Are You Chasing Distance and Losing Control?
If you’re anything like me, you’d love to add a few extra yards off the tee. But here’s what I see all too often: golfers try to hit the ball harder and end up sacrificing strike and accuracy. The result? You actually start swinging softer just to keep the ball in play, and suddenly you’re hitting it even shorter.
The Three Keys to Long, Straight Drives
When it comes to driving the ball further, there are three main things we need to focus on:
- More club head speed
- The club travelling upward through impact
- Striking the ball from the centre of the clubface
It sounds simple, but most golfers lose one or more of these when they try to ‘hit’ the ball harder. Instead of effortless speed, you get tension, mishits and balls sprayed across the fairway (or worse, the rough).
Why Your Practice Swing Feels Better Than Your Real Swing
Ever notice how your practice swing with the driver feels effortless and quick, but as soon as the ball is there, you tense up and lose that freedom? The moment you focus on hitting the ball, everything tightens up, and your swing becomes less effective. You end up hitting down on the ball, your strike moves off-centre, and your speed drops.
The 'Throw the Club' Sensation
Here’s a concept I love, inspired by Bryson DeChambeau and used with great results in my coaching. Imagine you’re going to ‘throw’ the club towards your target. Of course, don’t actually let go of it, but create the feeling that you’re throwing the club down the fairway. This instantly gives your swing a freer, faster sensation.
When I do this, I’m not thinking about the ball at all. My focus is beyond the ball, towards the target, and the swing feels quicker and smoother. The ball just gets in the way of a powerful, flowing motion.
How to Apply the Throwing Sensation
Set up to the ball as usual. Then, as you swing, feel as though you’re throwing the club at your target. This could be the middle of the fairway, or if you’re practising indoors, the centre of a screen. The key is to keep your attention past the golf ball, not on it.
You can even play with the sensation. If you feel like you’re throwing the club more down in front of you, you’ll notice your angle of attack changes and you may hit more down on the ball. If you feel like you’re throwing it higher or further up, it encourages you to hit up through impact, maximising launch and distance.
Master Your Launch, Strike and Speed
If you want to unlock your ultimate driver performance, the combination of swinging up through the ball, striking it from the middle and building clubhead speed is essential. The throwing sensation can help you coordinate all three, giving you longer and straighter drives without feeling like you’re forcing the ball.
For a deeper dive into maximising your driver, check out my Driver Efficiency Code series where I unpack the launch code, strike code and speed code in detail.
Personalise the Drill to Your Swing
Some golfers hit up too much, while others hit down. If you’re one of those who already hits up excessively, you can experiment by ‘throwing’ the club more down or out in front of you to control your low point. But if you want to maximise distance, focus on throwing the club up and out towards your target as quickly as you can. Let the ball get in the way of your swing – you’ll be surprised at how much further and straighter you hit it.
Want Help with Your Swing?
If you’d like tailored advice for your driver swing, I offer online lessons through Skillest. Let’s work together to unlock your hidden distance and accuracy.
Watch the Full YouTube Video
Want to see the full breakdown and live examples? Watch the full YouTube video here and start driving the ball longer and straighter today.
