How to Hit Your Driver Further
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Want to crush your drives? Adding distance off the tee isn’t just about swinging harder; it’s about optimizing all the factors that go into unlocking your potential. It’s a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure, but follow these tips to gain some extra driving distance.
Step 1: Optimize Your Setup
Optimizing your setup will help you hit up on the ball and increase the amount of turn in your swing.
1. Tee the Ball Higher
Most amateur golfers tee the ball too low, killing their launch. You want the ball teed so that about half of it is above the crown of your driver. That promotes an upward strike, which leads to better launch, lower spin, and more carry.
2. Widen Your Stance
A wider stance creates a more stable base, allowing you to coil with greater power. You don’t need to go full Bryson, but if your feet are too narrow, you’re leaving distance on the table. This should also give your spine a slight tilt away from the ball.
3. Move the Ball Forward
Ball position is critical. With the driver, play it just inside your lead heel. Along with teeing it higher, this setup helps you hit the ball on the upswing and launch it higher with less spin.
4. Know Where You’re Hitting the Face
A huge chunk of lost distance comes from off-center hits. To check your contact position, just grab some cheap foot spray (e.g., Dr. Scholl’s) and spray your driver’s face. You’ll instantly see where you’re making contact. Make small adjustments to your setup and swing to improve your consistency, aiming for the center or just barely above the center of the face.
Step 2: Maximize Swing Efficiency
5. Swing Faster, Not Harder
Speed = distance. But don’t confuse that with swinging your arms harder.
When most golfers try to “swing hard,” they tense up, throw their arms at the ball, and actually lose speed. Real speed comes from using your whole body efficiently, from the ground up. You can improve by taking lessons and through overspeed training.
Overspeed training utilizes lighter-than-normal clubs to train your nervous system to move faster. Once that speed is unlocked, you can bring it into your real swing.
For most golfers, this is the fastest and most effective way to gain driver speed, often adding 3 to 7 mph of clubhead speed in just a few weeks. That’s 10–20 extra yards with no change to your swing mechanics. Check out our swing speed calculator.
Popular Overspeed Training Tools:
- SuperSpeed Golf – The original and most popular. Comes with protocols and different weight sticks.
- Stack System – A high-tech option with app integration and customized programming.
- SpeedToad – Connects to your own driver shaft for the same feel as your driver and space-saving.
Don’t overdo it! Overspeed training is most effective when performed consistently for just 10 minutes, a couple of times per week.
6. Shallow the Club on the Downswing
If you’re coming over the top or hitting the ball too steeply with the driver, you’re robbing yourself of distance and consistency, and probably slicing or skying the ball. A shallow swing path helps you hit up on the ball and from the inside, which means higher launch and better energy transfer.
7. Use the Ground
You generate power by pushing into the ground and rotating, not just by swinging your arms fast. Think of it like jumping as high as you can: you load and explode. Try some step-through swings (start with your feet together and then step forward with your lead foot as you transition to the downswing) or practice lifting your lead heel, then planting it and rotating hard through impact.
Step 3: Don’t Let Your Gear (or Body) Hold You Back
8. Check Your Driver
Your driver might be holding you back. If it hasn’t been fit to you, or if it’s more than 5 years old, you could be losing 10–20 yards. Loft, shaft flex, and even grip size all affect how well you hit it.
9. Loosen Up That Body
Tight hips, stiff shoulders, and zero warm-up? Not a recipe for distance. Add a few mobility drills to your warm-up (like torso rotations, banded shoulder work, or leg swings), and your swing will open up.
But don’t stop there. Regular stretching for hip and shoulder rotation is key, and adding a bit of strength training can take things even further.
You don’t need to lift like a bodybuilder. Just 2–3 sessions a week of smart, golf-friendly strength work can boost your power and control. For exercise look for things that mimic the golf swing including turn and ground force.
Try these:
- Goblet squats – build lower body strength and hip mobility
- Dead bugs or planks – for core stability during the swing
- Single-arm rows – strengthen your back and support good posture
- Medicine ball throws or slams – great for rotational speed and explosiveness
Even a little bit of mobility and strength work makes your body more “golf-ready” — and the results show up off the tee.
