How to Hit the Driver Straighter

Your driver is constantly finding the rough. Second tee shots are a common hood in your game. Frustration with the driver makes the game irritating.

Maybe you have even taken a lessons on the driver yet still struggle with it. Perhaps you hit it well on the range, but can’t produce it on the course. There are a few keys that you are most likely missing to finding the fairway more often.

Tempo is the most common major issue amateurs face to hit the driver straight.

Imagine Niagara Falls for a moment. (Go on, close your eyes, imagine it…)

See the water flowing over the top of the edge of the cliff. This is the point in time that the water is at the slowest speed in comparison with when the water is in free-fall. The water is moving the fastest by the time it hits the rocks down below. The same is true for a golf swing with good tempo.

The driver should move the fastest at impact and the slowest from the top of the swing down into impact.

Commonly though, the driver head moves the fastest from the top, not at impact. (Oops!)

Work on improving your driver tempo by feeling a slight pause at the top of your swing.

Additionally, set up keys for the driver are critical. Focus on ball position, weight distribution, and spine tilt.

The ball position should be in line with your left heel (for a right handed golfer).

Your weight should be approximately 60% on your right foot (for a right handed golfer).

Your spine tilt should not be perfectly vertical but actually leaning slightly to the right (for a right handed golfer). Perhaps the thought of the Leaning Tower of Pisa rings a bell. From your hips up you should be leaning to your right with your spine for the driver (look at any tour pro’s set up with the driver).

Finally, have a solid consistent, repeatable, pre-shot routine. Make sure you get behind the ball in line with your target to see the shot you want to have happen. Then, execute a few practice swings for tempo.

Once fundamentally set up, look at your target one more time and swing. Don’t delay. 

Any comments, questions or suggestions for topics are welcome; enter them in the comment box below. Your topic might be the next post!

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Should Golfers Take a Practice Swing? What about pace of play?

No golfer enjoys slow play. Practice swings tend to get "the finger pointed at" as a main accomplice. However, practice swings can be taken in a timely manner. 

To overcome many common pace of play concerns:

• Avoid wasting time by making practice swings while someone else is getting ready to hit their shot
• Choose the club you need to use for your next shot while your playing partner is hitting their shot
• Limit practice swings to a total of no more than 3

The second the other player hits their shot, take your first practice swing and be ready to play. You don't need to watch their shot, their reaction, them walking back to the cart or driving off. The club for the shot at hand should already be accomplished by the time your playing partner is hitting their shot.

Another potential problem may be not knowing if a practice swing will be helpful, taking a big (embarrassing) divot, or even just feeling unworthy of making a practice swing.

All in all practice swings are essential for establishing the way the club feels and your tempo.

Don't worry about taking a big divot or no divot. Instead, just make the practice swing to establish your tempo and feel. A simple suggestion would be to just brush the grass with the club head and focus on your tempo as the practice swing is made. 

A simple tempo key is:

           

            Counting in your head – 1, 2, 3, 4. This works best for verbal/auditory learners.

           

            Have the feeling of a slight pause at the top of your back-swing. Typically this sensation works best for golfers that slice the ball or kinesthetic learners.

            Thinking about swinging smoothly. A smooth swing is great for many golfers, however it tends to benefit the golfer the most that hooks the ball.

For more, visit http://www.gibbsgolf.com