Hit Your Driver Further: The Upward Strike Method for Senior Golfers

Most senior golfers who have lost distance off the tee respond by trying to swing harder. The data says this is the wrong answer.

Trackman research, drawn from the work of Fredrik Tuxen, the inventor of the technology, demonstrates that the angle at which the club meets the ball at impact matters at least as much as how fast the club is travelling. A downward strike at 90 miles per hour produces a launch angle of around 10 degrees with 3,100 revolutions per minute of backspin. The same swing speed with an upward strike produces a 16 degree launch angle with 2,200 revolutions per minute of spin, carrying the ball almost 30 yards further. The Titleist Performance Institute confirms that most amateur golfers hit down on their driver, and that correcting this alone produces gains of 20 to 30 yards through setup adjustments.

This guide from The Forever Swing explains exactly what is causing the downward strike, what a four-part setup change does to fix it, and how to build the new position into your game through structured practice. Ball forward in the stance. Clubhead five to six inches behind the ball. Sternum behind the ball through impact. A subtle feel of the path going slightly from the inside. Four adjustments, two seconds to apply.

The distance is waiting. You just need to stop leaving it behind with the wrong angle of attack.