How to hit long drives without swinging too much

Every beginner golfer has had that moment when they stand on the tee box of a short par-4 fairway and think to themselves, Bombs in the distance!

But this freewheeling approach can lead to running in the right sequence, trying to generate as much clubhead speed as possible, losing tempo and hitting the ball.

Unlike professionals and non-professionals, most average players lack the ability to add speed to the call while maintaining a proper tempo – hence you find yourself fidgeting, hooking or cutting your drives when driving. do try pressing the internal “Turbo” button.

But something funny happened to me when I was playing six months ago: I focused on developing a consistent swing tempo and not just trying to swing as hard as I could. The result? Great drives, with the ball coming off my clubface down the middle of the fairway — more distance than I've ever had.

So, what gives? How could swinging wet instead of hard have better results? I tapped Top 100 GOLF Teacher Tim Cooke to help explain.

Why improving your tempo will lead to longer shots

“With the help of research from John Novosel at Tour Tempo, we know that most pros swing at a 3:1 tempo,” says Cooke, which means their upswing takes three times as long as their downswings. “Most of the time, the time it takes for them to start throwing to reach one second, the recoil is three-quarters of a second and the descent is one-fourth of a second.

“Some players are fast, while others are slow, but most maintain a 3:1 ratio.”

And if golfers deviate from this tempo? Naturally, Cooke says, they will usually produce a slower swing speed.

“If the backswing takes longer than a 3:1 ratio, less force is applied to the club on the return. Therefore, there is less clubhead speed in the swing,” he said. “A slow deceleration causes less force over time, so less momentum is created for speed.”

But if you're the type of golfer who speeds up your backswing and doesn't stay on tempo, you're also missing out on an opportunity for more speed, says Cooke.

“Conversely, when the upshift is too fast compared to the downshift (for example, 2.5:1), the backstroke ends up being short, so the handle doesn't travel very far,” says Cooke. “Shorter backswing means it's harder to put a lot of power into the club on the backswing, which also leads to slower clubhead speed.”

There are several different ways to help improve your swing tempo – such as using a water bottle – so try a few different swings to find out which one works best for you to achieve the 3:1 ratio. It will lead to improved range and dispersion.

The SuperSpeed ​​Golf Training System

$379.99

The Speed ​​Training System of Choice by Padraig Harrington, 3x Major Winner and 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame Inductee. Achieve the dream of more distance with our original speed training system. This program has helped hundreds of thousands of golfers increase their swing speed and create stronger, more consistent golf swings. This program includes our exclusive 3-weight training clubs and access to our full online training program. Research clearly shows swing speed gains of 5% in about 6 weeks of regular practice. Choose your right set and choose your technique to track your speed gains. CARRY YOUR SET WITH TRACKING TECHNOLOGY FOR UP TO $80 OFF! Choose the MEN'S set if you use an X, S, or R flex driver and/or swipe over 90MPH. Not sure which set you need? Take our quiz here!

buy now

View Product

Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor