Hit your longest drives ever with these tips from a major champion

Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Timeless Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we look back at a piece from our February 2014 issue when Gary Woodland shared some tips on how to smash driver. For unlimited access to the full GOLF Magazine digital archive, join InsideGOLF today; you’ll enjoy $140 of value for only $39.99/year.

Hitting the ball long is more important now than ever before. If you can’t blast your driver in the neighborhood of 300 yards, you have little chance to compete at the highest level.

In the recreational game, it’s not quite as important to belt long drives, but if you can, it makes the game a heck of a lot easier. Plus, when you outdrive your peers, you’ve got license for bragging rights in your regular game.

If you’re someone who’s looking to add some yards to your drives this season, it’d be wise to listen to the pros. Below, we’ve repackaged a piece that GOLF Magazine ran over a decade ago featuring Gary Woodland. Read it and you’ll learn how to smash the ball with ease.

Smash your driver like Gary Woodland

What it is: The way to add swing speed using your stance and swing width. Get yards without yanks. 

What it does: Creates width at every stage of your motion, helping you store precious miles per hour instead of wasting them before impact. 

How to do it: Easy! Copy the moves below — the same ones that have upped my driving distance average to more than 312 yards in 2014, It’s not just me talking. It’s science: The wider you make your swing, the faster the clubhead will travel.

1. Widen your stance

One of the biggest mistakes I see weekend players make is that they set up with their feet too close together — often barely shoulder-width apart. With a narrow base like that, you lose balance and fall backward through impact, especially when you try to swing fast. When I want to drive the ball really far, I take my normal stance — which is fairly wide to begin with — then move my right foot to the right about six inches. This adjustment gives me a more stable base for improved balance and sets me up to trace the widest arc possible. This is a good thing, because wide arcs give you more time to add speed. My timing also seems to improve with a wider stance.

2. Slow your backswing

I make my most deliberate takeaway possible. It’s a timing issue for me — the slower I start, the more potential speed I can build into my swing. I think of it as a gradual building up of energy, not a quick pull to the top. Keeping it slow also helps me extend my arms so I can max out the width of my swing. When I rush my move away from the ball, I get shorter arms and a narrower arc, which limits how much speed I can release on my downswing. I also have a very hard time making a full shoulder turn or a good transition at the top when I’m rushing. Think of your backswing as a way to store energy — don’t use it all up at the start.