Justin Rose shares how he’s added distance off the tee compared to his 30s

Over the last year and a half, Justin Rose has looked more like his old self, stringing together some impressive showings on the PGA Tour and in the Ryder Cup.

He picked up a win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship back in August, then followed that up by playing an important part for Europe six weeks later at Bethpage Black.

Rose opened this season with another PGA Tour victory, taking home the Farmers Insurance Open title two weeks ago.

The 45-year-old believes there is still more to come from him.

This week, he will be aiming to win at Pebble Beach for a second time in his career.

The new world number three is playing golf at an exceptionally high level and undoubtedly merits his impressive ranking.

In that context, the biggest question is: what explains the 45-year-old’s improved form over the last year?

Justin Rose’s improved speed and distance has helped him compete

It is not a coincidence that Rose’s form has picked up around the same time as his increased clubhead speed and ball speed, along with added distance off the tee.

This season, he is averaging 308.7 yards per drive, up by nearly seven yards compared to last year.

In 2024, Rose averaged 297.5 yards off the tee, and that was two yards less during the 2022-23 season.

Back in 2015, he was averaging 303 yards with the driver. Even though he is a decade older now, he seems to have added about five more yards to his game.

That is impressive, especially when you consider most players tend to lose distance as they age.

How has he managed to achieve more distance off the tee?

Ahead of this week’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Rose addressed reporters and answered a question regarding the factors behind his increased clubhead speed.

Justin Rose details what has helped him add distance over the last decade

The Englishman pointed to one minor adjustment he made recently that could be behind the changes in his game.

“Yeah, I think I’ve started hitting the ball a little further the last maybe six months.

“Not really sure why or how. Maybe it’s more of a technical thing, like a little shift in my grip, just slightly strengthened it,” he said.

“Was quite weird how the brain is like OK, going to move more positively through the ball from a rotational point of view. That seemed to make a difference.”

While Rose did not directly address his fitness routine, there is no question he has maintained his physical conditioning at a high level throughout his career.

Sustaining 180 mph ball speed would be impossible without putting in that kind of work off the course as well.

His approach serves as an example for other players looking to extend their prime years into their forties and beyond.

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