With enough practice, you should be able to pick up some driving distance on the practice range. Of course, hitting long drives on the range is not the same thing as hitting them on the course. If your hard work on the range is going to pay off on the course, you’ll need to have the right mindset each time you stand over the ball on the tee. Without your mind in the right place, it is going to be hard to make the free, relaxed swing required to create impressive power.

So, how do you make sure your mind is in the right place? Consider the tip techniques below.

• Pick a smart target. You are going to have a hard time committing to your swing if you aren’t sure that you’ve selected the right target for your drive. For instance, if you have decided to aim down the right side of the fairway – near a water hazard – you might have some second thoughts while standing over the ball. Even if those second thoughts don’t lead to a poor swing, which they might, they are almost certain to cause you to hold something back. By picking a smarter, and safer, target, you should feel free to turn the club loose through the hitting area. When at all possible, select a target line that is going to give you a reasonable amount of margin for error. If no such line is available, it might be worth considering whether you should even be hitting a driver in the first place. By clubbing down to a three wood or hybrid, you may find that more comfortable targets are suddenly available.
• Focus on one technical key. Another way to rob yourself of swing speed is to think about too many technical keys while trying to make your swing. At the most, you want to be thinking about a single technical point as you move the driver back and through. If you have your swing in good condition, you might be able to eliminate all technical thoughts while just focusing on the target. It’s nearly impossible to maximize your swing speed when you have a list of mechanical thoughts rolling around in your mind, so work on trimming it down to a single thought on the range before your round begins.
• Trust, trust, trust. The importance of confidence can’t be understated when talking about distance off the tee. Simply put, you have to be confident if you are going to release the club head with authority through impact. If you aren’t sure that your shot is going to fly in the right direction, it’s going to be tough to commit to the kind of swing you need to make. All golfers hit bad shots from time to time, so this isn’t about being perfect. Rather, it’s about trusting yourself and believing that most of your shots are going to work out nicely. Don’t let the occasional mistake wipe out your confidence, as you’ll lose some of your distance right along with it.
• See your ball flight. Too many golfers ignore the potential of visualization to help their performance on the tee (and around the rest of the course, for that matter). If you are willing to take a moment to visualize each tee shot before you actually hit it, your performance should improve – and you should gain distance, as well. When visualizing your drives, picture not only the shape of the shot, but the height as well. See the ball flying down the fairway, landing, bouncing, and rolling to its final location. Then, when you are done visualizing your shot, walk up and replicate what you just pictured in your mind.

Your mind is a powerful tool, and you want to make sure you are using it as effectively as possible on the tee. If you don’t think the right way as you prepare to swing your driver, you’ll likely be leaving some power in the bag.