Bombs are all the rage in golf these days. And they’re undoubtably helpful for your game, too. Being able to fly your ball past your competitors gives you an advantage over your peers that will show up on the scorecard.
What’s the secret to hitting these long drives, though? For help with that question, we asked an expert — Anne van Dam. She leads the LPGA Tour in driving distance this season at over 290 yards a pop, and on this week’s episode of How to Hit Every Shot, we asked her to demonstrate to GOLF Top 100 Teacher Nick Clearwater the secrets to her long-driving prowess.
Check out the video above, or read below for four tips to hitting bombs off the tee.
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1. Tee the ball up higher
To hit the ball further, you’ll need an upward angle of attack. An easy way to achieve that is by teeing the ball up higher and trying to hit up on it. For van Dam, this means teeing it up with about half the ball above the driver head.
2. Move ball position forward
Next, you should try to move the ball position a touch forward in your stance. This repositioning of the ball will also help you get the proper angle of attack to hit up on the ball.
“Everything I try to do is [for] angle of attack,” van Dam says.
3. Keep your weight even
Van Dam also says she likes to keep her weight evenly distributed between both her feet when she sets up. This puts her in a great position to make a strong, athletic move on the ball.
4. Complete your backswing
And finally, van Dam recommends making a long — and complete — backswing.
“A lot of people try to swing it hard and they already start [their backswing],” van Dam says. “I try to feel like I’m smooth and then I go.”
