Should I Swing My Driver At Maximum Effort? Yes, Says Top 50 Coach Alex Elliott - And Here's Why

Most golfers will, at some point, get accused of swinging the club too hard. Even tour professionals can be guilty of it - it's one of golf's most common swing faults.

However, it's important to note that it can be beneficial to hit your driver at what feels like 100% speed (maximum effort).

In this article, we've asked our Top 50 Coach, Alex Elliott to offer some tips on how to hit a driver, and what you can achieve by varying your driver swing speed off the tee.

For more driver tips, be sure to watch the video below, in which Alex demonstrates seven ways to power up your drives.

HOW TO POWER UP YOUR DRIVES

Alex Elliott

Alex spent three years caddying on the European Tour before taking his PGA qualifications. Since then he has created a thriving social media platform on Instagram and YouTube, where he offers a whole host of tips and advice to help viewers shoot lower scores.

I have to say, this is one of my favorite ways to get used to swinging quicker. You can do this at the driving range or on the golf course, but essentially all I want you to do is hit three golf balls.

Hit one at what feels like 75% swing speed, one at 90% and one at 100%. You can then start to think of the 75% swing as your fairway finder, the 90% swing as your stock driver and the 100% speed as your maximum effort to really push the boundaries of what you can achieve in terms of distance with the driver.

The speed at these percentages will obviously be different for different players, but you should be looking to see your maximum swing speed increase over time.

If your 100% swing speed is 90mph, work hard on increasing that to 95mph by midway through the season. For reference, my 75% speed is 95mph, my 90% is 99mph, and my 100% is 108mph.

With these swing thoughts and drills, you will learn to feel comfortable being uncomfortable, and ultimately swing to the upper limits of your own speedometer in the pursuit of precious extra yards.

FAQS

What is the average clubhead speed on the PGA Tour?

The PGA Tour average in 2024 was 115.92mph. Cameron Champ topped the ranking with an average of 126.64mph.