In this edition of Lifetime Tips, 20 former PGA Tour pros share their simplest tips for hitting the ball farther off the tee.
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Golf instruction is always evolving, but the best tips stand the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Lifetime Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice that teachers and players have shared in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we’re reviewing 20 puttering tips from our March 1991 issue. For unlimited access to GOLF Magazine’s complete digital archive, join Inside GOLF tODAY; you’ll enjoy $140 worth of value for just $39.99 per year.
Analytics has changed the way golf is played over the past decade—and taught us one essential fact: hitting the ball farther leads to lower scores. With this fact in mind, golfers of all skill levels have done gaining distance off the tee a central objective.
But if you think the urge to hit the ball farther is a new phenomenon, think again. For as long as the game has been played, golfers have been searching way to explode the ball past their playing partners.
We have used many features to gain distance on the pages GOLF magazineand one such example 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 view them below.
20 approved energy tips
The golfer who uses the big club is always thinking about the big shot and he will do almost anything to get it. This stance is consistent with The New Basics, which explained that distance is desirable, and not just for the psyche: Scientific studies show the best chance for low scores on shots that are several yards longer, even if they are also several . yards off the fairway.
But don’t get high and knock your socks off, say the game’s longest players. These players all focus 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 grand champion
“Hold it so that at least half of the ball is over the clubface to catch it on the upswing.”
2. Sandy Lyle, two-time major champion
“Hold the club hard, not glumly.”
3. Fred Couples, 1992 Masters champion
“Keep your eyes focused on the back of the ball from address to shot.”
4. Andy Bean, 11-time PGA Tour winner
“Turn the club down and straight to promote a wide arc.”
5. JoAnne Carter, 43-time LPGA Tour winner
“Initiate the backstroke with a quick shift of weight to the right side and the left knee working immediately from the inside.”
6. Mike Dunaway, Long Drive pro
“Think of your right leg as a pivot and spiral around it in the backbend.”
7. Mark Calcavecchia, 1989 Champion Golfer of the Year
“Let the left heel lift to promote a greater turn.”
8. Ken Venturi, 1964 US Open winner
“Shift your weight to your right side and then move your arms as high as you can above your head to create the maximum arc of the swing.”
9. Ben Crenshaw, two-time Masters champion
7 simple golf swing adjustments to hit the ball longer off the tee
“Rest at the top to collect everything before starting down.”
10. Scott DeCandia, long drive champion
“The power comes from an arm whip created by shifting the hips laterally at the start of the downswing.”
11. Seve Ballesteros, five-time major winner
“Accelerate the landing by shooting the right side, simultaneously pushing the lower right in and down.”
12. Joey Sindelar, seven-time PGA Tour winner
“Hold 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 your left arm away from your body in a downward direction.”
14. Curtis Strange, two-time US Open champion
“On the downswing, keep your right shoulder from dipping and extend your right arm and club shaft toward the following target.”
15. Dan Pohl, 1981 PGA Tour driving distance leader
“Keep your upper body behind the ball on the shot.”
16. Chi Chi Rodriguez, eight-time PGA Tour winner
“Hit against a hard left arm.”
17. Kathy Whitworth, LPGA Tour’s all-time winningest player
“Tell yourself to let the club do the work.”
18. Tom Purtzer, 1990 PGA Tour driving distance leader
“Maintain a stable head position as you wrap and unwrap around the spine.”
19. Arnold Palmer, seven-time major champion
“Maintain a stable head position as you wrap and unwrap around the spine.”
20. Jack Nicklaus, 18-time major champion
“Hit the ball as hard as possible while still swinging the club rhythmically.”
