Being consistent at driving a golf ball requires the highest levels of confidence, awareness and solid fundamentals. Here are three fast and easy tips to help you hit more fairways while hitting the ball farther.
Despite the larger club head, the driver shaft is much longer and brings with it more potential problems from the backswing, through the downswing, through impact. With lots of moving parts that have to be working in rhythm, it’s easy to see why most amateurs have a hard time hitting fairways.
With so many variables in place, it’s essential to make practicing your drives a priority. We’ve all been in a rushed situation where we jump from the car to the tee box, having to hit a narrow fairway on the first hole with an audience gathered around the tee.
If at all possible, try to avoid the situation of having your first swing of the day be with your driver on the first tee. Get to the practice range before your tee time, stretch properly and hit at least a few balls. Even a few swings in to a net are exponentially better than just swinging away on the first hole. The top PGA professionals would not consider starting a round without the proper warm up, so neither should you.
When you practice on the range, work on maintain consistent positions at the setup, the top of your swing, through impact and follow through so you can visual the beginning, middle and end of your stroke. Having these clear guideposts in your mind could provide an essential backup if your swing falls apart during the round. If you do begin to struggle, just go back to those proper positions in your practice swings and your fundamentals will return.
With the massive size of today’s drivers, a simple mistake most amateurs make is to increase the speed of the swing with this club as compared to everything else in the bag. Remember, the most important concept in hitting long, solid shots is hitting the ball in the sweet spot of the club face. A miss-hit ball with a club head speed of 125 MPH will not go nearly as far as a solidly struck ball with 15-20 MPH less club head speed. Maintain a consistent, manageable swing speed and you’ll find more fairways and still outdrive your friends.
Bring these tips with you to your next round. They should help your golf driving results and lower your scores.
