golf swing

How to Drive it Longer

August 30, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By: Tim Graves, PGA

One of the most common questions we receive (seems every day) is “How can I get more distance?”

There are three areas you can work on/improve to help you get more distance on all your golf shots, in particular, your driver.

And, all of these, you can and SHOULD work on over the fall / winter (training sessions).

Those three areas are:

Driver Technology
Flexibility and Strength
Swing Technique

Let’s break down each area a little.

1. Driver Technology:

A few years ago, the USGA put together a set of rules limiting how much a golf ball can “rebound” off the face of a driver (a vague description) – thus putting a limit on the distance of the drivers. Since then, the golf industry realizing they can no longer make drivers that can hit it further off the face, have been working on technology that has made the “big” headed drivers more aerodynamic (thus less air resistance in the golf swing) and more prominent sweet spots on the face.

Older technology drivers had sweet spots the size of a dime (some smaller), newer technology drivers have sweet spots the size of half dollars (some even bigger). What that means is balls hit slightly off the middle of the club face will travel much further now.

And the key is the “average driving distance” you have, not the “one” you catch that happens to fly a long way. Meaning, if your sweet spot on the driver is large and you miss hit a few shots (or more) around off the middle of the club face, you will still get good/more “average” driving distance. Meaning, overall you will have less club into the greens, etc. etc.

So, if you are looking to maximize or increase distance – you need to have a driver that is “modern” or at least less than 2 or 3 years old. These newer drivers have large sweet spots and have the highest technology for the least amount of wind/club head resistance in the golf swing.

2. Flexibility and Strength

The 2nd area to focus on with distance is flexibility and strength. And in that order. Too many worries about strength and not flexibility. Being strong with good, or great, flexibility “allows” you to get in positions in your golf swing to hit the ball with reasonable distance.

As we get older, we lose our strength and more importantly our flexibility, when we start to lose our elasticity, we can no longer create certain angles in the golf swing that will allow us to create “leverage” in the golf swing which in turn produces speed and distance.

We have produced an extensive DVD on this topic. This DVD is set up to test the areas of your body and its flexibility in these areas. It then gives you 3 or 4 exercises you can perform to regain or create increased flexibility (and strength) in those areas. This DVD designed around the single plane swing of Moe Norman – in other words, it takes the eight most significant positions of Moe’s swing and determines if you are flexible enough to “reach” those positions. If not, it gives you “easy” exercises to perform over time that in turn will help you gain those positions and eventually “allow” you to swing the club on plane.

You can see a lot more detail about the Flexibility and Exercise information at: https://shop.singleplanegolf.com/products/improve-your-move?

3. Swing Technique

Ultimately, the most crucial factor to get more distance is to improve your technique. It is always interesting, one of the things we do at all our schools and camps is to measure our students swing speed. We then correlate it to their driver swing speed and the average distance they should be hitting their driver. For most (those that swing 85 to 90 mph), they should be hitting their driver 230 to 240 yards (with a little roll).

For most, when they find out how far they should be hitting their driver with the speed they currently have, they are shocked. Why are they hitting it so short compared to where “their potential” says they should be hitting it? Because of technique. They are not hitting the golf ball off the “sweet spot” of the club with a “direct hit” from the club that is on the path.

In other words, they are hitting “glancing blows” that is creating side spin which is limiting or reducing the distance they should be hitting their driver.

Working on swing technique – working on getting the club on the proper single plane/path, with a square club face through impact and ultimately, limited to no side spin, will give you the maximum distance.

In conclusion, to answer the all too common question, we get from so many of our students/customers

How can I get more distance?

Answer:

1. Obtain a new/modern driver that has the highest technology for increased sweet spot and limited wind resistance (aerodynamic).

2. Work/continue to work on flexibility (especially over the “off-season” months when so many loose elasticities because of an increased static lifestyle) and…

3. Always work on improving your technique to maximize the optimal hit on the ball with limited side spin and enhanced sureness of hit.

P.S – Here is the P.S. to this article as EVERYONE will ask this question to us (in person, at schools, during webinars, across emails, etc….).

What is the fastest way to improve technique?

Answer – FIGURE OUT YOUR NEXT STEP TO IMPROVEMENT

To see more about YOUR NEXT STEP TO IMPROVEMENT: CLICK HERE

(You can see the specials associated with the Your Steps Video above)

Please feel free to contact me anytime at timg@gravesgolf.com with questions, comments, etc.

Small Adjustments

July 19, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By: Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

Sometimes inspiration comes when you least expect it.

