PRIVATE LESSON
There are many factors that prevent a player from reaching their potential with the driver. Find distance gains from the tee with PGA Teaching Professional Charles Kares.
MANY golfers are searching for longer shots, especially from the tee, with little to no success.
At The Lakes Golf Club, I use Trackman in my teaching bay which helps show players where they are struggling with gaining distance.
Looking at factors such as attack angle, launch angle, low point, spin rate and smash factor helps establish the reasons why your clubhead speed and ball speed are not being maximised.
There are many factors that prevent a player to reach their potential with their driver. In terms of equipment, a player’s shaft and clubface loft need to suit your swing for you getting the most out of your driver.
Many players want to use stiff shafts because they feel this is a sign of being a good player. This is far from the case.
Using the wrong shaft can cause a player to lose speed and distance. What shaft are you using? Is it helping your game or hurting your game?
Another common mistake is trying to gain distance by using a driver with too little loft. Adjustable loft drivers have helped add distance for many players, simply by trying all the lofts and seeing what works best … especially while hitting in front of a Trackman.
In terms of swing technique, the most common distance robbing mistake is the loss of a good spine angle at the top of the backswing. If the top of your spine is angled towards the target, this will encourage a steep downswing that encourages a downward blow on the ball, which imparts extra spin to cost you distance.
With the ball sitting on a tee, you need to hit the ball on the up or as the clubhead moves past the bottom of the swing arc.
These few factors can be picked up on Trackman and a professional can then make the relevant changes to your swing or advise on equipment upgrades to add distance to your drives.