How to Add 20 Yards to Your Drive: Tips From Top PGA Coaches

Brian Park, Skillest CEO · LinkedIn

“Add 20 yards” is the most-promised outcome in golf instruction, which means it’s also the most-overpromised. The honest version: yes, most amateurs can add 20 yards. But it doesn’t come from “swing harder.” It comes from identifying which of four levers is costing you yardage and training that specific one.

Ready to add 20 yards to your drives? Work with a Skillest coach to pinpoint your exact bottleneck and get a personalized distance plan. Get started on Skillest.

TL;DR

Distance comes from four measurable levers: clubhead speed, centred strike, launch + spin numbers, and angle of attack. Diagnose which one is your bottleneck before you train. Generic “swing faster” tips fix nothing because they don’t know what your problem is. A launch monitor reading or one swing video to a coach tells you in 5 minutes. Realistic timeline: 8-12 weeks of focused work for 15-25 yards.

The hero math

A few numbers worth knowing:

• Average amateur male driver swing speed: ~93-95 mph (TrackMan industry data).
• PGA Tour average: ~115-117 mph.
• Each 1 mph of clubhead speed ≈ 2.5 yards of total distance (assuming reasonable strike + launch).
• Adding 20 yards ≈ adding 8 mph of swing speed, OR fixing your strike + launch numbers, OR a combination.

One more number that puts this in perspective: the Arccos 2026 Driving Distance Report tracked over 25 million rounds and found that the average male amateur’s driving distance has moved less than one yard over the last eight years (224.0 yards in 2018, 224.1 yards in 2025). New equipment hasn’t moved the needle. Swing technique, speed training, and ball-striking efficiency are where the yards actually come from.

The same report found a 63-yard gap between elite amateurs (scratch to 4.9 handicap) and 30+ handicappers. Driving distance is highly correlated with better scores. Here’s how you can hit the ball further.

The four real levers

Lever 1: Clubhead speed

The biggest single factor. Faster club = farther ball. But before reaching for a set of overspeed sticks, it’s worth asking where your speed is actually coming from, or failing to come from.

Most amateur golfers aren’t losing speed because they lack strength or raw athleticism. They’re losing it because their body isn’t sequencing correctly. Speed in the golf swing is created by a chain: hips rotate first, then the torso, then the arms, then the club. When that order breaks down (arms outpacing the hips, early release of the wrist angles, early extension through impact), you leak speed at every link in the chain. Fixing the sequence can add 5-10 mph before you’ve done a single overspeed rep, and the gains tend to stick because they’re rooted in mechanics, not just neural training.

Overspeed training works best on top of a reasonably efficient swing. If your sequencing is already solid, a 6-week overspeed protocol can reliably add another 4-8 mph. If it isn’t, the speed gains will be smaller and less consistent, because you’re asking an inefficient pattern to just do more of itself.

The practical order: address sequencing first (ideally with a coach on video), then layer in overspeed training once the mechanics are cleaned up.

How to measure: launch monitor (PRGR, Garmin R10, SkyTrak, TrackMan). Even a $200 personal launch monitor reads swing speed accurately enough.

How to train: Video your swing and have a coach look at your action. Is your lower body leading the downswing, or are your arms dominating? A single session with a Skillest coach can identify the biggest leak in your sequence. Once your mechanics are working in the right order, add SuperSpeed Golf overspeed sticks or The Stack System on top. Both have research backing, both work, and the combination of better sequencing plus overspeed training beats either alone.

Lever 2: Centred strike

Off-centre contact destroys ball speed. A toe hit on a driver costs about 8% of ball speed; a heel hit, similar. That’s 15-20 yards lost per shot.

How to measure: Dr. Scholl’s foot spray on the driver face. Hit 5 balls; look at the marks. Off-centre = your problem.

How to train: strike-feedback drills (foot spray, impact tape, the “tee gate” drill) over 4-8 weeks. Centred contact is more about consistency than swing change.

Lever 3: Angle of attack (and the launch + spin numbers it produces)

Angle of attack is the input, launch angle and spin are the outputs it produces. Understanding the relationship helps you train the right thing instead of chasing numbers.

The driver should be hit on the upswing. A +3° to +5° angle of attack is optimal for most amateurs. Here’s why it matters beyond just launch angle: hitting up on the ball increases the effective loft at impact, which raises launch. But it also tends to raise spin. To get the ideal combination (high launch, low spin), you pair a positive angle of attack with a lower-lofted driver — the AoA contributes the launch, the reduced loft keeps spin in check. This is why fitters often move players into lower-lofted heads once their AoA turns positive.

