But for those of us who look at driving distance as a part of a well-balanced approach to the game , get ready to dive into the science behind big tee shots and , potentially , lower your scores .

Driving distance is a skill that golfers of all personalities and mindsets possess and a simple fact connects them all : From the tee , longer drives help you reach par 5s in two shots and get closer to the hole on par 4s .

“ Golf is , and always will be a game of proximity ,” said Robert Failes , a PGA Class A-6 Teaching Professional and the Player Development Leader at Birdwood Golf at Boar ’ s Head Resort . “ The closer the ball stops to the green , the fewer expected shots to green . The closer the ball stops to the hole , the fewer expected total putts .”

And before you think it , age doesn ’ t matter either — 64-year-old Mike Austin crushed a 515-yard drive in the 1974 National Seniors Open Championship at the Long Beach Municipal Golf Course in Long Beach , Calif . Almost 60 years later , Austin ’ s feat remains the longest drive ever recorded on a regulation golf course .

As you can imagine , there ’ s no single magic bullet for hitting long drives ( outside time , practice , and dedication to improve your driving distance ), but there are a few ways that you can meet your goal more quickly .

“ The underlying physics of what creates distance are objective , measurable , and able to be improved ,” Failes said . “ When it comes to increasing distance , you have the ability to influence three things : ball speed , launch angle , and spin rate .”

Without getting too scientific , here ’ s what that means :

• The better you strike a ball ( meaning ball impact occurs closer to your club ’ s sweet spot ) the faster your drive will travel .

• Ball speed will also increase based on club head speed , as well as a lower spinloft ( another term for compression .) In either case , it ’ s the difference between loft at impact and your clubhead ’ s angle of attack .

When you boil it all down , a good golf swing is simply a swinging motion that collects the ball against the sweet spot and produces launch angle , spin , and speed . Although this improvement can be accomplished in part with better equipment or simple changes to tee height and ball position , improving your swing technique and body movement ( fluidity ) are vital in driving distance .

This means it ’ s important to consider how your swing functions rather than just what it looks like .

“ Your intent should never be to ‘ hit ’ the golf ball — that ’ s the club ’ s job ,” said Failes , a Golf Digest Best In State Instructor . “ Start by being present and engaged in the task of predicting and creating the right swing for the shot you want to hit .”

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