Golf Driving Tips From The Experts – Part 1

Swing Better, Not Harder

When asked his opinion on how to hit the ball further, PGA Tour professional Davis Love III usually replies that he tries to make a perfect swing rather than a harder swing, in order to ensure that he delivers the ball to the clubface in the middle of the sweet spot.

Tee The Ball As High As Possible

Many club golfers slice their tee shots because they tee the ball too low and therefore have to hit down too steeply to get the ball in the air.

To reduce your chances of slicing, tee the ball a little higher. This will force you to swing the club more around yourself on a slightly flatter plane in order to strike the ball powerfully.

Keep Your Driver Low To The Ground In The Takeaway Portion

In order to ensure that as much of the clubface as possible makes contact with the ball at impact, Chi Chi Rodriguez keeps the driver low to the ground at the beginning of the backswing. Use this same approach to your drives and notice a difference immediately.

Make The Same Swing With Your Driver

Although the swing for a driver is different from that for an iron, you should not swing differently. Playing the ball forward in your stance and setting extra weight on your right side at address will create a more rounded plane.

Rehearse The Driver Swing With Your 3 Wood First

To regain his confidence with the driver, PGA Tour Professional Brad Faxon used to practice his key driving-swing thoughts with his 3 wood.

When confident enough to hit the ball correctly with the fairway wood, he would do the same with the driver. If he had practiced those thoughts with the driver, he could easily have lost confidence.

Tee The Ball High For Distance

Jack Nicklaus believes that teeing the ball too low with the driver will sap your power and distance because you are forced to hit down on the ball, rather than sweep through it. If your attack into the ball is too steep, you will deliver only a glancing blow and impart too much of the unwanted backswing that causes the ball to slice in the air.

Perfect Drive Shots By Using Perfect Posture

To hit perfect drives, your feet should be shoulder-width apart with the toes splayed out slightly. The ideal ball position for the driver is opposite the inside of your left heel, because it encourages a sweeping angle of attack, striking the ball slightly on the upswing.

The weight should slightly favor your back foot – a ratio of about 60/40 is about right. This primes you for a good weight shift into the right side in your backswing, essential for generating maximum power in your swing.

Solid Swing Foundations

The driver swing generates the most power, so the need for good foundations is paramount. Balance and posture needs to be perfect. Think “shoulders over toes, hands under chin.”

This should help get your posture in great shape every time you set up to hit a drive. Also, achieve parallel alignment: the feet, hips, and shoulders should all be parallel to the target line. Good alignment promotes a fluid swing path so perfect drive shots can be made by using perfect posture.