How Do I Add Distance To My Drives?
Every golfer is always looking for more distance to their drives. As a local golf physiotherapist, I’ve worked with several golfers who are seeking distance for one of two reasons:
Shorter approach to the green - when you can consistently and accurately hit the ball further on your drives, this gives golfers more control over their next shot. This increased control comes from the loft golfers are able to gain with a shorter iron, creating more backspin, and therefore control.
Increased Par’s - adding distance to your drives puts you in a position to be able to better attain more pars. As a result, this also decreases your overall score.
When working with these golfers, I’ve recognized some commonalities with those who cannot seem to add distance to their drives. No one person is the same, so I recommend trying one or two of these techniques for adding distance and see what works best for you.
Increase Golf Swing Speed
This may seem like a no-brainer, but to add distance to your drives you need to swing the golf club faster. The faster you can swing the golf club, the more energy you transfer into the golf ball which results in a longer drive.
One way you can train swing speed is with SuperSpeed Golf Sticks. These are three golf-gripped sticks of various weights. One stick is labeled “heavy,” one stick is labeled “medium,” and the last stick is labeled “light.” These various stimuluses optimize our body’s ability to move fast.
SuperSpeed Sticks and their various colors, weights, and speed-enhancing technology.
A common series of swings Motus Rx Physical Therapy prescribes for their golfers with the SuperSpeed Golf Sticks are:
5 “Heavy” Standing Swings Right and Left Side
5 “Medium” Standing Swings Right and Left Side
5 “Light” Standing Swings Right and Left Side
5 Swings with your driver
Repeat this series 3 times
Notice with the SuperSpeed Sticks, you are swinging from the left and the right side. To maximize your body’s efficiency and power, you need to be balanced on both sides to prevent limiting compensations from happening. Swinging from both sides will also strengthen your core, balance, and coordination.
Use The Ground
One of the most crucial sources of power for many amateur golfers is the ground. Golfers who crush the ball best utilize the ground to transfer energy from their back right side, into their left upper side, and through the golf ball.
How to complete an 180 Degree Jump Turn Vertical to improve your ground reaction force.
The most recommended exercises to use the ground best are 180 Degree Jump Turns Vertical and Weighted Split Squats:
180 Degree Jump Turns Vertical - Using the ground in the golf swing is an absolute necessity to operate at your fullest potential. This exercise helps develop power and improve ground reaction force for vertical thrust.
Weighted Spilt Squats - Unilateral loading helps to improve strength by improving the amount of body weight and added weight the targeted groups take on. Split squats are a fantastic way to work on leg strength and core stability without stressing the spine.
Get Stronger
Like any sport, there are many benefits of strength that directly transfer into gaining distance for golf. The stronger you are, the more power you are able to generate. This power is transferred into the golf ball and results in added distance.
Because the golf swing is a short burst of energy, it is important to train likewise. Strength training should be explosive and powerful for 30 seconds - 1 minute, with a break following. This mimics the nature of swinging the golf club, resting while approaching the ball you just hit.
How to complete a Palloff Press Walk Out to increase hip stability, motor control, and body awareness.
The best exercises to train explosiveness and strength are Palloff Press Walk Outs, Medicine Ball Rotational Shot Put Throws and Fake Medicine Ball Slams Into Full Slams:
Palloff Press Walk Outs - An anti-rotation exercise that also works hip stability, motor control, and body awareness. An ideal exercise for any individual who has a hard time maintaining golf posture, hip hinge under stress, or athletic positions.
Medicine Ball Rotational Shot Put Throw - This exercise helps to generate explosiveness, rotational power, rotational speed, core strength, and pelvic rotation. Perform this to facilitate core stability, hip strength and control, and lower back stability.
Fake Medicine Ball Slam Into Full Slam - Complete this exercise to improve explosiveness, rotational power, and full body strength. This compound movement consists of squeezing the upper body and core to transfer energy into the medicine ball. While doing this, balance on one leg and extend the non-balance leg back. Try to complete the medicine ball slam and the extension of the back leg in one fluid motion.
Improve Mobility
There are four key zones of mobility for the golf swing. These four key zones are:
Hips
Shoulders
Neck
Mid back
Let’s not overcomplicate it. If mobility is achieved in these four zones, you are going to be able to generate optimal turn in your golf swing. If mobility is lacking in any of these four zones, your body may be making unknown compensations that decrease the efficiency of your golf swing.
A lot of these joints are designed to rotate and if they don’t, from a health and quality movement standpoint, you are going to struggle in other areas. Therefore it becomes really important to work on these.
Here are four mobility assessments, each for the four key zones, to gain a better understanding of your current golf mobility and what area(s) to focus on going forward:
Click HERE for a video demonstration and ini-depth analysis of each assessment!
Distance for Golf
There are multiple ways to add distance to your drives. Different techniques work best for different golfers based on how your individual body moves. Test various techniques and see what works best for you.
Focusing on distance training for golf allows you to set yourself up for more par’s and gives you a shorter approach to the green. These benefits give you an advantage over golfers and can be the difference between making the cut or not.
More Resources:
January - February Junior Swing Speed Class: Motus Rx Physical Therapy runs a golf class every Monday and Wednesday that focuses on increasing driving distance, becoming more explosive, and gaining swing speed. This class is done in an empowering group environment where 8-12 other golfers can learn from each other, train together, and build lasting relationships. If this is something you could benefit from, or know someone who could benefit from this, text/call the clinic at (920)335-7227 to reserve your spot.
10 Day Online Golf Challenge - Several golfers have come into our clinic wondering how they can work towards getting better turn for their golf swing, how they can improve their ground reaction force to generate more club head speed, or how they can create a better speed path.
These are all great goals to work towards and there are specific drills, exercises, and movement patterns I regularly prescribe to golfers to achieve these goals. If you wish to learn these secrets I share, you need to register for our challenge!
Each morning you will receive an email from myself with an exercise, movement, or drill to complete that directly translates into golf.
To give yourself a chance at winning this awesome prize, you have to:
1. Complete the challenge
2. Reply to each email reflecting on how the exercise went, any challenges you had, if you enjoyed it, etc.
At the end of the 10-days, for every email you replied to you will get an entry into a drawing. We will then randomly select a winner and contact you personally
Golf Mobility Program - This is a free online PDF that provides you with a full program with specific exercises to improve your mobility for golf. This will result in improved mobility which leads to increased distance.
Bogey Free Back and Body Facebook Group - If you like what we had to say and want to stay up to date with all the latest golf resources we share, be sure to join our Bogey Free Back & Body Facebook Group.
7 Golf Tips to Ease Pain and Swing Easier - If you ever have experienced pain when swinging the golf club, this is for you. Stop being limited frequency and number of swings. You deserve to golf as much as you want, whenever you want, and wherever you want.