Power has always been important in golf. You need it to impress your mates and intimidate your opponents. You need it to turn par-5s into big birdie opportunities.
Matt Fitzpatrick is one of a number of pros who have made it their mission to chase distance. You only have to look at the names at the top of the men’s game to see that distance brings big rewards. By the end of this A to Z, you’ll know exactly what you need to do with your set-up, swing, equipment and mentality in order to hit better – and further – than ever before. Power on!
A is for ADJUSTABILITY
How to maximise your driver settings
Most modern drivers come with a hosel adapter, which allows you to adjust loft, lie and face angle. If you’ve already been fitted for a driver, you may well know how much difference a few tweaks with a wrench will make. But if you haven’t – or the weights in your driver haven’t been touched for years – you can unlock some serious performance from modern clubs. An adjustable hosel lets you alter everything from how your driver looks at address to how shots launch and spin, as well as encouraging a more neutral, draw or fade shot bias. Here’s how it works – and the difference it will make…
Loft adjustability
It’s vital to get the correct driver loft at the point of purchase as face angle is directly linked to the loft. Change the loft and you change the face angle. Add loft and the face angle closes, so shots start further left. Reduce loft and it does the opposite.
You also need to remember that less loft doesn’t always mean more distance. Imagine you’re using a garden hose and trying to get the water coming out of it to travel as far as possible. If someone turns the water pressure down (which is equivalent to a slower swing speed), the spray immediately loses distance. So what do you do to get some of that distance back? You raise the angle of the nozzle. It’s the same thing with the driver. If you have a very fast swing speed (ie the hose is on full blast), you can get maximum distance with a lower loft. But if you have a slower swing speed, you need more loft to get maximum distance. What you cannot do is pair a slow swing speed with a low-lofted driver. That is equivalent to lowering the water pressure and the nozzle angle, and wondering why your feet are wet.
The average male swings driver at about 90mph. With a 9°driver, carry distance will be around 206 yards. With a 13°driver, carry distance will be around 213 yards – a significant distance gain. To get the most out of the 9°driver so many people are keen to purchase, you’d need to be swinging it over 100mph, while still maintaining control.
Face angle adjustability
Changing a driver’s face angle, like altering the lie, primarily affects the starting line of the ball. Closing the face causes shots to start further left and vice versa for an open set-up. Some fitters will also use face angle to get the look they want at address, then use lie angle adjustment to help dial in the shot shape they’re after.
Lie adjustability
Talk of lie angle adjustability is much less prevalent around drivers and woods than it is around irons. But just as too upright a lie angle in an iron starts shots left of target, and too flat starts shots right, the same is true for woods. Using a driver’s hosel adapter to make a driver more upright means the head sits more on the heel, and when that happens the face naturally points left. Of course, it’s vice versa if the lie angle is too flat and the toe is sat on or hitting the ground. If you’re looking to dial in personal launch characteristics and/or shot shape, that’s well worth remembering.
B is for BALLS
How to pick the right ball for your game
VALUE BALLS
Mizuno RB566
$39 (per dozen)
The new RB566 ball represents the next generation of soft compression golf balls for Mizuno.
This ball is an even softer than its predecessor with a new micro-dimple configuration to maintain hang-time past the apex of flight. At mid/low ball speeds, the lift effect of the dimple design is effective at extending overall flight.
Titleist Tour Soft
$59.95 (per dozen)
The core is the engine of any golf ball; that’s where it gets its speed. What makes the new Tour Soft unique is its larger core, which gives the ball even more of its fastest material and allows for more speed in the long game.
Then, when you get into your scoring clubs, a Fusablend cover over that large core gives you the spin needed to hit it closer to the hole.
Callaway Supersoft
$44.99 (per dozen)
Callaway’s HyperElastic SoftFast Core increases ball speed, especially off the driver, while creating soft feel from your irons around the green.
The Supersoft’s multi-material construction and hybrid cover also promote increased distance, along with exceptional spin, feel and short game control. Also available in a matte version.
CLUB GOLFER BALLS
Srixon Q-STAR Tour
$52.95 (per dozen)
Srixon’s softest ball delivers tour-level performance in a reworked three-piece design.
For this latest generation, there’s a slightly harder compression rating for powerful ball speeds, coupled with an even softer urethane cover for more approach shot spin and a softer feel.
Callaway Chrome Soft
$94.99 (per dozen)
Aimed at aspirational players seeking tour-level quality, the updated 2024 model is optimised for sub-100mph swing speed players and remains the lowest spinning ball in the Chrome Soft family.
It’s the definition of a great all-rounder for mid-to-high-handicap golfers.
