Excelling in any one area of your golf game and leaving the others lagging behind will surely never make you a scratch player. The sport requires proficiency in all areas, pieced together, to form a well-rounded golfer and low scores.

Each golf course is different, so what works well for you on certain links might not translate to another. But what can’t be questioned is the importance of your distance off the tee. Setting yourself up for short irons and wedges on second shots dramatically increase your chances of making par or better, so striking the ball farther — and maintaining accuracy — should be the goal of every golfer.

But how, you ask, do I get more out of my driver? XGolf Grand Junction has a few tips that can help you out. Not only are we the best golf simulator in the world, but we also offer golf lessons from PGA professionals, who can help you truly take your game to the next level.

For now, read these tips and we’re sure you’ll find improvement in your driving distance.

Keep in mind that not everything works the same for every player or their swing, but these are general principles to hold near and dear in your pursuit of increasing distance with your driver. Study up!

Select the Right Driver

Let’s bury this first misconception right here and now. No, pulling a $900 driver out of your bag does not automatically guarantee you any results. You’ve surely played at one time with a guy who had a no-name, knock-off driver and crushes it 100 yards past your ball. That’s probably because he has an appropriate club and set up for his swing, which makes all the difference.

There are so many types of drivers, customizing everything from the head shape to the shaft composition and up to the grip. That’s all great because you have options, but keep in mind your swing style, strengths and weaknesses. So go to a trusted golf shop, hit every driver you can and look for one that feels right, has the right shaft stiffness and proper degree. You’re not Tiger Woods, no matter what you might think, so don’t hit an 8.5-degree driver!

Shorter is Better

Naturally, the driver is always going to be the longest club in your bag, but that doesn’t mean longer is better. In fact, just the opposite is true. An average driver shaft is 46 inches long, but most PGA Tour players use much shorter shafts. Why, do you ask?

In the past it was thought that longer shafts create more swing speed and therefore more distance, however, longer shafts make it more difficult to hit the ball with the sweet spot of the driver’s head, which effectively costs you more distance than the long shaft creates. Work with a club-fitter to find exactly how short you should go, but you’ll gain distance and very likely accuracy on top of it all. A true win-win!

Find the Sweet Spot

Tying hand-in-hand with the previous tip, striking the ball with the meaty part of the driver (the sweet spot) is the most sure-fire way to guarantees increased distance off the tee. The closer to the center of the face you hit the ball, the more pure the contact and ball flight.

There are companies that make a spray you can apply to the face of the driver, which allows you to see exactly where you hit the ball on the face by leaving behind an imprint of the ball. Most golfers tend to hit the lower part of the face or towards the heel or toe. All effect shot shape, spin rate and launch angle — the fundamental components to accuracy, and you guessed it, distance!

Attack Upward

A driver’s designed purpose is to elevate the ball into the air to give your the maximum distance of any shot you take on the course. Drivers come in varying degrees from 8 degrees up to 10.5 or more. Your swing shape and fundamentals all contribute to your ability to loft the ball with any club, but unlike irons where compressing the ball is the name of the game, your driver is intended to be struck upward.

A “negative angle of attack” is common among amateur players, which means the head of the driver has a downward angle at impact, forcing the ball low and greatly reducing carry. Hitting a driver with a low degree, combined with a negative angle of attack, results in disastrous distances. The opposite is also true by launching the ball too far upward. So find the right degree and try teeing the ball up higher or moving the ball forward in your stance, preferably with the help of a golf pro!

Faster (Not Harder) Swing

This is by a mile the biggest misconception in golf when it comes to swinging and can’t be hammered home enough — swing speed is NOT generated by swinging harder! When done properly, increasing your swing speed is the most effective way to add distance to any shot, especially with the driver.

To appropriately generate more swing speed, you’ll likely need to use drills and help from a trained eye if possible. Overall, your goal is to have your swing be smooth with no wasted motion and using your body and shift of weight to create a quick, fluid downswing so by impact the ball is getting the full brunt of your force. Try working out, becoming more flexible and developing strong swing mechanics overall. Then watch the ball soar!

Pick the Correct Tee Height

The final tip to generating more distance with your driver out on the golf course is without question the easiest. Yet, it still gives recreational golfers fits if they’re not careful. Teeing your ball up can quickly help both launch angle and angle of attack. Long tees are very much in style and easy to find with the increased size of driver heads on today’s modern clubs.

Teeing the ball up too high or too low is an avoidable mistake that no golfer should make. Experiment on the range to find a proper tee height for your swing, the goal being to hit the sweet spot with an upward angle of attack, but an easy rule of thumb is to have half the ball above the head of your driver at address. The ball should also be lined up with the instep of your front foot. Then grip it and rip it!

Book Your Tee Time Today!

XGolf Grand Junction offers an unparalleled level of accuracy and realism to any other golf simulator out there. We use a system of cameras, infrared laser, impact sensors and advanced gaming software to create a virtual golfing experience, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Plus, with XGolf, there is no waiting around for the group in front of you to finish a hole, you can order food and beverages that come right to you, and you can play the world’s best courses right here in Grand Junction.

Book your tee time at XGolf Grand Junction today and check out the best golf simulator in the world for yourself!