IT'S GOOD FOR YOUR GAME
It used to be thought that swing speed was the big determiner of how far you hit the ball, but if you can increase your launch angle and decrease the ball’s spin rate, you’ll hit it farther.
The average player’s ball comes off the clubface at about 9 degrees, spinning at roughly 4,000 revolutions per minute, whereas PGA Tour players launch it at more than 11 degrees and about 2,700 rpm.
The drive-for-dough boys — the long-drive champs — launch at 13 degrees with 1,800 rpm. Here are a few things you can try to lower your spin rate and raise your launch angle.
Equipment
Experiment with a more flexible shaft with a low kick point. It may well give you a catapult effect where the ball leaps off the clubface with higher velocity and less spin.
Setup
Move the ball forward 2 inches and tee it higher than you ever have to catch the ball on the upswing.
You'll determine how much higher to tee it by experimenting.
The Swing Itself
There is one all-purpose fix that is guaranteed to increase power: improve your tempo. Try hovering the club at address (instead of resting it on the ground behind the ball), and then counting rhythmically as you swing: one-two for the backswing, three for the downswing. Or use H—E-L-L—O, DOLLY to smooth out your swing. It will feel slower, but produce more power, another one of golf's counterintuitive secrets.
This pro maximizes his power because he has the correct shaft flex in his driver – flexible enough to sling the ball, but stiff enough for clubhead control, aka accuracy. See a good club-fitter to make sure your shaft matches your clubhead speed so you, too, can take advantage of the catapult effect.
Note how the clubhead here has bottomed out (it’s at its low point on the swing arc), but the ball is nowhere to be seen. That’s because to max out distance with his driver, this pro plays it forward in his stance, ensuring he’ll catch it on the upswing. High launch is a key to maximum distance.