by Driving a golf ball is one of the most crucial shots in the game. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced golfer, hitting the right tee shot can set you up for success on every hole.
Many players struggle to hit their driver straight or to get enough distance. Luckily, there are many different ways to help you improve your drive.
Stance
A proper stance can help you square your club face and get the most distance out of each shot. It also helps you maintain good posture and balance.
Your stance will change as you switch between golf clubs, but the overall position and angle should remain consistent. This means a slightly forward stance for longer clubs and a slightly back stance for shorter clubs.
For example, the driver requires a more forward stance to allow you to create momentum for longer ball flights. Short irons and wedges require a slightly back stance to allow you to hit the ball with a more controlled swing.
You can check your stance at the driving range using a video camera and a partner to help you see the exact position you are in. It is best to do this at the beginning of a practice round before you go out on the course so you can make sure it is correct.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your stance is to distribute weight too much on your heels or toes. This can lead to a shank or hook.
It also makes it difficult to rotate your hips properly during the backswing. You can also feel your arms tightening and causing poor swing mechanics.
The best way to prevent this is to keep your weight on the balls of your feet and not the front or back of them. You can do this by bending your knees slightly on the backswing and keeping your heel and toes together at impact.
Backswing
The backswing is a critical part of the golf swing and can be the difference between hitting a straight shot and one that ends up in the woods. During the backswing, it is important to rotate your shoulders and torso away from the target. This will allow you to generate more clubhead speed and improve your accuracy.
Another key to achieving the correct backswing is ensuring your left arm remains straight throughout the entire swing. Many amateurs incorrectly let their left arm bend during the backswing and this can cause serious issues with your ball flight and consistency.
This can lead to a number of problems such as a fade or slice, a hook or even a draw. The good news is that the swing path and club face you use in your backswing can help you avoid these issues.
A great backswing pre-sets the club in the ideal position for impact, which ensures you hit a straight shot. It also helps prevent a number of common mistakes that occur during the swing, such as slicing and drawing.
Start your backswing by adjusting your body’s position to an imaginary line in the distance that is a few yards in front of where you want the ball to land. The aim is to keep your backswing behind this line but not too far off to the side (for right-handed players, this should be a few yards to the left and for left-handed players a little more to the right).
Downswing
The downswing is a critical moment in the golf swing. It is where your body, arms, and club come together to deliver a ball into the air with power and accuracy.
Great players have a natural, fluid motion that encapsulates all the elements of the downswing. They shift their weight to the front foot, turn their hips and chest towards the target, and extend their arms and hands into impact.
As you get into this downswing position, make sure to keep your leading hand (left for most players, right for lefties) angled down towards the ball. This will help you start the ball low, so it will climb on its own through your generated power.
Many amateurs will try to flip their leading hand forward on the downswing, but this is counterproductive. You need to be able to hinge your wrists at this point in the downswing so you can properly rotate and set up for the backswing.
Once you reach this point in the downswing, the club should be on a line that is roughly parallel to your target. This doesn’t have to be exact, but it should be close.
If you notice your club heading way off of this line, then something is going wrong during the downswing. It could be that your hands are overactive, or it could be that you are not using the right backswing for this particular shot.
Follow Through
The follow through is the last part of a golf swing and it can add distance, direction and consistency to a shot. If you don’t follow through properly, you could lose distance and have a difficult time hitting the ball.
A good follow through will have a lot to do with how the ball flies, but it also tells you a lot about your swing and what needs to be improved. You should finish your swing with a full rotation, hips and chest pointing to the target and club over the left shoulder. This will also help to maximize the power of your club and increase the distance of the ball.
If you want to improve your follow through, it’s important to practice this position frequently. You should be able to hold this position for a solid five seconds without shifting your weight, but if it’s difficult, you might need to focus on balance.
Having good balance is very important in a golf swing, especially when you are trying to hit a high ball. If you don’t have good balance, your shot will be low and hard to control.
One way to test if you have good balance is to stand a few yards away from the ball and then swing. When you are done, have a friend give you a slight push in the back or front of your body and see how easy it is to fall forwards or backwards. If you fall forwards easily, that means you have enough weight on the front foot and if it’s easy to fall backwards, that means you have too much weight hanging back.
