Same swing, less carry. Usually a strike or sequencing issue — not an effort problem.
1,882 videos by 122 coaches set out to fix distance loss.
What distance loss looks like
When losing distance, you will often hear a dull slash rather than a crisp whoosh sound at the bottom of the arc. Ball flights often turn into high, weak fades or erratic slices that fail to carry, accompanying off-centre heel strikes across the clubface.
Why it happens
Casting or releasing the wrists early Unhinging the wrists prematurely in the downswing unloads lag too early and adds excessive dynamic loft to the clubface. This transforms a high-velocity whip into a weak impact that sacrifices carry distance. How to tell: Swing the club without a ball and listen to where the noise occurs; an early release creates a quiet slash near the ball rather than a loud whoosh down at the bottom of the arc. The idea: Wrist hinge. From Fraser Golf Institute , Ashley Knoll Golf, Danny Maude, AlexElliottGolf.
Holding the club in the palm Placing the grip handle across the lifeline of the lead hand rather than down through the fingers locks the wrist joints. This restricts natural wrist hinge during the backswing, severely reducing leverage and clubhead speed. How to tell: Open your lead hand at setup to check if the grip handle runs through your upper palm lifeline instead of across the base of your fingers. The idea: Grip. From Matt Baker Golf | Malaska Certified Coach, ChrisRyanGolf.
Pulling the club down with arms Dominating the downswing by dragging or pushing the club down with the hands and arms prevents the lower body from leading the move. This eliminates the whipping motion that occurs when the body moves first and pulls the club behind it through impact. How to tell: Check a video of your swing to see if your upper body and arms initiate the downswing before your weight shifts onto your lead side. The idea: Downswing. From Milo Lines Golf, Justin Langhill | Golf Performance Coach.
The fix
The drills that fix distance loss
Most-taught first, each with the coaches who teach it.
Strike Gate Drill: Two tees pushed into the ground either side of the ball, just wider than the clubhead, with an iron, wedge or driver; swing through without clipping either tee. 5 coaches teach it.
Towel Drill: used by 10 coaches in 18 videos that fix distance loss, and we filmed it.
Step Drill: used by 9 coaches in 13 videos that fix distance loss.
Speed training live : trying to hit 190mph ball speed by Cordie Walker GolfWell. To gain speed, you must practice with high intent; if you don't feel 'wildly out of control' during training, you aren't trying hard enough.