When the average golfer thinks about adding distance to his or her game, it usually isn’t long before they go shopping for some new clubs. After all, using the latest and greatest technology on the market has to add some distance to your shots, right? Maybe, maybe not. The key is to use the right clubs for your game as a whole, not just the clubs which are going to allow you to hit the ball the farthest.

Let’s think about this topic for a moment in reference to your driver. Imagine you have an option between two drivers – one is going to allow you to hit the ball 250 yards on average, while the other will only net you 235 yards on an average tee shot. Any easy choice, right? Not so fast. You would need to collect more information before you could determine that the longer driver was the right option. If the shorter driver offered reduced sidespin and the opportunity to hit more fairways, you might want to lean in that direction even though you would be giving up some yardage. Remember, distance without control is useless in this game.

The best way to find the right clubs for your game is to enlist the help of a professional club fitter. Most golf facilities have a trained club fitter these days, and this person will be able to help you through the process of using a launch monitor to measure every last detail of your swing. Once all of the relevant information has been compiled, the fitting pro will be able to present you with some options. After a short period of trying out a few of the recommended clubs, you should be able to settle on a set which is a perfect match for your game.

Will this kind of club fitting take distance into consideration? Of course – maximizing distance is one of the top goals of a launch monitor session. It is important to note, however, that it is not the only goal. A good club fitting session will also think about controlling your spin rates, creating ideal launch angles, and more. Distance is a piece of the overall golf puzzle, but it is not the entire puzzle.

We hope the information provided in this article will be helpful as you try to figure out what role distance – specifically, the addition of distance – is going to play in the future of your golf game. It seems like a no-brainer to work on adding yardage to your shots, but you can do more harm than good if you go too far in that direction. Always focus on striking a healthy balance in your game, where you have enough distance to get around the course while maintaining enough control to keep your ball in play. Distance has always mattered in golf, and it always will, but it is far from the only thing which will determine your success. Good luck!