I had a chance to spend a couple great days at the Graves Golf Academy HQ in in Edmond, OK recently. It was a great visit…full of great interactions, creative ideas, stepping outside of my comfort zone, learning from the great team at GGA, and there was even time for a little golf with Tim.

Based on feedback and interest from the GGA community, we are planning some very exciting playing schools next year focused on helping our students to tune-up their on-course mental game. ( I am looking forward to sharing the dates for those very special schools with you in the coming weeks.)

And yes, my visit with the Graves Team was inspirational. But something happened at the very end of my trip that made my trip even more so…and I just had to share it:

I ended my second day with Tim, Todd, Chandler, Shannon, Blade…et al, and headed to the airport late in the afternoon. Because I had stayed as long as I possibly could at Rose Creek Golf Club, I had barely enough time to make my flight.

The first order of business was to drop my rental car off at the Will Rogers World Airport and hop onto the shuttle that would deliver me to the main terminal.

As I approached the shuttle bus a guy greeted me cheerfully and offered to put my golf clubs onto the bus. I noticed his name tag…so I said: “Thanks Marty.” And he said…with a big smile and lots of great energy: “Thanks for calling me Marty.”

Marty was the shuttle bus driver. When all the passengers had boarded the bus, Marty took his seat behind the wheel and we headed to the airport. Then he picked up the microphone and began making what sounded like a pretty-routine courtesy announcement.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Marty and I will be taking you on the four-minute ride over to the main terminal here at Will Rogers World Airport. I hope that you enjoyed your stay in the Oklahoma City area.”

I was only sort-of listening. But, then it got interesting…

“And if I may, I would like you to consider this…”

Uh-oh, I thought. Where is this guy going with this…?

“In a few minutes, you will be on an airplane headed to your destination. As the pilot points the plane down the runway and throttles-up the engines, he will make lots of very small adjustments to the engine, wings and other control surfaces so that you will soon be soaring high in the sky.”

Small adjustments in your game can make you soar.

And then he went on…

“I invite you to consider that life is like that as well. If you commit to making small adjustments every day in your own life, you too can set yourself up to soar. To achieve all you want to. To be who you want to be. And to create the life you want.”

Woah. I thought to myself: who is this guy!!??

He was articulate, polite, happy, and positive. His message was simple, thoughtful, and expertly-delivered. And he inspired me to pause and think. (Not who I expected to be driving that shuttle bus!)

It struck me that much of what I talk about with my performance clients can be thought of in exactly the same way he had described.

Small adjustments made often over time leads to profound changes. (Or as Marty would say…allows you to SOAR)

It’s the same message you have heard from Todd, Tim and others when it comes to skill development in the Single Plane Swing arena: Start slow. Feel position one. Then Feel position two. Learn what proper rotation onto your trail leg feels like. Ask for feedback on ONE thing. Then another. …etc.

Small adjustments made often over time leads to profound changes.

And it’s the same message that I offer with respect to building a more productive mental game. Learn to be a little more aware of your thoughts today. Then a little more aware tomorrow. Learn the language of Performance Energy. Then learn how to see how Performance Energy shows up for you on the course. Notice how it impacts your ability to hit the shots you desire…or how it prevents you from playing your best. …etc.

Small adjustments made often over time lead to profound changes.

We all get impatient sometimes…and it’s easy to fall into the trap of needing BIG change NOW.

But that’s not always possible. (Or advisable)

Part of Marty’s message is to say this: take the pressure off of yourself to FIX this week what you want to – in your swing mechanics OR your mental game skills – and just get on a path to mastery.

Commit to making small changes over a long period of time. And TRUST that you will create the change you are interested in. That’s how you improve your swing mechanics. And that’s how you raise your consciousness and performance energy (read mental game!) on the course.

So the next time you happen to be at the Oklahoma City Airport rental car facility, be sure to look for Marty driving your shuttle bus…and LISTEN carefully to his advice!

Have a great week!

-Paul

PS…What do you want to create in your life and your golf game? And what small adjustments are you willing to commit to making today, this week, this month?

Paul Monahan, PCC is a Peak-Performance coach, member of the International Coach Federation and a certified COR.E Performance Dynamics (TM) Specialist, and a member of the Graves Golf Academy staff, specializing in the mental game. He resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Paula and is the proud dad to three young men.

The Perfect Student

June 14, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By: Tim Graves, PGA

With all the students signing up for the schools lately, I like to review an article I wrote what makes a “perfect student”.

In this instructional article I want to write about the student … What do we expect / “hope” from our students. This includes students of our schools, camps, our Single Plane Academy Members, or maybe just students who are studying our video instruction and/or watching our webinars or maybe just reading these practice tips.

