Gettin' Long: Scratch’s Best Tips For Great Driving
It’s what every weekend warrior wants: to be a big hitter! Well, Scratch here can’t magically make a you bomber it like Bubba, but hopefully my driving tips can get you a few extra yards. Let me know your favorite tips for big driving in the comments below!
1. Get your set up correct.
The ball is placed differenly if you’re hitting an iron or a driver.When you use a driver, the ball is teed up and positioned more forward in your stance, so the angle of approach at impact is more shallow or sweeping. If you hit down on the ball with a driver, the ball will pop up in the air or you will give the ball a glancing blow slicing it to the right. A good driver basic golf tip is that the ball is aligned with the heel of the left foot (approximately three balls left of center for right handers).
2. Make sure your tee is high enough
The size of driver heads have increased dramatically in recent years and so has the sweet-spot of these drivers. The sweet spot on modern drivers are much higher up the face than on old clubs. General rule of thumb says to tee the ball up so that the top half of the ball is above the clubface when the club is resting in starting position on the ground. Naturally with a bigger club head, you need to tee the ball higher to achieve the top half ratio. This way, you are still striking the ball with the center of the club head.
3. Keep your front foot planted
Many golfers lift their front foot on their backswing. This can lead to a reverse weight shift, where weight is actually shifted to the front side on the backswing. This can result in a hook or shank shot. Keep your front foot planted on the ground on your backswing, which will promote a proper hip and shoulder turn and get you into a “coil” position setting you up for increased power. Just don’t forget to shift your weight to your back side.
4. Increase your clubhead speed
It’s pretty simple. Speed = Power. You need at least 80 miles per hour clubhead speed to get a ball up in the air with a 12-degree lofted club or less. To help create clubhead speed, you need to have light grip pressure. Tight grip pressure kills speed. Light grip pressure allows you to make a full turn and helps you to swing the club freely.
5. Get Fit!
No matter how much money your driver costs or how many lessons you’ve taken, nothing can be as effective in increasing driving distance as getting fit. Don’t believe me? Compare the physique of current top Tour players those from 30 years ago. You’ll see a lot fewer beer bellies. If you’re not strong and flexible, you’re not going to achieve your potential maximum distance. If you need help getting fit, check out my fitness blog entries here and then head on over to Rock Bottom Fitness!
Check out Golf Digest’s Top 10 Driving Tips below!