Thursday, October 29, 2009

Hitting Long Golf Drives in the Real World

By Mark Walters

Every golf hole starts at the tee. If you have trouble driving the ball, then you're opening every single hole scrambling. You might salvage a bunch of pars with a great short game, but you might well be putting for birdies if your driving was up to scratch.

For nearly all players, being consistent with the driver and hitting long golf drives aren't impossible. Hitting long golf drives is easier than most people recognize.

Modern golf equipment means golf balls today get the best distance from launching on a high trajectory and having a shallower angle of descent. It's not about wormburners anymore. Long golf drives now come from high launch and long carry.

With great swing speeds and on-center striking, pros can still get height on the ball, even with low lofted drivers. For most club players however, playing a higher lofted driver will encourage both carry and consistency. The majority of club golfers would get best results from drivers with 11 - 14 degrees of loft.

Fitting the correct driver shaft is crucial when it comes to long drives and consistent golf. The shaft plays a crucial function in all the clubs in your set, but the effects of playing the wrong shaft in your driver are magnified.

Most golfers play drivers with graphite shafts. Sadly, most golfers use driver shafts that are too stiff for their swings. That might be the cause of the most common fault in golf, the slice. Use a shaft that is too stiff and you'll most likely suffer from a slice.

In part, that has to do with the common mistaken belief that graphite shafts are too whippy, too soft. That could well have been the case 10 years ago, but modern graphite shaft manufacturing methods have given us first-rate models with excellent flex profiles.

The majority of golfers would get the best results from playing a light-weight, medium torque shaft in their drivers. The light-weight will improve swing speed and you'll be able to load a medium torque shaft better during your swing, getting the club square back to the ball with the most energy. Greater carries come from this energy.

Tip stiffness also has a vital job to play in how your drives will launch. Your launch angles will suffer if you use a shaft which is overly tip-stiff. The launch angle is where a long golf drive comes from. Keep in mind, we're looking for a soaring trajectory, not a low worm burner.

Matching your driver head and shaft specifications to your swing is the most important part of being a long hitter. Your driver need to match your game, not amplify any swing faults.

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