3 things you must do to bomb your driver, according to a Top 100 Teacher

By: Jason Birnbaum, Top 100 Teacher

September 11, 2023

Every golfer wants to hit their driver far, so GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jason Birnbaum gives his 3 tips to showing off your power from the tee

Finally learn the secrets to hitting your drives longer.

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Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you play smarter, better golf.

Drive for show and putt for dough? One thing that driving distance stats have proven over the last several years is that it might be time to rethink that phrase.

Just look at some of the best players on the PGA Tour and it’s obvious they know how to drive for show and dough.

tiger woods on driving range — How to hit a golf ball 300 yards: the simple science behind smashing drives
By: Ryan Barath

There’s no question that, for all levels of golfers, the driver is the most important club in the bag. If you want to lower your scores, you’ve got to drive it longer and straighter — so learning how to make this club your biggest weapon is essential.

For those looking to smash their driver and start impressing their playing partners, follow these three simple tips.

3 ways to hammer your driver every time

Ask golfers what they wish they had more of, and you’ll hear a common refrain: “more distance.”

But it takes more than just swinging out of your spikes to unleash the full potential of your driver. The tips below will help provide the foundation you need to maximize both speed and power, ultimately leading to increased yardages from the tee box.

1. Master the setup

There are three keys to having a good driver setup:

Wide stance for a stable base
Forward ball position to promote an upward sweep at impact
Tilting your shoulders away from the target and slightly closed, which helps to promote an in-to-out swing path

By doing these three keys in your driver setup, you’ll be able to hit a more natural draw spin, which will maximize distance.

2. Get the right equipment for YOU

There’s no need to break the bank and buy exotic heads and shafts, but having the correct loft (more is always better) and shaft flex customized to your swing speed can make a huge difference.

Swing speeds under 100 mph are more suited for regular flexed shafts, while speeds over 100 mph are better for stiff and sometimes extra stiff shafts.

True Spec Golf is a great option when getting fit for (and building) custom clubs.

3. Hit the ball as hard as you can

This might sound obvious, but most golfers are still tentative on the course when it comes to actually swinging the driver hard, which leads to a major loss in power.

Hit the ball hard with abandon, even if that means giving up some accuracy.