Max Out Your Driver
By Dr. T. J. Tomasi, Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research
To max out distance with your driver, you need just the right balance between your ball speed, launch angle, and spin rate (i.e., how fast the ball is rotating around its axis as it flies through the air). The key to maximizing distance is high launch, low spin coupled with enough ball speed to optimize both. The problem is that it is very difficult to increase your launch angle without also increasing the spin rate — simply using a more lofted driver (say switching from 10.5 degrees of loft to 12 degrees) will launch it higher, but because more loft = more spin, you’d lose distance. The solution is to optimize your angle of attack (the steepness or shallowness of your swing) by increasing your launch angle. Research shows that to max out driver distance, you must hit up on the ball, begging the question: how do you change your angle of attack by hitting up on the driver? The answer is to (1) tee the ball higher and (2) move the ball forward in your stance.
Small Numbers Have Big Impact
In golf, tenths of an inch routinely determine the quality of the outcome — with the operative word being routinely, as in every shot. Many metrics influence ball flight – launch monitor technology lists 26 for each full shot. But if you want to maximize your distance off the tee, two metrics must match up correctly: the launch angle and the spin rate of the ball.
PGA Tour players, on average, vertically launch the ball with a driver at 11.2 degrees with a spin rate of 2700 RPMs and a club speed around 115 mph. The technology tells us that to maximize your driver distance, you need high launch, low spin, plus a swing speed that adds ~2.5 yards per mph. This combo produces an average carry distance of ~280 yards.
I’m demonstrating a simple way to add yards by altering my setup. Most amateur golfers deliver a descending, outside-in blow at impact, creating a negative angle of attack and lots of excess spins. If you’re leaking yards making this mistake, you must program yourself to swing up and inside-out with your driver.
Tee the ball opposite your shoulder tip with the top of the driver’s head level with the bottom of the ball and aim slightly right. Warning: Be careful not to be fooled by what you see on TV – if the camera is not positioned correctly, the ball’s actual position is distorted. As far as tee height goes, pros vary it according to the ball flight they want, something only good players should attempt. But there is one situation when watching the pros is helpful – scope out the long drive competitors where the goal of every shot is to max-out distance, and you’ll see that they all tee it forward very high to make sure they catch the ball on the upswing.
Here’s a drill to help you swing up on the ball: Address the ball with your clubhead well ahead of the ball on an extension of your foot line, then start your swing from this position. This will help you max out your coil and keep your shoulder down through impact to ensure a higher launch. Note the slightly closed stance, which produces an inside-out path that goes with max driver distance.
If you’d like to study with Dr. Tomasi and other PGA Master Professionals, contact The College of Golf today.
