Arnold Palmer may not have been the straightest driver of the golf ball during his time in the game, but there weren’t many golfers who were as powerful off the tee as he was.
Palmer is one of the most legendary figures in the sport, with 62 PGA Tour wins to his name, including seven major championships.
In fact, his major haul does not do him justice, especially when taking into account the way in which his impact transcended the sport.
His knowledge of the game is almost unrivalled, so any golf tips he had to offer should be grasped with both hands by amateur golfers looking to improve their games.
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Palmer provided us with plenty of tips throughout his illustrious career in the game, both before and after he retired from competitive action.
And one that The King offered up more than a decade ago now is perhaps his best and most useful of the lot.
Arnold Palmer’s best tip to help amateurs hit longer drives
It’s fair to say that the vast majority of amateur golfers are desperate to hit the ball longer off the tee.
And by following the advice laid out here by Mr Palmer, you might just be able to do exactly that.
When speaking to famous golf instructor Martin Hall, Palmer responded when asked what he changed in his swing when he was really trying to unload on a drive.
He said: “The one thing that I always did when I wanted to hit it a little harder was slow everything down.
“Mostly the backswing, because that allowed me to get the club back a little further, and then I could really turn into it and get the best distance.“
He then responded when asked what he thinks the most common mistake that amateurs make when trying to hit the ball longer off the tee.
“Well, they want to hit it real hard. That’s one thing that everybody wants to do, and as a result of that, they usually move.
“When they move laterally or even forward, some people go forward as they take it back. Some people move back as they take it back.
“But to stay in that position, and I said one thing about it, taking it back slowly allows me to stay in the position that I want to be, and turn better.
“And if I can get my hips back and get the club back to where I want it, in a good, deliberate position, then I can release it through the ball very firmly.“
Bryson DeChambeau’s long-hitting advice is eerily similar to Arnold Palmer’s
Bryson DeChambeau is the longest hitter in the game in the modern era.
His advice regarding how to hit longer drives centered around exactly the same principle as Palmer’s, with a slower and more methodical takeaway being the key to extra power.
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He said: “You want to know how I gain distance? Well listen in, this is how you do it. You’re going to be over 200mph, like that (clicks fingers). Guys, I want you to understand, it’s not how quickly you swing it, it’s about how much force you put into the golf club.
“We want to produce more force into the handle, that’s how you produce power, you’re not going to swing quickly. You’re going to put force into the golf club.
“The biggest misconception about speed is you taking it back and trying to apply a lot of speed at the top, you’re going to throw the club out that way (towards trail foot), you don’t want that, because then you’ve got to pull the club this way (towards lead foot).
“You want to feel like it loads down into a place where then you can pull the club through the impact area. That is how you produce speed folks.“
So the key is not about simply swinging the club faster, but rather more efficiently.
By following the advice from Arnold Palmer, and indeed Bryson DeChambeau, longer drives may well be on the horizon.
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