How to Add 20 Yards to Your Drive

Every golfer dreams of hitting the ball farther off the tee. Adding distance to your drives not only feels great, but it can also significantly improve your scoring potential by leaving shorter approach shots into greens.

Understanding the Physics

Distance comes from a combination of clubhead speed, solid contact, and optimal launch conditions. The most significant factor is clubhead speed - for every 1 mph increase in clubhead speed, you can gain approximately 2-3 yards of distance.

Key Techniques to Increase Distance

1. Improve Your Flexibility

A full shoulder turn is essential for generating power. Try these exercises:

• Seated rotations with a club across your shoulders
• Medicine ball rotational throws
• Yoga poses that focus on spinal mobility

2. Create Lag in Your Downswing

Lag is the angle created between the shaft and your lead arm during the downswing. More lag means more potential energy to be released at impact.

Practice drill: Hold the club with your lead hand only and make slow-motion swings, feeling the clubhead lag behind your hands on the downswing.

3. Optimize Your Launch Angle

For most golfers, a launch angle between 12-15 degrees with a driver will maximize distance. This often means hitting "up" on the ball slightly.

Tee the ball higher and position it opposite your lead heel to promote an upward strike.

4. Build Golf-Specific Strength

Focus on exercises that develop rotational power:

• Medicine ball throws
• Cable rotations
• Single-leg exercises for stability

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Swinging too hard and losing balance
• Gripping the club too tightly
• Trying to "lift" the ball into the air
• Insufficient hip rotation

Remember that consistency is more important than raw distance. Focus on solid contact first, then gradually increase your speed while maintaining control.

Implement these techniques into your practice routine over several weeks, and you should see measurable distance gains in your drives!