Distance Gains Help All Golfers, Not Just The Pros

Distance has become the name of the game in golf, at least on the PGA Tour. More and more golfers are prioritizing physical fitness in an effort to gain distance and, for the lack of a better term, overpower golf courses.

Bryson DeChambeau has become the poster child for this movement over the past several months. He has packed on 50-some pounds of muscle in his effort to become the longest hitter on the PGA Tour.

And he’s delivered, now leading the Tour in driving distance at 323 yards per tee shot during the 2019-20 season after recording 302.5 yards off the tee last season. He also leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee despite ranking 110th in driving accuracy.

Luckily, most amateur golfers won’t need to put themselves through a rigorous diet and exercise program to gain 20 yards off the tee the way DeChambeau has. 

Most golfers just need a custom fitting to gain that distance off the tee. Our Tour Van driver fittings have consistently improved distance off the tee by as much as 20, 30, and even 40 yards just by making sure customers are using a driver fit for their swings.

In working with master fitter Thomas Campbell on creating videos for the 2nd Swing YouTube channel, I’ve learned a great deal about some key club fitting measurements and the consequences of using a club that isn’t fit correctly.

Data points like spin rate, smash factor, launch angle, and peak height all impact the total distance of a drive significantly. If these measurements can be optimized at all for you, there is distance to be gained. 

How exactly is more distance a significant advantage? Well, take DeChambeau’s win at the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic as an example. He was repeatedly hitting his approach shots from 30, 40, and even 50 yards closer than his opponents. That could be the difference between a short pitch shot and a full swing. It could be the difference between a 9-iron and a 5-iron. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll automatically gain that many yards with a 2nd Swing custom fitting and suddenly start hitting three clubs less into every green. However, if you don’t know your fitting data point measurements, you could be missing out on a key opportunity to optimize distance.

Manufacturers build shorter irons and wedges to help golfers create birdie opportunities. Gaining some distance off the tee will allow you to use those clubs more often, and the result will be more scoring opportunities.

Golf is still, and always has been, a game of precision. But DeChambeau is starting to show the golf community just how much adding distance can do to improve your scores. 

If you haven’t been in for a 2nd Swing driver fitting recently, you may be missing out on distance gains of your own.