Looking for more distance? Here’s how to do it the right way

Bryson DeChambeau’s incredible physical transformation was inspiring for golfers all over the world. Everyone who plays the game would love to have more distance, and DeChambeau proved that, through a ton of hard work, huge gains are possible.

Unfortunately, not every golfer has the time or the inclination to reach Bryson-levels of speed and carry. So what’s the best way to go about getting more distance for the average recreational player?

On this week’s episode of Off Course with Claude Harmon, Tour coach and GOLF Top 100 Teacher Mark Blackburn explained the right way to chase distance — and avoid injury in the process.

“Anybody can get distance,” Blackburn said. “It’s simple overload principle. If you train for distance, you can get it. It’s not hard. You can use SuperSpeed sets, all types of different devices.

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“Now, the caveat to this is, there’s plenty of people who try to do it, but they load their body beyond its capacity,” Blackburn continued. “So they are going to get injured.”

The key to avoiding this, Blackburn said, is to ensure that you stay within your own body’s capability.

Instruction

“If your muscles, tendons, ligaments, don’t have the stability, or strength to handle the load, at some point it will be the straw that broke the camel’s back. You will get injured,” Blackburn said.

Incorporating weights and strength-training regimens are great, but Blackburn said that most players could gain yards if they simply moved better — and that involved working on your flexibility.

“As we age, we lose our range of motion, and all of the sudden now, we’re trying to swing a golf club — distance, swinging further — more linear travel of the club makes the ball go further, you can generate more speed,” he said. “But if you’re restricted and you can’t turn, now as soon as you try and turn, yeah, you’re gonna do it, but you’re gonna essentially do some damage.”

For more from Blackburn, including the factors that led to Max Homa’s recent success, and the difference between teaching and coaching, check out the full interview below.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.

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