x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
Pro explains how he added more power (20 yards!) to his game
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf

InsideGOLF: +$140 value for $39.99

Join Today
Driving

Pro explains how he added more power (20 yards!) to his game

By: Zephyr Melton
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Follow on Instagram
October 3, 2023
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
michael kim swings

PGA Tour winner Michael Kim has added 20 yards to his driver over the last seven years.

Getty Images

There’s no attribute more valuable than power in the golf swing. If you can generate speed, the game becomes a whole lot easier.

Advanced analytics have only reinforced this notion. Whereas golf was once a game of art and finesse, it has recently evolved into one of science and power. With golf courses getting bigger and longer — lined with meaty rough — generating maximal clubhead speed is absolutely essential. The closer you are to the hole, the fewer strokes you will need to hole out. And the only way to consistently get closer to the hole is with speed.

The distance arms race has cooled a bit since the Bryson DeChambeau-led revolution at the start of the decade, but that’s not to say it’s disappeared. Golfers at every level are still looking for distance gains.

This is even true on the PGA Tour. The average driving distance on Tour was 293 yards five years ago. This past season, that number jumped to 300 yards. Golfers are only getting longer, and if you don’t add yards to your own game, you’re at risk of being left behind.

How Michael Kim added 20 yards

Michael Kim has been on Tour since 2015, and he’s had a fair amount of success. He’s managed to keep his card nearly every year, and even won the John Deere Classic in 2018. Kim’s career has aligned with an unprecedented time of distance gains in golf. He’s gained distance too. How? He recently explained.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I have gained 20 yards since I turned pro and some followers asked me how I did it. There are lots of things that went into it and here’s a somewhat detailed 🧵

🧵 goes Strength-Speed-Technique-Technology
Feel free to skip to the one you want pic.twitter.com/JmoFtGpBCL

— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) October 3, 2023

1. Strength

The stronger you are, the easier it will be to generate speed. Obviously technique is important, but getting stronger is immensely helpful.

“I weighed 145 lbs when I turned pro,” Kim wrote. “I now weigh about 165.”

Kim said he doesn’t do many golf-specific exercises, and instead opts for more general exercises.

“I do general strength stuff like Trap bar deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, incline dumbbell bench, pull ups, core work etc.,” he said. “Glutes and core are a must to make sure the back is healthy.”

2. Speed training

Just because you get stronger doesn’t mean you’ll automatically hit the ball farther. You also have to train for speed.

“[Speed is] not a you either have it or you don’t type of thing,” Kim wrote. “Yes, some are naturally faster than others but you can absolutely increase your speed no matter your age if you train for it. And prob more than you might think, especially if you’ve never done any golf speed training.”

Kim recommends the Stack System as a great place to start if you want more speed.

TheStack Swing Speed Trainer (Hardware + App Bundle)

  TheStack Hardware 5 milled Stack weights enable 30 weight combinations between 0g and 300g Dual-purpose weight case / phone stand Highly engineered training club – Adult (41.5″) or Junior (38.5″) version (see Fitting Juniors) Speed radar not included. View all compatible devices here.  We recommend the PRGR TheStack App Training 2-year License included, accessible on iOS only. Dynamic speed training formulated by Dr. Sasho MacKenzie Guided workout timer for reps, sets, and rest intervals Custom speed metrics to track your gains Hands-free data entry using voice entry technology Includes access to Stack Putting (Beta) – Learn more Includes Single User License – Enables training and tracking for up to five local (i.e. family) users under one login. Multi-user Coaches License license sold separately. Access TheStack App from the App Store when your order arrives. Requires iOS 15.0 or later.
View Product

3. Technique

There are lots of techniques you can employ to generate more speed (ground reaction forces, increased hip turn, etc.).

“Some of you know how much I love hip turn and why I give that advice to so many amateurs,” Kim said. “It’s a must for 90% of golfers.”

4. Technology

Technology has made huge strides over the last decade. As Kim explains, though, it’s not the good shots that have seen the biggest jump, it’s the bad ones. With new technology, mishits are not nearly as likely to cost you.

Additionally, strokes-gained data has changed the way golfers attack the course. Understanding advanced analytics has revolutionized course management.

“What has changed the most has been our mentality,” Kim said. “We have learned from strokes gained/stats with how the courses are currently designed and set up, as long as we can get it to the green in regulation, we should hit it as far down there as possible.

“Key point that I’ve learned: It’s not that a wedge from the rough is better than a 9i from the fairway (it’s not),” he continued. “It’s that the 9i from the fairway is NEVER guaranteed. You will miss fairways even with the shorter club and over the long haul, it makes a big difference. The technology has helped us with that mindset because the driver is easier to hit and more forgiving. Driving it long and straight is still the hardest thing to do in golf and it always will be.”

Latest In Instruction

2 hours ago

2 keys for playing golf at elevation, according to LIV pros

23 hours ago

The secret behind Justin Thomas’ crazy clubhead speed

23 hours ago

How a simple grip change can fix your bunker shots

1 day ago

This 'hallmark' of elite ball strikers is absent in high handicappers

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.

  • Author Twitter Account
  • Author Instagram Account

Related Articles

Instruction
michael kim practices chipping ahead of the 2025 masters

He once missed 23 cuts in a row. Now he's playing in the Masters

By: Zephyr Melton
News
Michael Kim hits a shot during the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open.

Michael Kim fights cracked driver, nerves to secure unlikely Masters bid

By: Josh Schrock
News
Ben Griffin and Michael Kim.

These Masters chasing pros have barely taken a week off all year

By: Jack Hirsh
News
Michael Kim made a huge hole-out after a chat with a volunteer on Saturday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but only after an inspiring chat with a volunteer.

Volunteer calls pro's hole-out at Bay Hill, gets priceless reward for his efforts

By: Kevin Cunningham
News
PGA Tour pro Michael Kim tosses his ball on the 13th green during the second round of the World Wide Technology Championship 2024 at El Cardonal at Diamante.

PGA Tour pro shares staggering airline travel costs for 2024 season

By: Kevin Cunningham
Instruction
michael kim hits a shot during the 2024 shriners hospital open

5 ball-striking tips to hit your long irons pure, according to a Tour pro

By: Zephyr Melton
News
Michael Kim

He's a Tour stat leader — by using long irons. Here are his 5 keys to hitting them

By: Nick Piastowski
News
Michael Kim, rules official

‘Welcome to rules of golf’: Pro catches ‘all-world break’ after animal decision

By: Nick Piastowski
Instruction
Michael Kim

Pro says he's played with 1,000 amateurs — and they commit these 'mistakes'

By: Nick Piastowski
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Go to mobile version