The first morning of our camps, I like to go around the room and ask our students what they want out of the week, the next 6 months of their golf game, and maybe the next year. What are their goals? What are their expectations?

We typically get the same responses… Wanting to improve their scores, cut their handicaps in half, learn fundamentals better, not have so many “blow up holes”, work on short game, etc.. etc…

After hearing their responses – it typically falls into about 3 catagories (all related):

They want to learn how to improve (score better).
They want to learn how to make less mistakes on the golf course.
They want to be more consistent when they play golf.

What I hear is them saying “I want to learn how to practice and become a better student.”

With that being said – I want to describe the “perfect student” … or someone we believe has the best chance for improvement. The closer the student is to the “perfect student” the faster he/she will improve. There is no question there is a direct correlation in this area.

1. The student is open to EVERYTHING being said.

In other words, everything being taught, he/she is receptive too. Too many times, students have heard (or learned) things different before and they put up a mental “road block” when hearing something new. Playing good golf starts by understanding a method of solid fundamentals. The fundamentals don’t have to be complicated or difficult, but the student must learn the fundamentals within the method. Mixing and matching fundamentals of different methods does not work.

2. The student understands is takes TIME to make changes.

This is a big one… To many want things too fast (me included). I once heard a saying, “If you get something fast, you’ll probably lose if fast”. Cannot be more true when learning a new move, a new fundamental, etc… If you have patience, give it time, understand it will take a little while to figure out, etc. the change will “stick” and most of the time will be something you won’t have to consistently work on again and again. Rushing the process never works, or at least work for a period of time… Quick fixes are just those…. here today, gone tomorrow.

3. The student understands you can not break a bad habit, but rather you CREATE a new habit.

This is a big one. I guarantee you if I interviewed golfers and asked them what they thought they needed to work on in their golf swing, a majority would say they need to break this habit, or that habit, etc… To start, it is basically impossible to “break” anything when it comes to a physical movement you have learned or acquired from the past. What is needed, is to determine what you need to work on and then work on doing it perfect (or as close to perfect) every time you practice. In other words, your body and brain are working together to create something that is good, it is not working “against” each other. How many times have you heard (or maybe said to yourself), “My brain says to do one thing, but my body does another”. We need to work on creating new/perfect habits that are much stronger than the old/bad habits which will in essence get our “body and brain to work together”.

4. The “perfect” student will ASK questions.

This sounds like something you heard in school doesn’t it. But, you’d be surprised how many students will sit in a group, nod their head like they understand everything being said, and then after the presentation is over, will come up to the instructor and ask a “ton” of questions. We love the questions, problem is, if one student has a question, chances are, so do a majority of the other students. So, if you are sitting in one of our schools or camps, please don’t hesitate to ask any question ANY time. If you are watching our videos, webinars, reading e-tips, etc. email us with questions any time. We promise we will do our best to get back to you with answers asap. Please don’t go forward not knowing the answer or “confused” about something.

5. The student understands learning, especially an athletic move / moves, is a PROCESS.

It can be a fun process and the process can be sped up with proper practice, etc. but it is always a “process”. Enjoying the process is the key! Looking forward to making changes and working on those changes is a key! Ultimately understanding there really isn’t anything that is a “quick fix” (as stated before), but rather a process to change and a process to good and eventually, great golf. Understanding the process, looking forward to working through the process, getting help when necessary, will ultimately lead to the golf game the student wants.

Again – As the golf school season begins again (as many of you read this, my staff will be teaching at our academy in Orlando) – thought it would be a good time to list what we would love to see from every one of our students in order that they can improve their golf games to levels they can only imagine now.

Remember – A little improvement every day, will lead to a lot of improvement over time.

Please reply to timg@gravesgolf.com and let me know what you think of this article

Tim Graves, PGA

Take Off Your Watch – Tips for Improving

June 14, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By Tim Graves, PGA

Wanted to go over a few suggestions to help you practice more efficiently and effectively.

(Excerpts taken from the Talent Code by Dan Coyle)

Take Off Your Watch

Practice (Deep Practice) should not be measured in minutes or hours, but in the number of high-quality repetitions you make.

Instead of counting minutes or hours, count the number of “perfect” repetitions you make (drills you perform).

Example – instead of planning on hitting golf balls for an hours, plan on making 25 quality swing with each club.

Ignore the clock and get to your sweet spot zone, even if it’s only for a few minutes, and measure your progress by what counts – number of times doing drill correct or number of correct repetitions.

2. Break Every Move (Golf Swing) Down Into Chunks

Every skill/habit is built out of smaller pieces – what scientists call chunks.

