The mistake amateur golfers make which Rory McIlroy says is the one thing that stops them hitting longer drives

Add as preferred source on Google

It’s common knowledge that Rory McIlroy is one of the very best drivers of the golf ball on the PGA Tour.

McIlroy has incredible power, poise and balance when he’s launching absolute rockets off the tee, and he is breathtaking to watch with a driver in his hands.

The 36-year-old is one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, and when he’s in full flow with the driver, he is incredibly hard to stop.

Interestingly, McIlroy’s form off the tee dipped when his driver was deemed to be non-conforming at the PGA Championship in May, but it seems like he’s found a model he is more than happy with now.

McIlroy drove the ball sensationally well during his Irish Open win, and that is great news with the Ryder Cup just around the corner.

He ranked first in strokes gained off the tee at The K Club, with the combination of immense distance and accuracy helping him to his second Irish Open title.

So if you’re struggling with your driving and are in desperate need of some extra yardage off the tee, why not check out McIlroy’s tips below to help you hit longer drives.

Rory McIlroy tells amateur golfers how to hit longer drives

McIlroy has provided a few tips to help amateur golfers around the world increase the distance they hit their drivers.

During a video made by McIlroy’s sponsor, Taylor Made, the five-time major winner outlined the key principles to follow if you want to launch your driver off the tee.

“Today I’m here to help you get a little more power in your drives,“ McIlroy said.

“One thing I notice with a lot of amateurs, what they could do better, is in the setup with the driver, they set up to the driver like they set up to an iron. That really isn’t the best position to start from if you want to create speed and power in your golf swing.

“I always get people to set up and have the ball a little further forward in your stance, just inside your left heel.

“Try to angle yourself a little bit away from the target. That will help you hit up on the golf ball and optimise your launch and spin.

“Even if you don’t add any speed to your golf swing, that should help you hit the ball further.
“You really want to try to hit the driver on the upswing with an ascending blow rather than a descending blow like you’d do with an iron. If you can do that, that should help with trying to get it out there further.

“I get the ball quite far up in my stance, angle my upper body away from the target. From there I try to stay in that position and then hit up on it at impact.”

Rory McIlroy’s PGA Tour driving stats in 2025

McIlroy has won 29 PGA Tour events, 20 DP World Tour titles and five major championships throughout his career to date.

And the cornerstone of all of his wins has been his wonderfully consistent and awe-inspiring driving.

In 2025, he won three times on the PGA Tour, including his thrilling triumph at The Masters in April and once again, it was his driver that was the bedrock of his success.

Here are his driving stats from the 2025 PGA Tour season:

While he’s not the most accurate, he hits it so far that if he misses fairways, he’s only going into the greens with a wedge most of the time anyway.

If he can find a way of hitting 5-10% more fairways and maintains his 182 mph+ ball speeds, McIlroy could go on a seriously dominant run in the game.