If not the longest golfer who can drive the ball far, Rory McIlroy is one of the best. He had the best average driving distance on the PGA Tour in 2022–23, which gives you an idea of how far he shot. With 428 yards, it was the eighth longest drive of the season.
How did Rory McIlroy get his driver to work so well? The short answer is his long swing, which is nearly perfect. In fact, the man from Northern Ireland has such a great drive that Tiger Woods, the star of the tour, uses it as a model.
The topic has been brought up by Rory McIlroy himself more than once. In an interview made in 2022 for the British media RSNG, he outlined the important details to take into account to improve the shooting range.
Here are some of Rory McIlroy’s tips for getting stronger.
Rory Mcllroy’s source of power
Rory McIlroy says that his plan for improving his driver’s swing is made up of four parts. All of these things must, by logic, fit together after a lot of practice.
#1: Make your top and lower bodies match.
The man from Northern Ireland said that many players at all levels mess up because they don’t use their upper and lower bodies evenly. This changes how hard and accurately they hit.
The answer is to hold yourself on the ground. His words were like this:
“What you need to do is – from the top of your swing – use the ground and get to the point where there is a separation, and your upper body is able to come through when you strike the ball.”
#2: A wide stance
Rory McIlroy puts a lot of thought into his stance for all of his shots, but especially for long ones. The Northern Irishman said that the right position is wide, with the back and hips turned a little away from the goal.
“You’re going to optimize your distance by hitting the ball with a good angle of vertical degree; and also by doing that, it gives you a low amount of spin,” McIlroy said.
#3: A high-top shirt
A part of McIlroy’s driving that many people might not notice is very important to him. For him, a high tee is a key part of making good touch with the ball when he drives it.
“I have a bit of a low position in my swing before the ball impact, so a longer tee helps me in that respect,” the Northern Irish golfer said.
#4: Making the backswing faster
This is probably the most personal thing McIlroy has. On other courses, though, the Northern Irishman has “discovered” that a fast backswing works really well.
This is because speeding up the backswing makes the return to the ball happen much faster, which means there is more force at impact.
Of course, this method won’t work for all players or situations. As McIlroy himself says, if you want to use it, you need to practice it a lot. When it comes to where to use it, the Northern Irishman only does so on tracks where the dangers are generally not too hard.
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