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Adding distance is always a hot topic in the golf world. Instead of talking about the pros, I want to talk about you – and why it's a good idea to pursue distance and how to do it responsibly.
Recently Adam Young, Cordie Walker and I recorded our third podcast episode on the subject. You can listen to it below. In this article, I am also going to summarize some of the main recommendations I have for golfers, and a link to other articles I have written to provide more details.
Golf is a game of proximity
The closer you are to the hole, the more likely you are to place a lower score. If everything is equal, distance is a score advantage. Mark Broadie demonstrated this in his groundbreaking book Every Shot Counts
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While the pro game usually dominates the discussion of distance and whether there is too much of it, the fact remains that recreational golfers need help in that department. The typical male golfer swings his driver at about 90 mph and on average drives the ball no more than 230 meters. Plus, almost every data point suggests that the further you can get it off the tee, your scores will drop.
View this Shot Scope chart, which tracks golfers' performance on the course. You can see a relationship between the driver's average distance and the handicap level:
The good news is that you don't need to fill up and drink 6-8 protein shakes a day to increase your ability to hit the ball further. There are reasonable steps golfers of all levels can take. But make no mistake, pursuing distance is an essential game enhancement category that should not be overlooked.
Distance to efficiency
Most golfers assume that to continue hitting the ball, they must increase swing speed. While speed certainly helps, it's not the only way to get the job done. In fact, for most players, following the & # 39; efficiency & # 39; route can be just as fruitful as trying to add the swing speed.
Strike is king when it comes to efficiency.
Here are some of my main ideas for becoming more efficient:
Strike: three factors primarily determine the distance of the golf ball – ball speed, spin speed and launch angle. There are ways to tackle each individually, but the main skill any golfer can improve on is to hit the golf ball closer to the sweet spot more regularly. When you do this, the golf club can do what it's designed for and optimize these three parameters, resulting in more distance. I would recommend reading this article for more information on that topic. Plus, Adam Young's Young Strike Plan is arguably the best training platform.
Setup Tricks: If you want more length, especially with your driver, there are a few things you can do that can result in quick distance gains. If you read my guide on how to hit your driver further you will see some experiments you can do with ball position and tee height as well as some other ideas.
Equipment: One of the biggest mistakes golfers make is buying clubs that are not suitable for their swing. Marketing campaigns attract many players and often buy clubs from the rack. I have learned a lot about golf equipment and how it can change your performance on the course over the past five years. My number one recommendation is to work with a qualified club-appropriate professional. I have done countless tests where I can lose (or win) 20-30 meters with a driver by choosing just the driver's head, axle and ensuring the settings are entered.
Learning to move your body faster
If everything is equal, the faster you swing the golf club, the more distance you can expect. Many golfers definitely want to do it faster, but they don't know how to do it the right way. In my research, I've come across two methods – you can do them separately, but you will probably get the best results if you do them together.
Physical Training: Many golfers miss the swing speed because their bodies are unable to move faster. Sitting at a desk for 40-50 hours a week without a fitness plan decreases your body's ability to move as it should. In this article, Mike Carrol of Fit 4 Golf examines three keys that can add swing speed: flexibility, strength, and power. I am a big believer in fitness in general because it can improve your health and quality of life. I would suggest that all golfers consider this route for their golf games and beyond!
Overspeed Training: The concept of Overspeed Training has existed in several sports for decades. You mainly teach your body to move faster by training the body at speeds faster than normal. SuperSpeed Golf has adopted this concept and applied it to the golf swing with its set of weighted clubs. In the past five years, it has become one of the most popular training tools in the entire industry and is used by golfers of all levels with quite positive results. You can read more about this process in this article.
Benchmarking Yourself
Personal launch monitors have become all the rage over the past year, especially in the under $ 500 category. I've spent a lot of time testing all these gadgets and writing reviews. One of their main advantages is that they can estimate your golf ball speed, swing speed and distances. If you're working on adding length to your game, these gadgets are a great and relatively inexpensive way to benchmark your progress.
Here are links to reviews about several that I recommend:
PRGR
Swing Caddy SC200
Swing Caddy SC300
Rapsodo MLM
Wrapping It Up
Long story short: if you hit the ball further, you can get lower scores. However, you must have a plan for adding distance to your game! If you pursue some of the ideas in this article or from our podcast episode, I think you'll see some great results.