How to Hit the Golf Ball 300 Yards

Michelle Wie is one of the LPGA Tour's longest hitters.
i Chris Trotman/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

The 300-yard drive is one of a golfer’s dream shots. A 300-yard tee shot sets you up for a short pitch or a chip to a typical par-4 hole, and gives you a chance to reach a 500-yard green in two shots. The average woman will have a tough time reaching the 300-yard mark, but it’s far from impossible. Top LPGA pros such as Yani Tseng and Michelle Wie average around 260 to 270 yards off the tee each year. Even if you don’t smoke the ball 300 yards, improving your driving skills should help you lower your scores.

    Step 1

    Develop your strength. Try swinging a club that’s a bit heavier than normal to build up the muscles you use during your swing. For example, duct tape a golf ball to the head of an old 5-iron and swing the club for a few minutes every other day.

    Step 2

    Use a longer than average driver. Former PGA Tour great Gary Player used clubs that were 1/2 inch longer than the standard length, solely for the purpose of increasing his distance, because longer clubs produce a longer swing arc.

    Step 3

    Flare your lead foot toward the target. In his book, “My 55 Ways to Lower Your Golf Score,” Jack Nicklaus says that he turns his left foot 45 degrees toward the target at address when he’s on the tee, to increase his hip rotation.

    Step 4

    Close your stance by dropping your right foot a bit farther back than your left, if you're right-handed. Both Nicklaus and Player used this technique to develop a longer backswing.

    Step 5

    Move your downswing in the correct sequence, shifting your weight forward first, then rotating your hips, then your shoulders and then moving your hands forward. The clubhead should lag behind your hands, then snap forward as you approach the impact point.

    Step 6

    Resist the urge to swing too hard. If you swing too hard you’re more likely to throw yourself off balance and hit the ball poorly than you are to gain distance. You can’t achieve your maximum distance unless you hit the ball with your driver’s sweet spot.

    Things You'll Need

    • Duct tape

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