Hitting It 300 Yards
We all love hitting the driver far and straight and many people strive to hit that magical 300 yard plus drive. There are certain keys to hitting the driver that far that all long hitters follow. You do not need a huge backswing in order to hit the ball far however you do need to understand how to take advantage of leverage and you also do need a certain base level of strength in order to pull it off and generate the club head speeds necessary to hit the ball that far.
Leverage:
Lag is one of the keys that the pros and long hitters in general use to hit the ball far. The basic concept of lag is to generate as much club head speed right before impact by releasing the club at the last possible moment. One tip to help you get more lag is to start the downswing with a slight shift of weight towards the target before moving the club down from the top of the swing.
Upward Thrust of Left Shoulder:
Another tip to help you hit the ball further is to shift your left shoulder up towards the sky on the downswing (This applies to right handed players). This is another common trait among many long hitters. You may find your left foot may also come of the ground a little due to this move but it is normal and will help to increase lag and club head speed.
Strong Wrists and Core Muscles:
A certain level of fitness and strength is no doubt critical in order to be able to generate enough club head speed and maintain good balance throughout the swing. Having strong wrists and abdominal muscles. Doing wrist curl exercises in the gym and doing weighted crunches will help to strengthen these important golfing muscles so consider getting a gym membership or purchasing some kind of home gym so you can train from home.
Picking the right driver:
In order to hit the ball 300 yards and further you will have to generate club head speeds of at least 100mph or more. For most players using a loft in the driver of 9-9.5 degrees is ideal and you will also need a stiff shaft. Do not use a driver that is too long, usually something around 45 inches is ideal as a driver that is too long can lead to poor accuracy which will no doubt reduce your distance also and increase your scores.