Chunks are to skill what letters of the alphabet are to language. Individually, don’t mean much, put together forms sentences, paragraphs, etc…

To begin “chunking”, first engrave the blueprint of the skill on your mind – then ask yourself:

1. What is the smallest single element of this skill I can master/or in the golf swing, what is the most important element I need to learn.

– The Grip

2. Practice one chunk by itself until you’ve mastered it, then connect more chunks, one by one. Second “chunk” of the golf swing –

– The Set Up

3. No matter what skill you set out to learn, the pattern is always the same. See the whole thing. Break it down to its simplest elements. Put it back together, repeat.

Next chunks:

– The Backswing

– Top of swing/Transition

– The Downswing

– Leverage

– Impact

– Release

Work on each “chunk” individually – one at a time. Working to master/perfect before going on or working on another. This will save you a lot of time and frustration in the “long run” …

Remember as stated many times – learning the golf swing/making changes is NOT a sprint, but rather a marathon. And if treated that way, your changes/new habits you create, will be there for the “long run”.

Watch upcoming newsletters for additional practice tips for improvement.

Questions or comments please email Tim at timg@gravesgolf.com

5 Most Common Mistakes in Golfer’s Bag

May 17, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By Tim Graves, PGA

I wanted to start a section in each newsletter that talks about custom club fitting. In upcoming newsletters, I will be describing / breaking down each club in the bag and why and how that club should be custom fit (in much more detail).

As most of you know (by now..), your clubs must fit the swing you are working toward. If they do not fit you, it is very difficult to make swing changes and / or those swing changes will be slowed dramatically. I like to call it “taking the excuses out of the bag”.

But, before I start going through each club in the bag (future articles), I wanted to start with the “Top 5 Club Fitting Mistakes” you see in many golfers bags.

1. Driver

The first most common custom club fitting mistake with the driver is not enough loft for the driver for a golfer’s fit. The optimal loft of a driver for a golfer will give that golfer maximum fly and maximum roll for their swing speed.

Examples:

Hit a 6 iron 150 to 160 yards: Driver should have 10.5* loft

Hit a 6 iron 120 to 130 yards: Driver should have 12* loft

2nd most common mistake with drivers is shafts that are too heavy for the golfer. Golfers want more distance and forgiveness with their driver. With the appropriate loft, a lighter shaft will help many golfers get more distance with their driver.

40 to 50 grams is considered a “Light weight” shaft and 50 to 55 grams is considered a “mid weight” shaft. Many golfers have 60 gram or heavier shafts in their drivers and need lighter weight shafts (especially those with senior and regular flex) and wanting more distance with the tee ball.

2. Fairway Woods

The most common mistake with fairway woods is golfers do not have enough loft (for maximum distance off the ground) with their longest fairway wood.

In other words, most golfers SHOULD NOT carry a 3 wood (unless they use this 3 wood primarily off a tee).

To hit a 3 wood (15 to 16* loft) appropriately (maximum fly and roll) you need to be able to hit you 6 iron at least 175 yards on the fly…

Most will hit a 5 wood (or 7 wood) further than their 3 wood off the ground. They need the loft of the 5 wood (18 / 19*) for maximum fly and roll.

(FYI – even most professional golfers will hit a 17* / 18* fairway wood off the ground as their longest fairway wood… then why do so many average golfers hit a 15* fairway wood off the ground and get “poor” results..)

3. Hybrids

The most common mistake is golfers DO NOT have their hybrids fit / customized for their individual lie angle. Golfers MUST have the lie angle adjusted / fit for their size and swing. For most, lie angles of their hybrids are too upright, and golfers “heel dig” their hybrids and either top, pull or hit poor shots with them. This is why so many golfer can hit their hybrids “okay” out of the rough, but have difficulty hitting them off of fairways or “tight” lies.

Hybrids MUST be fit for the lie angle for an individual golfer. If not, the hybrid is working AGAINST the golfer.

Very few golf equipment companies fit / adjust lie angles for an individual’s size (Callaway is one, that is why their customization process is rated so high).

4. Irons

Honestly, there are many common mistakes when it comes to golfers irons (length, lie angle, flex, etc..) but for this article – will focus on one…

The most common mistake with irons is golfers do not have correct shafting in their irons.

Correct shafting in irons (and all clubs) allows for the correct height and flight of the golf ball for the golfer. Having the correct / appropriate height gives the maximum and optimal distance for irons for that golfer.

And correct shafting “protects” golfers. For a majority of golfers (over 40 years of age… younger for some) – they need a shaft that does not damage or protects the body. Graphite shafting in irons protects the body.

