The driver is a key part of any golfer’s set-up. A good tee shot with a driver that finds the fairway is crucial to a golfer’s scorecard. Professional golfer, Amy Boulden who competes on the Ladies European Tour talks through the basic driver fundamentals. Check out the video below to see what you need to do to improve your game with the big stick.
Driver Set Up: The Key Points
Is your ball set up in the correct place? With a driver, the ball position should be set up just inside the heel of the front foot. For a right-handed golfer, this is your left heel. You can check your set up by placing an alignment stick or club from your heel to the ball to see where it is.
Your stance with your driver will be wider than any other club. You’re looking for a stable base as this is going to be the quickest swing that you make. The weight distribution should sit fairly central with your shoulders tilted back, which will help allow you to hit the ball up.
Unlike other clubs, the driver swing is an upward sweeping motion. Hitting the driver on the up, allows a player to create a greater carry distance. Hitting down on the driver as an amateur golfer can cause a range of different mistakes but most commonly would cause you to sky the ball.
- RELATED: How To Stop Skying Your Driver?
Keep your height and posture throughout the driver swing. Many golfers may dip forwards or back out of the shot during the swing. This alters the swing path and can also cause a range of mistrikes that can reduce a player’s driving distance. A simple thought might just be to keep your chin/head up.
Once you’ve made contact with the ball, like any shot it’s important to stay in balance and hold the follow through. Although we all want to hit the ball long and straight, trying to knock the paint off of it isn’t the answer. A smooth tempo throughout the shot will promote a better strike and ultimately a better shot. Try to gain a little more consistency before introducing more swing speed into your driving.
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Have you ever heard the old saying “tee it high let it fly”? There is truth in this saying. If you tee the ball high and have a positive angle of attack, you hit up on the ball, then you will be able to hit longer drives as the ball will be in the air for longer. Teeing the ball high works great if you hit up but if you’re too steep then it can cause golfers problems such as skying their tee shots. Make sure to play around with different tee heights to see what works best for you.
Conclusion
Make sure to give some of these tips a go next time you’re at the driving range or the golf club to see how you can be driving the ball better in no time.
Remember if you’re struggling with a certain shot tendency the golf swing isn’t always what needs altering. Modern drivers are designed to help golfers with different loft and bias settings. So you don’t always need to spend hours on the driving range to knock a few shots off of your scorecard!
Still, in need of help with your driver, check out some of our other driver instruction pages below…
