Tips: Sophie Walker on how to hit a straight drive

Sophie Walker is a professional golfer who plays on the Ladies European Tour. Here she talks us through the process of trying to hit a straight drive.

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From a very young age my coach was a massive Jack Nicklaus fan and he always asked me to pick a point in front of the ball to help with alignment, and then pick a point in the distance.

Sophie Walker: Her bio

Aged 13, Sophie was playing for her County, Lincolnshire and then progressed to play for England by the time she was 15.

“Playing for my country meant everything to me and I loved every minute of it, the travelling, the training, the camaraderie with the other girls and even the pink uniform!”

Sophie had some great successes during this time, winning the English Girls Championship in 2000, the Daily Telegraph Championship in 2000 and 2001 and then the English Girls Strokeplay in 2002.

By the age of 18 she joined the senior squad which coincided with the start of her studies at Loughborough University.

“The following years as a full time amateur and student complimented each other well. I played some great golf and had the time of my life at university! My playing highlights were winning the English Ladies Strokeplay in 2003, finishing 2nd in the European Team and having an undefeated record for GB and Ireland.”

Sophie turned professional in October 2006 and gained her Ladies European Tour card in the November.

“It was a very proud moment for me as before it was mostly about the team, now it was all about me. So here I am living out my dream of playing sport for a living. Most people say they dreamt of playing golf from a young age. I just dreamt of being a professional athlete. Tour life has its ups and down but I can honestly say that the places I have been and the people I have met have been amazing. Every week we are at a different venue, but it’s the same people so we are like a circus/family.