How to hit it 10 yards further

PGA Professional and Tour coach Dan Frost gives his insight into what he most commonly observes with the world’s best players when it comes to gaining distance.

In my opinion, the very best players in the world always have a trigger or a method to change or adjust their skill. Whether it is a thought, feeling, adjustment, visualisation or engagement, one thing is for sure, they all find a way that specifically works for them. It’s an integration into their motor pattern that, in some cases, feels like a completely different swing.

When it comes to making these changes, they normally have an array of go-to methods that act like switches on an aeroplane’s control deck for their swing. With the need for speed, trust me, everyone out there is searching for that elusive 190mph ball speed, which has an exclusive entry requirement.

But before I go into the how, I think that it’s important to explore a little of the why? It stems from a combination of data and logic. Strokes gained. There are companies that create quantifiable data for the players to support their goals. It is an advantage that is on offer for those with the ability to max out.

Most will find a little speed gain from the low hanging fruit and by that I mean the basics. Whilst the more adventurous, obsessive characters on tour see complete swing transformation.

Whatever their strategy, it is clear that the modern tour player has found an extra gear from those of yesteryear. It is now standard procedure to have a launch monitor with them on the range. Due to this, most players understand the optimum flight required for them to max out and work within their own style. This is normally something created in early development through the variation of skill development, challenge and coaching influence.

I’ve selected some of the obvious options to demonstrate the ways in which the world’s best players facilitate extra hang time in ball flight and that added length. The seven most common things that you hear from the very best players when you ask them: “how do you take it up a gear to hit it further?"

6 and 7

Faster pelvis uncoiling and clearing
This is maybe a little old school nowadays, but Tiger Woods would snap his lead leg straight, posting hard to increase the separation in his segments, creating a more effective kinematic chain.

I don’t!
An interesting view and one that you do hear occasionally. A player simply accepts their skill set and focuses more on repeatability over the one-rep max.

In golf there is no universal solution for skill enhancement. It’s a journey of self-discovery and adaption. Finding what uniquely works for you in your pursuit of excellence.