| What can you do to increase your distance off | | | | Club manufacturers and club fitters use "impact |
| the tee? Focusing your golf swing on hitting the | | | | tape" stuck to the club face to determine where |
| ball in the center of the club face - center contact | | | | you are contacting the ball. Check with your local |
| - will give you the maximum distance for your | | | | PGA Pro and ask to use some impact tape if you |
| swing and clubhead speed. Understanding where | | | | want to check your impact location. |
| you currently make contact can help you make | | | | Make Your Own Budget Strike Detector |
| the adjustments necessary to optimize your | | | | Or you can create your own "budget" impact |
| driver distance. | | | | detector with a range ball and a sharpie or magic |
| What is Center Contact? | | | | marker. Just make a pea-sized dot on the range |
| Back when drivers were made of real wood they | | | | ball and align your ball on the tee so that the dot |
| had an artificial insert in the middle of the club | | | | is directly in the back. Hit the ball, and a mark will |
| face. The insert was typically attached by screws, | | | | transfer to your driver face. Presto! You'll know |
| and the placement of the screws usually defined | | | | exactly how far away from center you are |
| the center of the clubface, giving rise to the | | | | making contact. |
| phrase "hitting it on the screws" when referring to | | | | Make Set-Up or Golf Swing Adjustments to |
| a particularly well-hit drive. | | | | Improve Center Contact Consistency |
| Of course modern metal drivers don't have | | | | The next step is to make whatever adjustments |
| screws, but the concept remains the same: Hit it | | | | to your set-up or swing needed to make better |
| on the screws and it goes farther - and the | | | | center contact. Sometimes it will be as simple as |
| difference can be significant. | | | | moving closer or farther from the ball at address. |
| How Important is Center Contact? | | | | Other times you may need to make a swing |
| For instance, a 100 mph swing will drive the ball | | | | adjustment. Set-up adjustments are far easier to |
| approximately 240 yards if hit perfectly square. A | | | | incorporate than swing changes, so that's a great |
| hit that is ¼ inch off-center will decrease | | | | place to start. If you need to make a swing |
| distance 2-3%, or 3-5 yards. A hit that is ½ | | | | change, try taking your specific issue to a PGA |
| inch off-center will decrease distance 5%, or 12 | | | | Pro. You'll improve much faster than trial and error |
| yards. An impact position that is 3/4 inch off | | | | on your own. |
| center will decrease distance 10-15%, or 25-40 | | | | Summary |
| yards! | | | | Learning how to hit your drives in the center of |
| In this case we are referring to a ball that is hit in | | | | the club face can improve your driving distance. |
| the middle of the clubface as well as hit with a | | | | You can quickly check your impact tendencies |
| clubface that is square to the club path. Keep in | | | | with impact tape, or a simple magic marker and a |
| mind, though, that 3/4 of an inch is only about the | | | | range ball. Knowing where you make contact on |
| diameter of a dime. With today's big club faces, | | | | the clubface can help you determine whether you |
| you could be substantially farther from center, | | | | need a golf swing change or a set-up change. If |
| which could be costing you many yards on your | | | | you are off by 3/4 of an inch or more, you could |
| drive. | | | | pick up an additional 20 to 40 yards off the tee |
| How Can You Tell Where You are Contacting the | | | | by working on improving your contact position. |
| Ball? | | | | |