Rory McIlroy’s advice to golfers on how to generate more power from their swing

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Rory McIlroy is one of the longest hitters in the game.

According to DataGolf, Rory McIlroy ranks in the top 2% of professional golfers off the tee in driving distance. He ranked second on the PGA Tour in driving distance in 2025, hitting it 323.0 yards on average. 

He doesn’t look like most of the big-hitters in modern golf. While Bryson DeChambeau relies on his height for leverage, McIlroy is 5’9” and generates his power through his explosive hip rotation.

That means by working on the grand slam winner’s swing technique, you can add some yards off the tee. And McIlroy told golfers exactly what he feels in his swing in order to do that. 

Rory McIlroy’s swing feel for gaining more distance off the tee

McIlroy said that all of his power comes from his weight shift from the top of his swing. It’s all about putting pressure into the ground to generate speed in rotation.

He explained: “Once I’m at the top, it really is a shift onto my left side. I try to get all that weight onto my left side as quickly as I possibly can.

“You know, so from here (the top of the swing) bump to my left side – I sort of pressure into the ground so that it’s a bit like a box jump or a squat. You’re really trying to put force in the ground so that you can get that force coming up through your legs, you know, and the kinetic chain.

“So, for me, what I like to feel to get speed is, once I get into that left side, I get this left knee out of the way as quickly as possible. And that means that my hips turn quickly, my lower body turns quickly, and then my upper body just acts like a whip all the way through.”

Beginner golfers tend to swing hard with their arms, causing them to come over the top and slice the ball. McIlroy’s golf tip is to focus on moving your hips quickly to keep a shallower swing path, using the big muscles in your body to generate the power instead. 

The longest drivers on the PGA Tour last season

Even at 36 years old, McIlroy is one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour. He averaged 325 yards off the tee last season, but he still wasn’t the longest! 

That honour went to Aldrich Potgieter, the 21-year-old South African who averaged an astonishing 325.0 yards with his driver. McIlroy and Potgieter were the only two players to average over 320 yards last season. 

Jesper Svensson was just behind, hitting it 319 yards on average, followed by Ryder Cupper Nicolai Hojgaard, who was just 0.2 yards behind. His brother, Rasmus, ranked 11 on the list. 

McIlroy wasn’t the oldest player in the top 10. Instead, it was 38-year-old American Joseph Bramlett. Trevor Cone rounded off the top ten, with an average distance off the tee of 315.5 yards.