Most amateurs hit driver flat or descending (0° to -3°), which costs 15-25 yards even at the same swing speed. The launch numbers confirm it: too low a launch angle with too high spin is almost always a negative AoA problem, not a loft problem.

What to look for on a launch monitor: ~14° launch angle, 2,200-2,500 rpm spin for a ~95 mph swing. If your numbers are outside that range, the fix usually starts with AoA, not club loft.

How to train: ball-forward position (opposite the lead heel or just outside it), tee the ball higher, tilt your spine away from the target at address so your lead shoulder is above your trail shoulder. These three setup changes promote an upward strike. Drills below. Driver fitting is often the fastest fix once you’ve corrected the AoA: a poorly fit driver can cost 10-15 yards even with good technique.

7 drills that actually add distance

Each drill is tagged with the lever it trains. Pick the 2-3 that target your bottleneck. For Lever 3, the drills train angle of attack directly — the launch and spin numbers will follow.

Drill 1: SuperSpeed overspeed protocol (Lever 1: Speed)

Equipment: SuperSpeed sticks (or similar overspeed trainers). Time: 10-15 min, 3 days/week.

1. Follow the SuperSpeed protocol. Typically 3 sticks of progressive weight, with timed sets of swings hitting nothing.
2. The science: by swinging faster than your normal max (with light sticks), your nervous system learns to fire muscles in the right sequence at higher speeds.
3. Run the full 6-week protocol; don’t skip the recovery days.

How to know it’s working: measured swing speed climbs 3-6 mph by week 6. Most amateurs see results.

Drill 2: Step-back-and-launch drill (Lever 1: Speed via ground use)

Equipment: driver, balls. Time: 10 minutes.

1. Set up to the ball in your normal stance.
2. Step your trail foot back 6 inches behind your lead foot.
3. As you start the downswing, step your trail foot back to its normal position and launch off your lead leg through impact.
4. The footwork trains you to use the ground; ground force = speed.

How to know it’s working: ball speed increases; you feel “explosive” through impact instead of “smooth.”

Drill 3: Foot-spray strike drill (Lever 2: Centred strike)

Equipment: Dr. Scholl’s foot spray (or impact tape), balls, driver. Time: 10 minutes.

1. Spray the driver face with foot spray. Hit 5 balls.
2. Look at the strike pattern. Toe? Heel? Low? Where you’re missing is your problem.
3. Adjust setup (ball position, distance from ball) to centre the strike. Hit 5 more, check again.
4. Repeat until you can centre 4/5 strikes consistently.

How to know it’s working: strikes cluster in the centre of the face; ball speed jumps 4-6 mph from the same swing speed.

Drill 4: High-tee-and-upswing drill (Lever 3: Attack angle)

Equipment: longer driver tees, balls. Time: 10 minutes.

1. Tee the ball higher than normal. Half the ball above the top of the driver crown.
2. Tilt your spine away from the target at address (lead shoulder higher than trail shoulder).
3. Try to “sweep” the ball off the tee. Feel like you’re catching it on the way up.
4. Hit 15 balls.

How to know it’s working: ball launches noticeably higher; you don’t feel like you’re hitting down on the driver.

Drill 5: Ball-position-forward drill (Lever 3: Attack angle + launch)

Equipment: driver, balls. Time: 10 minutes.

1. Move the ball forward of normal. Opposite your lead heel, or even slightly outside it.
2. Set up tilted away from the target.
3. Hit 15 balls focusing on a high, sweeping strike.

How to know it’s working: ball launches higher, with less spin; carry distance increases.

Drill 6: Headcover-behind-ball drill (Lever 3: Attack angle)

Equipment: headcover, balls, driver. Time: 10 minutes.

1. Place a headcover 12 inches behind the ball, on the target line.
2. Take your normal swing. If you clip the headcover, your attack angle is too steep (you’re swinging down).
3. Hit 15 balls without clipping the headcover.

How to know it’s working: you stop clipping the headcover; the ball launches higher; the strike feels “sweeping” rather than “hitting down.”

Drill 7: Practice with a personal launch monitor

Equipment: PRGR ($200), Garmin R10 ($600), or SkyTrak ($2,000). Pick your budget. Time: every practice session.

