Golf Driving Tips to Help You Hit the Ball Far and Straight

Driving the golf ball well can be a great challenge and requires mastery of basic swing mechanics as even the slightest deviation from a good swing can send the ball significantly off target. Also the fact that the driver is the longest club in the bag as far as length is concerned also makes the club more difficult to hit than the others in your bag. Here are some tips to help you hit straighter and longer drives:

Tip 1: Swing freely

Tension can ruin a great golf swing so make sure for every swing you are relaxed and simply grip it and rip it. This is mostly a mental challenge so you need to not get concerned about hitting a bad drive and tense up but instead just look at the targets and let the shot go without caring too much about immediate results. If you consistently are hitting bad shots then try to figure out quickly what you might be doing wrong but be sure to swing just as freely on the next drive off the tee.

Tip 2: Keep the right hand passive

If you are a right handed player it is very important to not get the right hand overly involved in the golf swing otherwise this can result in casting the club which can cause all kinds of problems including major loss of distance and accuracy. Use a light grip with the fingers of your left hand applying most of the pressure.

Tip 3: Use a light grip

There is no need to choke the club as that can add more tension to the swing and cause many swing flaws. Instead grip the club lightly and allow it to swing back and through fully. Using a light grip pressure also promotes greater use or leverage or lag which will help to increase club head speed and overall distance.

Tip 4: Get proper equipment for your swing type

If you swing the club at high club head speeds over 120mph then you need to get a stiff shaft or even super stiff and a loft of 8.5 degrees or 9 degrees. However if you have a club head speed under 100 mph then you need a regular flex shaft and a loft greater than 10 degrees to maximize the distance from your driver.

Tip 5: Stand the proper distance from the ball

Many new players like to use a baseball grip and extend their arms out too much which results in them standing farther from the ball than they should for optimal contact. The best grip for most players is the interlocking grip and the club should be gripped at a point where the arms would naturally hang to. This usually means the club is gripped fairly close to the body which promotes a steeper swing path however this is the ideal way to make the best contact. Consider implementing some of these simple golf driving tips to help you become a better ball striker more quickly.

3 Sure Fire Ways to Generate More Power off the Tee

Power can be elusive to golfers. Is true power generated through technique, strength or something more? Every golfer wants more power, more distance, more consistency. Here are 3 ways to generate the kind of power you have only dreamed of…until now.

1. Spinal Rotation. Every time you swing the golf club, you rotate around your spine. So, what does this have to do with power? Power is generated every time you stabilize your hips to make a full backswing with spinal rotation. Most golfers have heard of the X factor. This, of course, refers to the differential between the movement in your hips and your spine. Increase your spinal rotation and a new sense of power will be released.

2. Core Based Exercises. Your body's "core", the area around your trunk and pelvis, is where your center of gravity is located. When you have good core stability, the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen work in harmony. They provide support to your spine. The core is the power zone. It is where all movement begins. A well-developed core allows for improved force output, increased neuromuscular efficiency, and decreased incidence of overuse injuries. A weak core can make you susceptible to poor posture and injury.

3. Plyometrics. Plyometrics are any exercise where the muscle is contracted eccentricly then immediately, concentricly. Put simply, the muscle is stretched (i.e. loaded) before it is contracted. A good example is medicine ball horizontal twists and standing golf swings. According to a recent study published in the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s (NSCA) journal, amateur golfers significantly increased their driving distances after just eight weeks of strength training while incorporating plyometrics. Mean driving distance increased 4.3% for the combined training group, with mean club head speed increasing 1.5%.

Once you incorporate these 3 techniques into your exercise program, you’ll never be disgruntled about driving distance or power generation again.