Greg Norman’s 3 setup adjustments to add 15 yards to your drives

Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Timeless Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today, we look back at our January 1990 issue for a few tips from Greg Norman that can add serious distance to your drives.

There is no asset more valuable in the modern game than power off the tee. If you can bomb the big stick, it makes the rest of the game a heck of a lot easier.

Adding yards off the tee isn’t a new fad, though. For generations, golfers have been searching for ways to squeeze a few extra yards out of their drives. Modern tech has made that mission easier to accomplish than ever before, but the goal remains all the same.

Back in the January 1990 issue of GOLF Magazine, we sought to help in that endeavor. With assistance from Greg Norman, we published a short feature on how to add 15 yards to your drives — all with three easy setup adjustments. Check ’em out below, and join InsideGOLF for unlimited access to our archive of the GOLF Magazine digital archive.

Add 15 yards with 3 adjustments

Every golfer I talk to wants to hit the ball longer off the tee. They’ll do anything, they say, to pick up a few yards on their drives. Unfortunately, in trying “anything” many amateurs twist their bodies and minds so badly they actually do themselves more harm than good. Rather than generating more power, they create more problems — swinging too fast, going past parallel at the top and so on. 

Let me suggest an easier way: Add distance to your drives by making small adjustments to your setup. I’ve found that minor alterations in how high I set the tee, where I position the ball in my stance and the width of the stance help me hit longer drives. 

Below on the left is a photograph of my normal address position; compare it to the photograph next to it and read the suggestions in between. Work these little changes into your setup and you’ll see a big change in your tee shots.

Norman’s 3 adjustments

1. Tee the ball 1/2 inch higher
2. Play the ball 1.5 inches forward
3. Widen your stance by 2 inches

Teeing the ball half an inch higher than normal and an inch and a half ahead of your left heel encourages making contact as the club begins the upswing. This means you’ll stay behind the ball longer, allowing an extra split-second to build power — capitalizing on a big turn — and delay the release of the hands. 

Widening the stance by two inches does double duty: First, you create a solid base for the swing; second, you lengthen your takeaway and the arc of the swing, increasing clubhead speed on the downswing. (Be careful not to speed up your backswing; try to draw the club slowly away from the ball.) 

Assume your normal address, then make the three adjustments I’ve described. Compare your new “power position” to the one shown here: When they match, you should see another 15 yards on your drives.

Zephyr Melton

Golf.com Editor

Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.