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Added Driver Distance Survey

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theoverswinger

theoverswinger

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If you have recently experienced an increase in your driving distance, what club characteristic do you think had the biggest influence to added distance? Pick just one. I'm sure it's a combination of several factors, but let's just pick one which you think had the biggest effect. Let's take the golf swing method and stats (late lag release, AOA, clubhead speed, launch, spin rate, etc.), and higher-end stuff (MOI, COR, material, etc) out of the equation, just name one biggest factor in your driver that you think caused the added distance. Also, this is about distance, not accuracy.

What characteristic in your driver had the biggest effect on your added distance?

1. More loft? Less loft?
2. Heavier clubhead? Lighter clubhead?
3. Higher Swingweight? Lower Swingweight?
4. Longer Shaft? Shorter Shaft?
5. More flex? Less (stiffer) flex?
6. Lower kickpoint? Higher kickpoint?
7. Heavier Shaft? Lighter Shaft?
8. Draw bias? Fade bias?
9. New Model? Old Model?
10. Others?

Guys, just pick one.

I'll start with mine: Longer shaft.
 
Its not one of your options, but in my own experience my clubhead path is a key to longer drives. If I can produce the inside to out swing path that helps me draw the ball I find my ball rolls out much more resulting in that added distance. But with this comes the danger of hooking the ball so I have to be careful with it.
 
None of the above - my distance increase came from lag and swing path. I've tested several drivers as of late in several different configurations and my swing has more to do with any adjustment I can make to a club.
 
Out of the choices in the OP, I think adding loft will play the biggest factor. Since there is hard data showing amateurs launch too low.
 
Less loft, down to 8.5 from 10.5.
 
Due to a recent fitting I can say these factors were probably the 3 biggest for me.

Shorter shaft = more efficient strikes
Loft down to 8
Newer tech.
 
For me it was a driver fitting with my pro. Two hours of hitting various driver and shaft combos and studying numbers on Trackman to get the right combo. I would not have believed how much I was giving up if it wasn't for Trackman, numbers don't lie.
 
Not on your list, but best for me is that I'm finding the (sweetspot) center of the clubface more often. That is translating to more distance over anything else for me right now. Even on those swings where I'm at 70% my ball is still carrying solidly.

Honorable mention is heavier shaft and a much stiffer flex.
 
Newer tech along with a more consistent swing. I have hit several different drivers over the last year and all go about the same distance, but with newer tech I get more out of my mishits with my current driver than the previous ones.
 
Nothing about the driver itself has done anything for my driving distance recently. The only thing that has changed is practice. better strikes = more distance.
 
Definitely swinging the club better. But increased forgiveness across the face definitely makes a difference from what I've seen.
 
Club wise, it is the good fit with club and player. Good results come form the confidence of knowing that the club, shaft and setting are pretty much optimal for me. An added benefit from the fitting sessions was to find out that my swing path is fine and consistent - if I miss, it is because of arms rolling too much or too earl or tension in the arms. Body movements are fine, no more tweaking the swing mid-round. All these result to mentally much more relaxed and free swing.
 
i guess i'll say "10 other" because the fly-z head with its added spin and forgiveness has helped me. but i'm always swinging better and with a fuller release than earlier this year, so i take the credit more than any of the choices above.
 
#1. Going from 12-13.5* drivers to a 10* set to 11*

#2. Going from 43-44" to 45"

Honorable mention. Going from R flex to tweener R/S flex shafts with a little firmer tip.
 
I did shorten shaft to 44" and had the swingweight adjusted back to D2.

By itself, those changes didn't really change my driver length. The club changes made it easier to tune my swing:

1) better tempo
2) more inside/out
3) better release of lag

Frankly, I've probably lowered my swing speed a bit and my average distance is down from 280 --> 265 or so. My FIR is up from 50% to 75%+. And when I was longer, my misses weren't fringe but trouble. My misses now are fringe. Today, I was 11/14 FIR and my three misses were 2 fringe (<100 yards out) and one bunker. I did have 2 drives over 300 today.

I think the premise of the question - ignore Indian and just talk bow - is a little hard to follow.
 
After getting fit I added distance with a heavier shaft and lowering the loft from 11.5 draw biased to 9.5 neutral. Numbers didn't lie. Better launch angle, better trajectory, and better dispersion.
 
I'm not sure which characteristic it was or if it was the combo but I recently cut my 913D3 8.5 down to 44.5 inches and then added lead tape to the underside of the toe to promote more of a fade bias, bring up the head weight and to get the swing weight up to D2. Something about the combination has added some extra yards to my drives.
 
Lighter, Higher launching, lower spinning shaft combined with a lower and farther back CG.
 
1. More loft? Less loft?
2. Heavier clubhead? Lighter clubhead?
3. Higher Swingweight? Lower Swingweight?
4. Longer Shaft? Shorter Shaft?
5. More flex? Less (stiffer) flex?
6. Lower kickpoint? Higher kickpoint?
7. Heavier Shaft? Lighter Shaft?
8. Draw bias? Fade bias?
9. New Model? Old Model?
10. Others? Lower spinning head
 
for me number 11. Lessons found out I was over swinging (too fast swing for my lower part of my body) went from 240 yard drives to 300 in 1 lesson and some practice now hit middle of the club 8/10 and have a lot better distance. happy bunny
 


I agree that better driving distance has to do more with the Indian than the Arrow, but what can a Lazy Indian do if he doesn't want to mess with his swing? After all, it's easier to mess with the Arrow than with the Indian. :)
 
I'm late to this party, but improving my swing has helped most with consistent distance gains. I did go up to D5 swing weight to help with my erratic backswing, which has helped as well. I still have a tendency to start out in-to-out but then hang back and swing slightly left with the driver. I'm having my driver shaft shortened from 45.5" to 44.5" to see if it helps with tempo and control as well. My current 3 wood plays at 43" and I hit it significantly better than my driver (which I've only recently learned to do through swing changes), so it's prompted the desire to shorten the driver again.
 
Temoo and striking the ball in the middle of the face. Distance is much better
 
For me it's hitting the ball as square as I can. I simply line up and then trust that I'm aiming at my intended target. After that, just make solid contact.


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