1. Hit 20 drivers per session with the launch monitor measuring.
2. Track: swing speed and ball speed. If you have a more expensive launch monitor you can also track launch angle and spin.
3. Watch your numbers over 8 weeks. With driver you want to shoot for increasing swing speed as much as you can while also having a high smash factor which is ball speed divided by swing speed.

Why it matters: you can’t improve what you don’t measure. A $200 launch monitor pays for itself within 6 weeks of consistent practice.

The fitness layer

Speed training for golfers has three components, and the order matters: technique first, then overspeed training, then gym work.

Technique is the foundation. If your kinematic sequence is off (arms leading the hips on the downswing, or casting the club from the top), you’re not delivering the energy your body generates into the ball efficiently. No amount of strength or speed training fixes a mechanical inefficiency — you just learn to be fast in the wrong pattern. Get the sequence sorted first.

Once your mechanics are working, SuperSpeed Golf and The Stack System are both real, measurable, and research-backed. They retrain your nervous system to fire at a higher maximum speed by swinging lighter implements faster than you normally can. Most amateurs who commit to the 3-days-a-week protocol see 4-8 mph gains in 6 weeks.

Beyond overspeed sticks, basic strength and mobility work adds another layer. Hip mobility, thoracic rotation, hip strength. These add 2-4 mph for amateurs starting from sedentary, and they make the sequencing improvements easier to maintain. The combination of better technique + overspeed training + targeted fitness work beats any single component alone.

A coach can identify the sequencing issue and program the supporting training. Most Skillest coaches will look at your swing mechanics and build a speed-training plan alongside the technical fixes.

How long it takes

Realistic timelines:

• Strike fix (centred contact): 4-8 weeks of focused drill work; results within 2 weeks.
• Speed gains (overspeed protocol): 4-8 mph in 6-8 weeks.
• Launch + attack angle: 2-4 weeks of setup-and-tilt drills; immediate results from a launch monitor session.
• All four together (the full 20-yard gain): 8-12 weeks of consistent practice + measurement.

Anyone promising 20 yards in 2 weeks is selling you something. The legitimate version requires 2-3 practice sessions a week for 2-3 months. That’s the trade-off.

Why a coach makes this faster

Random distance tips fix nothing because they don’t know your problem. A coach can identify your bottleneck in one swing video + a launch monitor screenshot. Without that, you might spend three months working on speed when your real problem is launch angle.

On Skillest, you can record a swing on your phone, share a launch monitor screenshot (if you have one), choose a coach who specialises in distance work, and get a personalised plan within a day or two. Many coaches will look at your numbers, prescribe drills for your specific bottleneck, and check in monthly as you train.

Many coaches offer a free swing evaluation to get started and lessons are often under $200 to get a detailed analysis of exactly what you need to work on. Compared to getting fitted and buying a new driver, addressing your swing inefficiencies is the most efficient place to start.

Ready to add 20 yards to your drives? Work with a Skillest coach to identify your exact bottleneck and get a training plan built around your numbers. Get started on Skillest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will losing weight add yards?

Not directly. Losing weight without strength training often costs power. The right path is: keep or add muscle, improve mobility, train speed. Some tour pros add yards while losing weight, but they’re also training power simultaneously.

Should I get fitted for a new driver to add yards?

A poorly fit driver costs 10-15 yards. A driver fitting at a reputable shop can help, especially if you have a club that is more than 5 years old or one that is not right for your swing.

How much does a launch monitor cost, and do I need one?

Budget personal monitors start at $200 (PRGR) and read swing speed + smash factor accurately enough for most amateur purposes. If you’re serious about adding distance, it’s worth it. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

Can I add 20 yards without going to the gym?

For most amateurs, yes. Speed protocols + swing changes can get you most of the way. But adding gym work (especially hip mobility and rotational power) usually adds another 3-5 mph on top of swing-only training.

Is it true tour pros all hit it 320?

PGA Tour average driving distance in recent years is around 295-305 yards. Outliers, like Rory McIlroy, can hit the ball much further than 320 yards and has much higher swing speed than what he actually uses on the course.

How long until I see results from overspeed training?

SuperSpeed Golf publishes data showing average swing-speed gains of 4-6 mph in 6 weeks for amateurs who follow the protocol 3 days/week. Most amateurs see early gains in week 2; the bigger jumps come in weeks 4-6.