Zephyr Melton
October 18, 2021
Anne van Dam averages over 290 per trip on the LPGA Tour and she has some tips on how to make your tees longer.
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Everyone wishes they could add a few extra meters to their drives. In the bomb-and-houge era of golf we find ourselves in, there is no better weapon than a reliable big stick. But adding extra pop to your drives is easier said than done.
There are several ways you can increase your driving distance – from speed training to fitness for a more modern racket – but there are also a few simple changes to your swing that you can make for extra pop, too.
According to Anne van Dam, the long hitter on the LPGA Tour, the reason a lot of people don’t get the performance they want is because of a misunderstanding of ground reaction forces and weight shifting.
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van Dam says she will see many amateurs having to shift their weight forward during the backswing and then sliding backward during the downswing to counter that. The result is inconsistent and weak contact.
Instead, try to put your weight on your back foot during the backswing and transfer that energy to your front side as you near the impact.
“When you swing back, you almost have the feeling that you can lift your back foot,” says van Dam. “And if you go on, you’re done on the far left and can almost lift your right foot.”
She suggests mimicking this feeling during your practice swing to get the right feel before standing over the ball. Too often practice swings are performed with no purpose or goal in mind. If you want to add strength, you need to focus on practicing weight transfer before swinging.
Check out the entire video below for van Dam’s tips for longer trips.
Zephyr Melton is Assistant Editor at GOLF.com, where he spends his days blogging, producing, and editing. Before joining the GOLF.com team, he attended the University of Texas, followed by stints with Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He supports in all matters of teaching and covers amateur and ladies golf.