Every golfer is obsessed with distance. Ego's demand it. The number of $500 drivers sold justify it. But, how do you hit the golf ball farther and what really are the factors that allow a golfer to hit a ball farther? Never mind that they can't hit the fairway, they just want to hit the ball farther. What does hitting the golf ball farther actually mean? To some golfers, this may, mistakenly, mean that they are looking to rip the ball as far and long as a PGA Tour pro.
Well, there's good news and there's bad news when it comes to being able to hit the ball farther.
First the bad news. There are some serious misconceptions about how exactly you can hit the golf ball farther and one's ability to accomplish this. Given proper swing mechanics, properly fitted equipment, the latest golf club and golf ball technology and an exercise regimen focused on strength and flexibility, distance is limited purely by one's swing speed and generally speaking, for most of us, what we see is what we get. Afterall, how many of us are going to undertake a serious fitness program?
Some numbers:
Average swing speed:
- Driver swing speed for the average lady golfer is 62mph
- Driver swing speed for an average LPGA professional is 96mph
- Driver swing speed for an average male golfer is 84mph
- An average 80s shooter swings about 89 mph
- Driver swing speed for an average PGA Tour player is 113mph
- Driver swing speed for Tiger Woods is 130mph
Average driving distance for PGA Tour players:
- 2007 - 289 yards
- 2002 - 280 yards
- 1992 - 261 yards
- 2007 Tour driving distance leader was Bubba Watson with an average driving distance of just over 315 yards. John Daly was 2nd at 312 yards. Tiger Woods was 11th at 302 yards.
- Average 5-iron distance by a PGA Tour player: 187 yards
So what to do for the average golfer? Well, all is not lost. By paying attention to some basics with respect to both golf swing and golf equipment, the average golfer can indeed increase distance (and accuracy) off the tee by 10 yards or more. First, let's look at golf equipment:
- Driver Length - Everybody wants to play with a longer driver because that's how you increase distance. The average driver length sold off the rack in retail golf stores is 45 or 45.5 inches. The average length driver for a PGA Tour palyer is 44.5 inches. The trouble with this is the longer the length of a club, the harder it is to repeatedly hit the ball squarely in order to generate the highest ball speed. Golf is a sport of trade-offs. To get the most distance from YOUR swing speed, you need to be able hit the ball with the sweet spot as often as possible.
- Loft Angle - If your swing speed in under 100mph and you are playing with a driver loft angle of less than 11 degrees you're leaving some yardage out on the fairway. If you have an average swing speed of between 80-85mph you're short changing yourself by 10 yards if you're not using a driver head with about a 12-13 degree loft angle. If your swing speed is under 80mph you should be using a driver with at least a 14 - 15 degree loft. The exact loft that optimizes your swing speed and maximizes distance is also a factor of the swing angle of attack - whether you sweep the ball off the tee or approach the ball more steeply.
- Swing Balance/Weight - Basically the weight of the golf club and how much of that feels like it's in the head. Fundamentally, the lighter the total weight of the golf club, the faster you will be able to swing it. This of course has to be balanced against your physical strength, swing tempo and golfing ability. Golfers with slower swing speeds and tempo's could benefit from a lighter shaft to increase swing speed and distance.
Now let's look at the golf swing and a fundamental truth: the more square the hit, the further and straighter the ball will fly and the more solid the shot will feel.
When learning how play golf , the average to beginning golfer tends to be focused on the wrong aspects of the game. Rather than trying to hit the ball farther, the average or beginning golfer should focus on hitting the ball more squarely. To attack the ball as aggressively as humanly possible is counter-productive for just about every player because our swings just aren't that consistent. But, by working towards being able to hit the ball more squarely, you will automatically hit the ball further, straighter and with more consistency while simplifying your swing.
To quote Rick Smith, top instructor on the PGA Tour:
"You got to have speed and you got to have solid contact," Smith said. "You can have a lot of speed, but if you don't have solid contact, if you're a half-inch off the center of the face, you'll never hit it long. Hitting the ball in the center of the clubface with the proper angle of attack maximizes any speed you might have."
-- Rick Smith Top instructor on the PGA Tour
Here is why:
- The squarer the hit the more energy is applied to the ball resulting in more distance
- The squarer the hit, the less spin is imparted to the ball resulting in a straighter shot (and no need to worry about your slice any longer)
- The squarer the hit the more solid the shot feels at impact
The differences between the low-handicap golfer and the average golfer result in the ability of the low-handicap golfer to:
- Consistently hit the ball on or near the center of the clubface.
- Better players can control the clubface angle and club head path during their golf swing.
- Better players can strike the ball in a descending arc bringing the center of gravity of the club below that of the ball.
- Better players accelerate the golf club through impact.
- Better players have confidence in their ball striking abilities, generally because they understand the golf swing, they practice and they have equipment matched to their abilities.
From a playing perspective,
understanding the golf swing is critical to being able to hit the ball more squarely. The factors that create a square hit at impact include:
- Clubface path (outside-in, square, or inside-out).
- Clubface angle (open, square, or closed).
- Clubhead speed (accelerating, decelerating, faster or slower swing).
- Angle of attack of the clubhead to the ball (steeper or flatter).
- Face impact location (centered, toe or heel).
Understanding both your golf swing and the type of golf equipment you are playing can help you hit the golf ball farther AND allow you to hit the ball straighter and more solidly. The positive effects of this will compound: confidence in your knowledge of the golf swing and equipment will allow you to let the club actually do the work for you (as it’s supposed to) instead of trying to crush the ball each and every time. You will relax and hit the ball more consistently.
