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How can I improve my driving distance

By MIKE PEDERSEN
Contributor, GOLFONLINE

Question: I don't have much time to workout but would like to know what muscles are the most important to strengthen in order to improve my driving distance?

Answer: There are many different ways to achieve your goal, because driving distance is a combination of clubhead speed and clubface contact.

To improve clubhead speed you could do several things:

Swing a weighted club like the Momentus 20-30 times a day.
Improve the strength of your core muscle groups to provide a more powerful movement through impact.
Strengthen and stretch your hamstrings and lower back to maintain optimal spine angle - which will result in more solid ball/clubface contact.
Add resistance to the actual movement of the swing - like grabbing a single dumbbell and swinging it like a club but with a faster motion. The weight of the dumbbell need not be great, since most clubs weigh less than a pound.

In addition, don't disregard the importance of swing mechanics to improve clubface contact. However, I believe that if you have limitations in strength and/or flexibility, you will not be capable of repeating a consistent golf swing.

So start with the basics as outlined above, and you should see results the next time you hit the links.

Good luck!

Mike Mike Pedersen is a leading fitness expert, and president and founder of Golf-Trainer.com and the Golf Trainer Power Performance Program™. A regular contributor to GOLF MAGAZINE and GOLFONLINE, Mike emphasizes a fitness-based approach to achieving a consistent golf game. E-mail Mike with questions or comments at golfonline@golf-trainer.com or call 866-266-7200.