Graphite shafting for golfers has the following characteristics:

Much easier on body – will protect elbows, shoulders, wrists, back, etc..
Will be more forgiving on golf shots (thin and heavy shots will go further, react better with graphite).
Are more consistent – especially over time. Graphite is by far the most consistent material in shafts compared to steel.
Will allow for increased distance as graphite shafts in irons can be lighter and kick the ball up higher than steel.

5. Wedges

The most common mistake with wedges in most golfer’s bags is wedges not being fit at all…

For most golfers, when talking about the Gap, Sand and / or Lob wedge, they think they can purchase these clubs “off the shelf” in their local club shop and they are good to go…. that can not be further from the truth.

Wedges must be fit to an individual for length, lie angle, shaft flex (and weight), grip size, lofts, etc..

Think about it… you are hitting a chip or pitch (1/2 shot or less) with your wedge and you “heel or toe dig” the wedge because it isn’t fit properly. That club is going to twist in your hands… you will push, pull, chuck, or even shank the shot.. not because of poor technique, but because of an improperly fit wedge.

It always amazes me how many golfers I watch “chunk” chip / pitch shots (in my pro-ams) with improperly fit wedges for them and they get so upset…. without realizing they really have very little chance of hitting those short game shots well with improperly fit wedges…

Again – as I like to say… “You must take ALL excuses out of the bag”

If you have any questions about your fittings / individual fit, please feel free to email direct at timg@gravesgolf.com

If you would like a free individualized custom fit for you – please see: CLICK HERE

Please feel to email me at timg@gravesgolf.com

Can’t Break Bad Habits

May 17, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By Tim Graves, PGA

Don’t Waste Time Trying to Break Bad Habits – Instead Build New Ones

I bet I talk about this so many times in our schools, many of our students probably get “sick” of hearing it.

When it comes to dealing with bad habits, many of us attack the problem head-on, by trying to break the habit. This tactic, of course, doesn’t work. And we are left with the old truth – habits are tough (if not impossible) to break. The blame lies with our brains. While we are really good at building circuits (creating habits), we are awful at unbuilding them. Trying as you might to break a bad habit, it is still there, waiting patiently for a chance to be used.

So, what do we do?

The solution is to ignore the bad habit and put your energy toward building a new habit that will override the old/bad habit.

To build new habits, start slowly. Expect to feel stupid, clumsy, uncomfortable, and even frustrated at first…. after all, the new “wires” in your brain haven’t been built yet. Your brain still wants to follow the old “comfortable” pattern. Build the new habit by gradually increasing the difficulty, little by little. It takes time, but it’s the ONLY way new habits are created and grow.

To Learn it More Deeply, Teach It

I absolutely love this one.

Here is the issue. Every good golfer, every golfer who learns something new/reaches a goal, etc… must be their own best teacher. If you cannot teach yourself, your ability to make changes, create new habits, reach goals, etc. will occur in a much slower rate.

This is not saying you must create everything yourself, but it is saying you must take what you learn and translate into self-teaching.

Think about it – how much time to you spend practicing, and how much of that practice time is with someone teaching you?

If you are like most, 90% + of your practice time is on your own, trying to create new habits, etc. on your own. Meaning, you must be able to make sure you are doing things correct, must be able to make sure you are “going down the correct path”.

A great way to determine if you can teach yourself it ask yourself “Could I teach this (new habit I am trying to learn) to someone else?”

This works because when you communicate a skill to someone, you come to understand it more deeply yourself. Also, when you see someone struggle, and help them through it, you improve your ability to deal with your own struggles.

The saying “Those who can’t do, teach” should be rewritten as “Doers who teach do better!”

Give a New Skill a Minimum of Eight Weeks

When it comes to growing/creating/developing new skills, eight weeks seems to be an important threshold. It’s the length of many top-level training programs around the world, from the Navy Seals’ physical – conditioning program to the mission training for the Mercury astronauts. A recent study at Massachusetts General Hospital showed the practicing meditation for twenty-seven minutes a day created lasting brain changes in (you guessed it) eight weeks.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can be proficient in any skill in eight weeks. Rather, it underlines two more basic points:

1) Constructing and honing new habits takes time, no matter who you are, and

2) Resilience and grit are vital tools, particularly in the early stages of learning. Don’t make judgements too early.

Keep at it, even if you don’t feel immediate improvement. Give your talent (your brain) the time it needs to grow and create new habits.

Please feel free to contact anytime – we are always happy to help and answer your questions.

Timg@gravesgolf.com

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