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Tips To Drive A Golf Ball Far And Straight

Hitting the driver far and accurately can be a significant challenge for most players. The driver can be the most difficult club in the bag to hit well consistently and requires very good swing mechanics in order to hit well on a regular basis. There are several factors that go into hitting a long and straight drive and they include club head speed, launch trajectory and ball flight, ball spin, and initial ball speed. Here are some tips to help you with each area so you can be hammering those drives right down the middle with good distance too.

Club head speed:

The greater the club head speed you can generate through impact the farther the ball will usually go. However this does not mean you need to really muscle the club. Many amateurs are confused when it comes to creating more club head speed and think that they need to be really muscular in order to generate great club head speed. There are many thin players that hit the ball well over 300 yards on a regular basis and they are able to do this because they take advantage of leverage.

You do not want to release the club on the downswing too early otherwise this will result in lower club head speeds through impact. You need to release the club at the very last moment in order to take advantage of leverage the most and create the most club head speed. A good tip to create more leverage is to shift your weight first towards the target laterally before lowering the club on the downswing as this will help to load the club and generate greater club head speed at impact.

Optimum launch trajectory:

Launching the ball at the right angle can make a big difference in distance. You do not want to high or low a trajectory. The optimal trajectory will go far regardless of how much wind there is so this usually means a slightly lower trajectory than most golfers hit the ball at. Make sure you have a driver with the right loft for your club head speed. If you swing the club at over 100mph then you need a loft less than 10 degrees. Otherwise go with a loft greater than 10 degrees.

Ball spin:

There should be little spin put on the ball in order to maximize distance. This is where you need to develop accurate swing mechanics because any kind of side spin will result in either a slice or a hook. Train the proper swing mechanics as much as you can on the driving range and at home as there are many training aids you can use indoors to refine your full swing.

Initial ball speed:

Making contact with the sweet spot of the driver is critical in order to maximize initial ball speed which will give you the most distance possible. If you feel little to no vibration then more than likely you have made contact with the sweet spot. Great club head speed and accurate swing mechanics will give you the greatest ball speed for maximum distance. Learning and applying effective golf fitness workouts can also make a big difference in hitting the ball far and straight. The ‘Ultimate Golf Fitness’ system can show you proven golf fitness exercises used by touring professionals that you can use right away to improve every part of your game. Click here to learn more.