Rory McIlroy is one of the longest driving distance players in golf today, if not the longest. To put it in perspective, he led the PGA Tour in the 2022-23 season with an average driving distance of 326.3 yards. He also had the eighth longest drive of the season at 428 yards.
What is the secret to Rory McIlroy's driver? The short answer is his long swing, which is virtually flawless. In fact, the Northern Irishman's drive is so good that even the legend himself, Tiger Woods, uses it as a reference.
Rory McIlroy himself has spoken on the subject on several occasions. In an interview given in 2022 for the British media RSNG, he summarized the essential details to take into account to increase the driving range.
Let's see what Rory McIlroy's secrets to increasing his power are.
Rory Mcllroy's power source
According to Rory McIlroy, his strategy for perfecting the driver's swing consists of four elements. Logically, these details must come together as a whole through continuous practice.
#1- Match upper and lower body
According to the Northern Irishman, one of the mistakes made by many players at all levels is that they do not use their upper and lower body equally. This affects the power and accuracy of their swing.
The solution is to use the ground as a support. Here's how he explained it:
"What you need to do is – from the top of your swing – use the ground and get to the point where there is a separation, and your upper body is able to come through when you strike the ball."
#2- Wide stance
Rory McIlroy places great importance on his stance for every shot, but especially for long swings. The right stance, according to the Northern Irishman, is a wide one with the back and shoulders slightly tilted away from the target.
"You’re going to optimize your distance by hitting the ball with a good angle of vertical degree; and also by doing that, it gives you a low amount of spin," McIlroy added.
#3- A high tee
An element that may go unnoticed by many is very important to McIlroy to achieve his driving stats. For him, a high tee is an important aid in making good contact when he makes his driving swing.
"I have a bit of a low position in my swing before the ball impact, so a longer tee helps me in that respect," the Northern Irishman said.
#4- Speeding up the backswing
This is perhaps McIlroy's most personal resource. However, the Northern Irishman has "discovered" that a fast backswing is extremely effective on certain courses.
The reason for this is that by increasing the speed of the backswing, the return to the ball is much quicker, with a corresponding increase in impact force.
Of course, this technique is not for every player or circumstance. If you want to use it, you need to practice it enough, as McIlroy himself advises. As for where to use it, the Northern Irishman reserves it for courses that are not characterized by the excessive difficulty of their hazards.