Get 15 more yards off the tee – immediately! Sounds like a fluffy marketing pitch, right? Well, maybe not. After analyzing thousands of golfers over the last several years, let me share with you what costs you distance off the tee:
- Improper contact on the face: I cannot tell you how many golfers think that good ball striking is in the center of the driver face…wrong! Slightly towards the toe and slightly above center will give you less spin and higher ball speed. Anything towards the heel or below the center of the face will reduce ball speed and increase spin. What to do?: Find the sweet spot! If you are hitting towards the heel, trying stepping back from the ball a half inch or choking down on the club. If you are hitting below center, try teeing the ball up a little. If you are hitting on the top of the face, try teeing the ball down. All of these are quick fix adjustments but you should see if the club has the proper length, loft, and shaft for your swing.
- Swing UP on the Ball, not DOWN: I am talking about attack angle here. When you swing up on the ball, you literally create a higher launch angle and reduce spin which increases both carry and roll. This is even more important for golfers with slower swing speeds. A proper launch angle may look too high to you but today’s golf balls are designed to launch high with low spin. The visual I use is to have the bottom of your swing arc come 1-2″ BEFORE you hit the ball with your driver. Bubba Watson has a +4 degree attack angle. This drops his spin rate roughly 1200 rpm. That is why he is so crazy long. Same with Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, and Jason Day.
- Too low or high of loft: The new adjustable drivers are really there to help you! We try to fit our golfers to the proper loft and then use the adjustable shaft tips to make changes for certain course conditions. Most golfers we fit are actually launching their drivers too low. The trick is to get high launch and still have low spin to increase yardage after the ball lands. In reality, the golfers I fit into low lofts like 8 or 9 degrees, have a very positive angle of attack so they are launching the ball nice and high.
These are the most common problems that are costing you at least 15 yards off the tee! Sometimes it is a combination of loft of the club, improper shaft, and wrong length that is costing you distance. That is why going to a good clubfitter is so important. So if you think you are leaving yards on the tee box, don’t wait! Go see your professional clubfitter today!
Dan Sueltz