We see the tour pro's hitting their drivers high through the air with little spin, the perfect factors for hitting your driver a long way. Many amateurs see this and try to emulate the professionals, but can cause themselves problems in doing so.
According to Phil Akers, a senior teaching professional at the Belfry, the key difference between amateurs and pro's is that the pro's hit up on the driver without increasing the loft on the club, gaining maximum distance and power in doing so. Some amateurs will try to copy this and in doing so they increase the loft of the club, leading to an increase in spin rate. This means the ball is more likely to go a shorter distance with less control through the air.
Phil's simple drill of feeling like you are brushing the top of the tee, trying to hit the ball 100 yards down the range gets you hitting up on the golf ball, improving the overall strike and eventually with some repetition, your distance off the tee will improve when you are on the course.
