Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Timeless Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we are revisiting 20 tips for power off the tee from our March 1991 issue. For unlimited access to the full GOLF Magazine digital archive, join InsideGOLF today; you’ll enjoy $140 of value for only $39.99/year.
Analytics have changed the way golf is played over the last decade — and it’s taught us one crucial fact: hitting the ball farther leads to lower scores. With that fact in mind, golfers of all skill levels have made gaining distance off the tee a central goal.
But if you think wanting to hit the ball farther is a new phenomenon, think again. As long as the game has been played, golfers have been searching for ways to blast the ball past their playing partners.
We’ve run plenty of features on gaining distance in the pages of GOLF Magazine, and one such instance came in March of 1991. In that issue, we polled 20 pros on their simplest tips for hitting the ball farther off the tee. You can check them out below.
The golfer wielding the big stick is always thinking about the big hit, and he’ll do almost anything to achieve it. This attitude fits right in with The New Basics, which explained that distance is desirable, and not only for the psyche: Scientific studies show the best chance for low scores follow shots that are a few yards longer, even if they’re also a few yards off the fairway.
But don’t just tee it high and jump out of your socks, say the game’s longest hitters. These players all concentrate on a simple swing thought when they want to hit the long ball. They shared their best thoughts with us.
1. Greg Norman, two-time major champion
“Tee it so at least half the ball is above the clubface to catch it on the upswing.”
2. Sandy Lyle, two-time major champion
“Grip the club firmly, not grimly.”
3. Fred Couples, 1992 Masters champion
“Keep your eyes intently focused on the back of the ball from address until impact.”
4. Andy Bean, 11-time PGA Tour winner
“Take the club back low and straight to promote a wide arc.”
5. JoAnne Carter, 43-time LPGA Tour winner
“Begin the backswing with a quick weight shift to the right side and the left knee working inward immediately.”
6. Mike Dunaway, Long Drive professional
“Think of your right leg as an axis and coil around it on the backswing.”
7. Mark Calcavecchia, 1989 Champion Golfer of the year
“Let the left heel lift to promote a bigger turn.”
8. Ken Venturi, 1964 U.S. Open winner
“Shift your weight to your right side then swing your hands as high as you can above your head to create the maximum swing arc.”
9. Ben Crenshaw, two-time Masters champion
7 simple golf-swing adjustments to hit the ball longer off the tee
“Pause at the top to get everything together before starting down.”
10. Scott DeCandia, long-drive champion
“Power comes from an arm-hand whip created by shifting the hips laterally at the start of the downswing.”
11. Seve Ballesteros, five-time major winner
“Trigger the downswing by firing the right side, simultaneously pushing the right instep inward and downward.”
12. Joey Sindelar, seven-time PGA Tour winner
“Hold back the release of the right hand as long as possible.”
13. Lee Trevino, six-time major champion
“Keep your clubhead moving down the target line longer by extending the left arm away from the body on the downswing.”
14. Curtis Strange, two-time U.S. Open champion
“On the downswing, keep the right shoulder from dipping and extend the right arm and clubshaft toward the target in the follow through.”
15. Dan Pohl, 1981 PGA Tour driving distance leader
“Keep the upper body behind the ball at impact.”
16. Chi Chi Rodriguez, eight-time PGA Tour winner
“Hit against a firm left side.”
17. Kathy Whitworth, all-time winningest LPGA Tour player
“Tell yourself to let the club do the work.”
18. Tom Purtzer, 1990 PGA Tour driving distance leader
“Maintain a steady head position as you coil and uncoil around your spine.”
19. Arnold Palmer, seven-time major champion
“Maintain a steady head position as you coil and uncoil around the spine.”
20. Jack Nicklaus, 18-time major champion
“Hit the ball as hard as possible while still swinging the club rhythmically.”
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