Exercises to Improve Your Golf Drive Distance
It’s no secret that your drive distance is vital to your golf game. It’s a combination of several different skills: your grip, your stance, your swing, and your concentration. If you want to improve your handicap, you need to improve your driving distance. But what can you do when you’re not on the golf course? This guide lists nine simple exercises you can do at home without having to buy any additional equipment. They’re recommended for all golfers looking to improve their drive.
Her are nine exercises that you can use to help you improve your golf swing and don’t require anything more than a golf club and a place to sit or stand. They’re designed to focus on your core over your shoulders and arms. Each exercise described below is one rep (short for repetition), and a full set is ten reps. The most important parts of a good golf swing (at least those that are under your body’s control) are your grip, stance, and swing. These incorporate your hands, forearms, and shoulders but the most crucial is your core. Any good boxer can tell you that’s where the power comes from and that’s what these exercises are designed to improve. Each exercise will help you stretch, extend and strengthen your core.
1. Seated Rotations
Sit down with your knees bent and together. Take your favorite golf club and hold it parallel to the ground with both hands. Once in position, rotate your entire body, while keeping the golf club against your chest, and alternate pointing each end of the club to the ground.
2. Glute Bridge
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and together. Place your arms at your sides with palms down. Then raise your hips toward the ceiling and hold that position for a five-count.
3. Hip Crossovers
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and together. With your knees still together, tilt both your knees toward the ground and hold them just above the ground for five seconds. Then do the same on your right side.
4. Lateral Pillar Bridge
Lie on the ground on your left side. Lift yourself and place your left elbow directly below your left armpit with your left arm perpendicular to your body for balance. Lift your right arm toward the ceiling and hold that position for a five count. Switch to your right for another rep.
5. Quad Rocking
While on your knees, rock your hips backward and then forward. Be sure to keep your spine straight and neutral.
6. Standing Ys
Stand with your feet directly below your shoulders. Hold a golf club in both hands parallel to the ground and about the same width apart as your shoulders. Raise the golf club above your head as far as you can and hold that position for a five-count, then lower the club to your hips.
7. Hand-walks
Stand with your feet directly below your shoulders. Reach down to the ground and place your hand flat on the ground (it’s okay to bend your legs). Then walk your hands along the ground while lowering your entire body into and extended push-up position. Hold that position for five-count, then shuffle your feet up until your reach the same position in which you started.
8. Lateral Squat
Stand with your legs apart as widely as you can while keeping your balance. Bend your knees slightly. While keeping your hips at a constant height, move your entire body left and right, placing it over each foot.
9. World’s Greatest Stretch
First, assume a deep lunge position with your right leg in front, bent at the knee, and your left leg stretched out behind, on your toes, as straight as possible. Second, place your left hand on the ground and, using your right hand, reach up to the ceiling with your palm open. After holding this position for a five-count, take a rest with your knee, then press gently on your right knee to stretch it away for your body.
Why should I work on My Drive Distance?
Improving the length of your drive is one of the best ways to lower your golf score. Being able to control the ball’s placement on the fairway gives you the best possible advantage for your follow up the green.
Driving distance might be more important than accuracy. The gain for longer drives outweighs the gain from straighter drives by almost a half stroke. And the statistics in the PGA back this up. The top ten golfers in the world are not as accurate as everyone else, but they drive farther on average.
You might not be able to drive the ball as far as the pros do, but improving your distance could go a long way to improving your game. Plus, it’s fun to set distance goals and work on breaking your records! It’s also a great way to impress your friends or maybe one of your coworkers. Friendly competition is a great way for friend to challenge each other and compare their drives. Competition can encourage each of you to stay on top of your exercises and see who makes the most improvement. Who knows? Maybe one day our could have the course record for the longest drive at your favorite course in town.
How far is a Good Drive?
The average golfer has a handicap (HCP) between 10 and 20. For golfers in this range, the average driving distance is 215 yards. The best golfers, are those with an HCP of 5 or below, average 250 yards with every drive. The median range is 219.55 yards. It also depends on your age group. If you’re over 60 and you can drive over 200 yards you’ve way above average for your age group. But if you’re 20 and struggling to hit the ball farther than 200 yards you’ve got some catching up to do? But that’s just the average golfer. The PGS golfers are, quite literally, in another league.
Do Better Drivers Make a difference?
Of course! Golfing technology is always improving with lighter clubs, stronger heads, and new materials that drive golf balls even farther. 2020 drivers also feature weights that can be adjusted to allow for a low-spin draw or higher-spinning fade.
When buying a new driver, you can choose between titanium, stainless steel, aluminum, carbon graphite, carbon steel, zinc, or wood. Depending on which brand you’re reviewing or which store is trying to sell it to you, each has their pros and cons. The driving head changes how the ball impacts and transfers the energy of your swing, and the materials in the shaft make the entire driver lighter and more comfortable to swing. Choosing the right driver for your type of swing is more important than which new material is the most popular.
These improvements in technology, along with healthier and fitter golfers, are one of the reasons the average drive distance in the PGA has been increasing every year. But it’s not about buying the most expensive club out there. It’s about finding the right club for you. Something to consider are grip type, shaft height, and head design.
