Padraig Harrington’s drill for amateur golfers to help them hit the ball further on the course

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Every amateur golfer wants to hit the ball that little bit further. 

No matter your handicap, everyone could do with a few extra yards in their game. However, it can be a frustrating experience trying to work power into your golf swing without compromising the accuracy you may have found.

Swinging harder can be the downfall of high handicap players, especially as they come over the top of the ball and slice it. And as you improve, you realize that power doesn’t come from the top of the swing. 

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington explained that distance comes from the release of the club, not the downswing, and has a drill for golfers of all levels to improve that area of their swing.

Padraig Harrington’s drill to get more distance on the course

Two-time Open Championship winner Harrington is Ireland’s most successful major player in history. And Harrington frequently gives tips to amateur golfers to improve their game. 

Speaking on his YouTube Channel, he once told players how to practice releasing the golf club, which will help them generate more speed in their swing.

He said, “The best way to get the club to release is to get energy into the club head, so how you release the club is actually to try and stop at impact.

“The only thing that holds the club is your hands, so if you try to stop them at impact, what actually happens is you will put the brakes on with your hands, arms, body, feet, and legs, but the club head you don’t have control over. So the club head will get thrown forward, and releases.

“To get a good strike, to get a good release, and to get speed, we’re actually going to curtail at impact. It’s impossible to actually stop your follow-through unless you’re really, really super strong.

“So if I try to stop at impact, you will find that I’m going to stop somewhere about here (with arms 90 degrees in front of body). That’s a great way of getting speed, and a great way of getting release.

“I’m only working with this three-quarter backswing. This is the core of every backswing. We’re not going for flat-out speed here. We’re going for a good strike and release. That’s good for everybody. Not just a beginner.”

It goes against every instinct to stop swinging when trying to generate more power, but Harrington’s drill teaches players to release the club properly, generating more energy in the clubhead before working more speed into the swing. 

How far the average amateur hits the ball

The average amateur doesn’t hit the ball as far as they think. That’s why pros continually tell amateurs to club up, as they typically leave the ball short on approach.

For example, according to Shot Scope data, the average scratch golfer hits their 7-iron 178 yards. But that number comes down all the way to 132 yards for a 25 handicapper. 

And those numbers are the same throughout the entire bag, from driver to lob wedge.

Your distance will increase as your technique improves, and Harrington’s drill will help that, but for now, the best thing you can do is take more club and swing smoothly. You will find yourself hitting far more greens.