Tiger Woods’ driving tip which will ‘guarantee’ amateur players to hit the ball further off the tee
At the height of his career, Tiger Woods was among the biggest hitters on the PGA Tour, prompting several high-profile venues to make changes in order to tame the ‘Big Cat’.
Augusta National added yardage in 2001 to prevent the Masters Tournament venue from being overpowered during Woods‘ prime. St Andrews also followed suit in order to ‘Tiger-proof’ golf’s ancestral home.
After Butch Harmon took control of Woods’ swing in 1993, the 15-time major winner used a powerful technique and wide arc to generate impressive clubhead speeds – and carry the ball well over 300 yards.
Tiger Woods’ tip which will ‘guarantee’ amateurs distance off the tee
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
Woods’ ability to generate width in his driver swing significantly contributed to his success off the tee. During a clinic in his prime years, Woods claimed he’s always looking to get his hands as far away from his head as possible with the big stick in hand.
“To swing the driver well, I have always played my best when I feel like my hands are as far away from my head as possible, which creates a lot of room and width on the way down,” Woods explained.
“I started going bad when I get narrow with my hands next to my head, which meant I had to throw it out and lose a lot of power and hit a lot of balls out to the right. When I get wide, I can stay behind it, hit the draw, and the ball goes a little further. I see a lot of amateurs where they can get in here and kiss their hands. If you can be out here a little bit further from your head, I can guarantee you’ll hit the ball a bit further.”
How far did Tiger Woods drive the ball in his prime?
Woods’ best season for driving distance on the PGA Tour came in 2005. The world’s number-one player was averaging 316 yards. Woods added The Open Championship to his record in 2005, as well as the Masters, where he beat Chris DiMarco in a playoff.
During his early seasons on the PGA Tour, Woods averaged 294 yards, and it wasn’t until 2004 that he clocked over 300 yards with the big stick in hand.
Even nowadays, Woods is by no means a short hitter. At the 2024 US Open, he was regularly outdriving Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris. Furthermore, at the 2024 Masters, Woods clocked ball speeds of around 180mph.
Given his physical prowess, Woods is still more than capable of posting respectable numbers off the tee compared to current PGA Tour standards.
