How Do You Hit Longer Tee Shots (Add Distance)

Are you looking to add distance to your tee shots? Would an extra 20 or 30 yards off the tee help your golf game?

If so, you’re in the right place as I’ve just gone through my own journey of adding 20-30 yards to my tee shots and seen firsthand how it positively has affected my golf scores.

In my case, this added distance on the tee box has helped lower my scoring average from an 80 to 76. Here’s what you need to know about adding distance to your golf swing and ways to do it.

#1: Get Fitted for the Right Golf Equipment

Believe it or not, I unlocked a lot of my distance off the tee by upgrading to a better driver that fit my swing. I was formerly playing a Titleist 910D which is an old driver I’ve had for 10+ years.

In 2023, I decided to get fitted for a new driver. I ended up going with the Srixon ZX5 MK Driver.

During my driver fitting, we found that I hit optimal launch and spin using the ZX5 MK II driver head, paired with a 70g shaft that was stiff. We tested the extra-stiff shaft as well but found better results staying with the stiff shaft.

The results were incredible. Upgrading to a fitted golf driver instantly added 20+ yards to my average driver distance. I couldn’t seem to hit the ball past 260 yards previously despite my fast swing, and with the new driver I was average 280+ yards and 110-114 mph clubhead speed.

So take my word for it that unlocking driver distance off the tee can be achieved by playing the right equipment that fits your swing so you can achieve optimal launch angle, optimal backspin rates, and swing speed numbers that combine together to produce a farther flying ball flight.

Resource: How to Score in the 70’s Golf Training Plan

#2: Increase Your Ball Speed

Ball speed is a metric you want to pay attention to if you’re struggling to get distance on your tee shots. Ball speed is a result of your swing speed and how well you make contact with the golf ball.

You can have a fast swing speed (100+ mph), but if you’re not striking the ball center of the driver clubface, then your speed isn’t transferring to the ball very well and your ball speed numbers will be down.

Your driver tee shot distance increases as your ball speed increases.

Increase Ball Speed through Swing Speed

Start by assessing if you have a slow ball speed due to a slow swing speed. Are you swinging your driver 80mph? 90mph? 100mph?

If you don’t have a swing speed problem, then you can point to your contact and ball striking as the problem.

Increase Ball Speed through Swing Contact

Smash factor is a metric used on golf simulators to track how well your ball speed is relative to your swing speed. You want to achieve a smash factor of 1.50 which simply means that your ball speed is 1.5x your swing speed.

Anything below a 1.50 ratio means that your contact isn’t great.

For example, my swing speed is 110mph so I should expect a ball speed of 165mph to show up on the simulator data.

If I’m not achieving this goal number, then I know I have to work on my ball striking and start hitting better locations on the face.

This can be done through swing drills as well as using a spray that mists the clubface to show ball prints so I can see where the ball is being struck each swing.

#3: Optimize Your Driver Launch Angle

Most golfers fail to generate enough launch on their tee shots. The ball flight comes out lower than it should and doesn’t gain as much distance through the air as a result.

Pay attention to the Launch Angle statistic if you have access to a golf simulator or golf launch monitor device.

Launch angle is measured relative to the ground line and tells you the angle (in degrees) that the ball was traveling immediately after swing contact.

An optimal launch angle should be 12-14 degrees.

Most drivers have a dynamic loft setting of 9.5 or 10.5 degrees of loft. This combines with the driver swing having a positive attack angle upward on the ball at impact to produce the 14 degree optimal launch angle for the golf ball.

Start by checking your driver setting if you have an adjustable driver head. Increase the loft setting to help add additional launch to your drives if you struggle to hit high flying tee shots.

Next, work on your golf swing technique. Make sure you’re swinging up on the golf ball, and not hitting down on the ball like you would with irons. Check your angle of attack statistic on a golf simulator which is different from launch angle.

#4: Optimize Your Spin Rate

Spin rate, also known as backspin, is a golf statistic measured by shot tracers and golf simulator devices.

When a golf shot has a lot of backspin, it generates lift, causing the ball to fly higher in the air.

More backspin on a golf shot also reduces how far the golf ball will roll upon landing, which can impact your overall distance of your tee shots.

Ideally, you want to see your driver spin rate numbers in the low 2,000 RPM range. If you have a really high spin rate, you could be losing distance.

Working on your golf swing technique, getting fitted for the right driver equipment, and playing the right golf ball are three ways to adjust your spin rate numbers for the driver tee shot.

Seek a certified teaching professional to help you optimize your golf driver spin rate.

#5: Add Muscle / Flexibility

Our final tip for how to hit longer tee shots is to add muscle and strength to help you increase your golf swing speed.

You’ll definitely unlock swing speed if you regularly train your body using golf specific exercises that teach the body how to generate power with the legs and core muscles.

We’ve covered this extensively in our content if you find our various guides on the best exercises to perform but here are a few suggestions:

• Deep Squats
• Squat Jumps
• Jump Rope
• Medicine Ball Chest Throws
• Medicine Ball Slams
• Russian Twist (core)
• Rows (back)

It’s also important to incorporate stretching exercises each week into your fitness routine to help gain flexibility. This will serve to help prevent injury, but it also allows the body to be more flexible during the golf swing.

This can unlock better hip turn and shoulder turn during the swing, allowing you to add rotational power and speed you haven’t been able to achieve prior.

Being able to make a deeper turn in your back swing can be a huge benefit for generating power, especially as you age and start to lose flexibility which restricts your shoulder turn back swing motion.

Overall, these are 5 proven ways to generate more distance on your tee shots on the golf course. I’ve spent the past year unlocking 30 yards on my driver tee shots thanks to getting properly fitted for the right driver and working on improving my contact and thus my ball speed.

I’ve spent time working on my golf swing technique to make sure I’m swinging on a shallow plane and launching the ball with great spin and launch numbers.

Plus I’ve added golf fitness to my weekly routine to ensure I’m building strength and flexibility that will benefit my golf swing power.

Give these 5 swing tips a try and let me know if you find success adding distance on your tee shots.

Golf Practice Plans to Follow

• How to Score in the 60’s Golf Training Plan
• How to Score in the 70’s Golf Training Plan
• How to Score in the 80’s Golf Training Plan
• All Access: Get Every Practice Plan (Lifetime Membership)

Thanks for reading today’s article!

Nick Foy – Golf Instructor