Driving the ball off the tee is a crucial part of the game of golf. In this article I am going to provide you with some great tips that will help you to drive the ball off the tee peg longer distances whilst containing control of the shot.
A lot of golfers are constantly searching for tips on how to improve the distance and accuracy of their drives as they know this will help to lower their scores considerably. Hitting a long straight ball off the tee box increases those amazing opportunities of walking off the hole with a birdie or eagle on the scorecard. With improved accuracy and control, a golfer is able to achieve a much cleaner scorecard without losing too many strokes due to hitting those dreaded hooks and slices.
We need to ensure we implement the correct set-up each time we address the ball to achieve maximum distance and accuracy when driving the ball down the fairway. First off you need to address the golf ball with your feet approximately shoulder width apart with your knees lightly flexed.
This will help you to achieve maximum club head speed through the ball. If your knees are too straight or you are standing too tall this will greatly affect your swing plane and coil and will result in a loss of power and ultimately distance.
When using a driver, because the club is a lot longer than a mid-iron, you have to make sure that your ball position is correct. The longer the club the more you play the ball towards your leading foot. Do not play the driver with your ball position in the center of your stance. The correct ball position will result in the club traveling down the swing plane on the correct path and making a good solid contact with the golf ball and helping to achieve the correct flight path.
When you begin your backswing, you should take the club away from the ball smoothly using your hips as you begin to rotate. Using your hips is a vital element in helping to achieve maximum driving distance. As you begin to rotate away from the ball with your hips, your arms and upper body will naturally follow and will work as one unit. Think of your takeaway as a 'one piece takeaway' using your bigger muscles and not just using your hands to swing the club.
As you reach the top of your backswing, your shoulder should be tucked nicely under your chin (or as far as your body allows you to rotate without causing stress or injury). The importance of your hips continues with the downswing, naturally followed by your arms and hands. After regular practice of the one piece takeaway, you will begin to notice how the upper body starts to work together as a unit and this will create more power in your swing resulting in more distance.
Now, distance is great but only if it is accurate, otherwise you can land in all types of hazards and end up losing strokes. There is one golden key to achieving this and that is to ensure that your hands follow the club head at impact. The consequence of this will result in the club face striking the ball square, otherwise you will experience the dreaded hook or slice.
Other factors can also play an important part of hooking or slicing the ball and if you do this on a regular basis or most of your shots seem to hook or slice away from your target, then the first place you need to look at is your grip. Holding the club far too strong or weak will naturally cause you to strike the ball with a closed or open club face and the results can be extremely frustrating and knock confidence. Ensure you hold the golf club with a neutral grip to give you the best possible chance of striking the ball with a square club face.
Another tip I want to share with you is your stance. When you address the ball, you need to make sure that your stance is square to your target, unless of course you are confident enough to play a draw or fade. So to achieve a nice straight golf shot, ensure that your feet are aligned to your target. You will also need to check that your hips and your shoulders are also parallel to your target. You will find that by addressing the ball correctly and keeping your body square to your target, your golf shots will dramatically improve with accuracy and control.
On a final note before I wrap up this article, I would like to mention that modern technology does also play a big part in golf and can make the game a lot easier. If you are currently playing with a small headed driver, then it might be time for a change and I would recommend using a larger club head like a 460 cc driver to help improve your game.
If you do decide to opt for a larger headed driver - here's one final thought. You will need to conduct regular practice with these bigger drivers until you feel comfortable and get used to using them. The new bigger drivers are not miracle workers and will not improve your game overnight or help you to break par next week.
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