We all want to hit the ball further, right? World Long Drive Champion Kyle Berkshire gave us some tips on how to hit driver as far as possible.
Our very own Hannah Holden met up with Kyle during the PGA Show in Orlando in 2023, and managed to get a five-minute training session with the man himself.
The American is a three-time World Long Drive Champion, having won the competition in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Berkshire holds several records, including the highest ball speed at 241.6mph. He also has the longest ever verified drive, having hit the ball a staggering 579.6 yards. Basically just hitting a long par-5 green in one!
Check out the video for what Kyle Berkshire had to say, and to see Hannah try and work these tips into her own game.
Put in 100% Effort
Give it everything you’ve got!
The first point in hitting the ball further is to make sure that you’re giving it everything you can each time.
Don’t worry about where the ball is ending up to start with, or even if you’re going to make the perfect contact with the golf ball.
When you’re building speed, you’ll need to get used to that speed through impact first. Start on the range first before transferring those newly learned skills onto the golf course.
Tee the ball higher
This is a big one as we want to get behind the golf ball and hit up on the golf ball.
This will allow for a greater attack angle and a greater launch angle, allowing the ball to travel further through the air.
Play a draw
This one might be the most difficult one for amateur golfers, as we know that most amateurs play a cut (which can turn into a slice…).
However, trying to work out how to play a tight draw can really add distance to a drive.
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Releasing your hands through impact will allow for a greater club speed and help with the draw shape.
Playing a draw helps to reduce cut spin on the golf ball, which adds distance through the air, and can also allow for longer roll-out once the ball has hit the deck.
Swing as fast as possible
Like the opening point, trying to swing the club as fast as possible is one sure-fire way of increasing distance.
If you can, try and get some speed training in to aid that process. Try and train two or three times a week.
Berkshire’s tip is to hit 30 or 40 balls in each of those sessions, swinging the club as fast as you possibly can to increase your baseline speed through the ball.
Hit the gym!
Something like this won’t happen overnight, it will be a gradual process.
If you’re going to be committed to the process of increasing swing speed, ball speed and distance, then hit the gym!
Start lifting weights to improve your overall strength, along with swing speed training.
What do you think to these tips? Will the advice of Kyle Berkshire help you hit your driver quicker and further? Let us know what you think with a post on X!
