Hitting The Driver

When you hit the driver, (#1 wood) you should be hitting it the furthest distance, it is also the longest club in your bag. The driver, for many golfers, can be the most difficult club to hit. Why? First, since it is the longest club, it is also the hardest club to control and hit straight. Also, it has the less loft than any other club; therefore, it tends to exaggerate any mis-hits and flaws in your swing. There are a few simple tips you can use to improve your tee shots and in no time you will be hitting the ball straighter and keeping it in the “short grass”.

Let’s first address the stance.

Since the driver is the longest club you have, your stance or the width of your stance should be at its widest. This will give you better balance when you are making that nice sweeping swing and smooth acceleration on the downswing.

Allign the ball with your front foot, or in line with your instep/heel..

Then be sure to tee the ball high, so at least half of the ball is above the crown or top line of the club head. This in combination with the ball position will assist in making that nice sweeping motion up through the ball. Since the driver has little loft to begin with, this will help the ball travel on a higher trajectory.

During the swing, a lot of golfers make the mistake of trying to hit the ball too hard or “kill” it. This can cause many problems, usually not knowing what direction the ball will be traveling. Most golfers would benefit if they could swing through the ball instead of hitting at the ball.

When hitting the driver, try to think of only following through and finishing the swing down the target line. Tell yourself to let the ball get in the way of the swing and try not to smash it. With the driver, and other clubs as well, try to have a nice and relaxed grip pressure and swing with enough force to be aggressive, but at the same time retaining balance during the follow through.

Hopefully these swing tips will assist you in becoming a better ball striker with the toughest club in the bag – the driver.