Since you are reading this post, it is probably safe to assume you are either a golfer who would like to improve or a serious insomniac.  I will do my best to educate you on how to make significant improvements to your golf game over the coming cooler months. If you happen to doze off, I will add curing insomnia to my resume!

I think the biggest challenge golfers face when trying to improve is that making lasting improvements takes time and repetition of the desired motion.  When golfers try to make these changes during golf season, they are usually faced with heading out to play golf and having to decide whether to play poor golf while sticking with a new swing thought or reverting back to their “old swing”.  I feel your pain, it is very difficult to soldier on with a new swing move when faced with poor shots, possibly poorer than before.

This is why fall and winter is the ideal time to make swing improvements.  The fact the weather is cool and wet and you are less likely to be playing golf or less concerned with your score, means you are far more likely to stick with your swing changes.

How do we make a swing change?  The steps are quite simple to understand but there is a key element of practice reps.

Step 1 – The golfer is often unaware of what they should change about their technique (unconsciously incompetent)

Step 2 – The golfer is educated on what they need to change (consciously incompetent)

Step 3 – The golfers is educated on the more desirable technique and how to actually do it  (consciously competent)

Step 4 – Practice the desired motion while consciously controlling the motion.  This is the biggest challenge because if you are out playing golf, you will most likely be consciously thinking about where the ball is going. When you think about anything besides the desired swing motion, you instantly lose the ability to make the desired motion because at this point, it is only a “conscious skill” and not a habit yet.

Step 5 – After lots of repetition, the motion becomes a habit (unconsciously competent) and the golfer no longer needs to think about the swing to make it happen correctly. The golfer can then play golf thinking exclusively about the shot they want to hit and not their swings.

So, how do we make a swing change?  Ideally, we spend ample time making the proper motion and not worrying about where the ball is going.  The only time this will make sense is during the fall and winter.

How Do I Get More Distance?

“How do I hit the ball FURTHER” is a question I am asked all the time.  There are a number of things you can do to hit the ball as far as your size, strength and flexibility will allow.

1. First, you must hit the ball in the middle of the clubface.  If you struggle with this you need to resolve a swing issue.
2. Secondly, ensure your grip pressure is nice and light.  You still want control off the golf club but need to avoid the death grip that causes tension.
3. Thirdly, make sure you complete your backswing before you begin your forward swing.  Too often we rush our swings because we want to hit the ball far and we never actually gather enough power with our backswings.
4. Fourthly, you can work out a little bit and do a lot of stretching so you can swing the golf club faster.  The faster the club head travels, the farther the ball will go.
5. Fifthly, when you are trying to hit a long drive, try to swing “FASTER” and not “HARDER”.  When we try to swing harder we tend to get too active with our upper bodies and this actually causes us to lose distance and accuracy.
6. The final and possibly most important piece of the distance equation is your golf club itself.  It is hugely important to have the correct driver in your hands to maximize your distance.  The basic theory is this.  We all have a speed at which we swing a golf club.  Barring any significant change in our strength, this will remain more or less constant.  Given this swing speed, we also have a very predictable ball speed.  Every ball speed has an optimum launch angle and spin rate, which will maximize the distance the ball will travel.  The correct driver will give you the optimum launch and spin conditions to maximize your distance potential.  I was fit for a new driver recently I personally have picked up 20 yards just by having a driver, which is better fit to my swing speed.  If you really want you maximum distance, get properly fit by trained professional so you can get a driver that is perfect for you.

I hope this helps you next time you want to hit a long drive!

Let me know if this posting has been helpful or if you have any tips for hitting the ball longer that work for you.  Good luck with your golf.