club that suits your swing speed and other swing elements to fit your game. Too many golfers have the wrong shaft in their golf club, either too stiff, too whippy or too heavy/light.
The golfer should consider getting professionally fitted for the driver or at least hit the driver on a launch monitor to see what numbers he or she is producing, especially with spin rate. Spin rate can completely destroy a golfer’s overall distance when the spin rate is too hight.
The ideal spin rate for most golfers is in the 2000 RPM range, while a 4000 RPM spin rate on a driver might cost the golfer 20-30 yards in total distance and even more on a shot into the wind.
The proper equipment does matter to help you produce the maximum swing speed and the right spin rate for your launch angle and swing speed that you possess.
Key #5: Repetitions in Practice Sessions
Getting a high number of course-like repetitions is important. While the speed training will help you produce the maximum amount of distance, at the end of the day, we need to combine our distance and our accuracy to help us shoot our lowest scores.
Too many golfers simply show up at the driving range and hit driver after driver. Instead, the golfer should create game-like situations by imagining certain golf holes in their head, setting the boundaries on the range and then going through their normal routine.
The golfer should track his or her success rate on the 14 drivers most golfers hit on various courses.
I will play different golf courses in my head at the driving range and try to create the shot I need on specific holes, while building the pressure of producing a certain percentage of shots in play with at least 85% of the distance I would expect.
If a golfer can chart this over time, he or she can monitor their progress over time. This also helps the golfer build confidence as he or she plays the course the next time.
Another option is a golf simulator. I built a golf simulator over 5 years ago now and have played over 1000 rounds of golf. This has truly helped me take my game to the next level in all areas. Playing and training a high percentage of the year is one of the best ways to finally get better!
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About five years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.