How to Launch Your Driver For More Distance and Accuracy

I’ve taken all sorts of golf lessons in my life, with most of them focusing on building some consistent patterns in order to improve my ball-striking.

But when I recently went to a lesson at RedTail Golf Center in Portland, OR with golf coach Ashley Bogaerts, I had one main objective: Learning how to bomb my tee shots for more distance and accuracy.

Like many mid-handicappers, I average anywhere between 250-to-270 yards. But I know I’m holding back with my driver because I don’t trust myself…or my mechanics.

In this golf lesson with Bogaerts, though, she taught me two simple tricks that had me crushing my drives — and it didn’t require confusing swing changes or anything complicated.

This Golf Lesson Completely TRANSFORMED My Tee Shots

As the video above shows, Bogaerts starts my golf lesson by analyzing my current swing, which helps give her an understanding of what I need to work on most.

After popping up my first tee shot, she immediately identifies a few mistakes that are costing me both distance and accuracy — many of which are common errors that average golfers make.

“You told me earlier that you really work to get a bigger turn [in your backswing], but what I really recommend at your setup position is bringing in your lead shoulder so you can see it in your peripheral vision,” Ashley instructs.

“Not only will this allow you to make a bigger turn, but it’ll make it easier for you to drop the club into the slot [and release the club].”

Since Bogaerts is the pro, I have her hit a few tee shots to show me how to best optimize the driver.

“One of the factors that helps me hit it really far is how I hit up on that ball,” she adds. “So my attack angle is anywhere between 4-to-7 degrees, which is kind of like when Rory McIlroy tees it up really high.

“By doing this, it promotes a lot of high launch and low spin.”

After seeing Ashley bomb a few tee shots and demonstrate some of the different swing moves, I straight up ask her if there’s one element that can help me generate more clubhead speed almost immediately.

Her answer surprised me.

“I’m actually going to mention swing tempo,” she says. “Mentally, when [most average golfers are trying to crush the ball] their tempo is out of rhythm. But when I’m really swinging my fastest, I’m in the best rhythm.”

She even reveals the one trigger she most focuses on in her backswing.

“My one swing thought is feeling the club at the top of my backswing,” she adds. “That’s part of the shaft setting up at the top before whipping down through impact.”

Before finishing up my golf lesson with Ashley, I ask how practicing some of these movements more consistently will add the power and accuracy I’m looking for.

“The first thing is feeling really comfortable with those mechanics. Once you’re comfortable with it, it’s taking swings and basically firing faster,” she tells me.

“There are times when I just 10 swings as fast as I can and not thinking about form, which wakes up the central nervous system and leads to your body firing quicker.”

So if you’re a golfer searching for more power off the tee, start by incorporating some of the subtle tweaks that Ashley talks about in my golf lesson with her. As you get more familiar with everything, you can add more swing speed and experience bombed tee shots in no time.

Looking for more golf tips and golf lessons? Subscribe to Rainmakers Golf Club on YouTube for all your instruction and game-improvement needs.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 3, 2025, where it first appeared in the Golf section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Read the full article here