I would just like to get some more carry out of my drives. 3 Keys to Stop Slicing Your Driver. With a driver, you might want to try placing the ball one or two ball length right of your left heel if you draw the ball. The more loft I add to the driver, the farther I can carry the ball. Many amateur golfers make the simple mistake of teeing the ball too low for the average drive. This can be really frustrating for the uninformed golfer, as they see the ball snap hook to the left, and every bone in their instinctive body tells them to swing more to the right – but this just exacerbates the problem. Not to worry – you don’t have to be a science professor to understand what is going on with the golf ball. Andrew Fortier has been a writer since 2001. The "V" must point to the inside of your right shoulder. It isn’t necessary to spend hundreds of dollars right away on a new driver, but playing with the right equipment is something that you will want to do if you are serious about getting better. Videotape yourself practicing your swing so that you may observe all of the actions that you are taking. “Tee it high and let it fly” is a great mantra for driving the ball, but what if your shots barely get off the ground? There are a couple steps you can take to improve your ability to hold onto that club head speed until impact. I encountered a strange phenomenon last round I played, on about 6 drives I literally hit the ball straight into the ground. For more information about ball position, see Correct Ball Position for Driver, Iron and Wedge. If you push the ball or push fade the ball out to the right – you’re driving the hips too hard or you’re sliding laterally so slow down and turn. In any event I have sort of been down this road before but as time went by I lost this approach and was actually I am sure hitting down with my driver. For most golfers, success on a hole begins with a good drive. Too far on either side of that range and you will likely lost distance as a result. Open your club face. I am a right handed golfer and have trouble hitting my driver. Question, are there any drills that will help prevent me from grounding my driver? By finding out what is ailing your shot and implementing improvements into your swing, you can dominate all 18 holes. I now focus on driving through the ball with the pad on my palm beneath my index and middle finger. I encountered a strange phenomenon last round I played, on about 6 drives I literally hit the ball straight into the ground. Even if you don’t buy a new driver from them, your time and effort to go through the fitting will be well worth it. I hit many weak shots to the right side and cannot hit the ball "solid" with a gentle "draw." This is especially true when hitting driver off the tee. Fortier is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English at Metropolitan State College of Denver. Hitting the sweet spot on your driver is always going to be a challenge, but the tips included in this article can help you take a step toward doing so with increased regularity. Only then now, sometimes I sky the driver. If the face, or front, of the club is tilted in toward you, tilt it out until it is lined up straight with the ball. However, the ball left a 1-3 foot long shallow divot trail on the grass in front of my tee. Your swing technique has a lot to do with how high your tee shots fly off of your driver, but that isn’t the end of the puzzle. You should see only two knuckles on your left hand if the you have the proper grip. If you still pull or pull hook the ball to the left - start your hips sooner. The club will most likely be hitting the golf ball too steeply, therefore imparting a downward blow on to the golf ball causing the golf club to go under the golf ball instead of hitting up on the golf ball off the tee. And to further make a point about a previous above post, I do hit my irons very well and used to have a lower ball flight in my woods just as you do. Position the ball so that it is not too far back in your stance. At the same time, the over the top move will cause you to add slice spin on the ball. ... February 05, 2013 at 03:46 AM. I see this a lot in my students who start down from the top of their swing far too steeply, and have to raise the handle of the club into impact — one of the most common reactions to a … Obviously you need great swing speed to hit long drives, but that speed can easily be wasted if you don’t have the right driver trajectory. One other point on equipment is making sure you are playing the right golf ball for your swing. Take an extra grip (or a towel or a headcover) and place it on the ground right behind the ball. Another reason you could be pulling your golf shots is your hands are getting overly active in the downswing causing the clubface to shut and the ball to go left. A left-handed golfer hitting a curving ball to the left would be hitting a slice, not a hook, so lefties should reverse the directional elements in the text below. Also, carrying the ball farther off the tee helps you to stay away from hazards like ponds or bunkers that might line the fairways. Keep Your Left Heel Down. But if hit a draw, try to position your ball a bit right of what I suggest you in Correct Ball Position for Driver, Iron and Wedge. Paul Wilson Creator – Swing Machine Golf Las Vegas Golf Schools and Lessons By Paul Wilson What Causes Hitting Behind the Golf Ball? 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This resulted in me swiping up on the ball at impact which created undesirable top spin. A lot of it is going to come down to getting a good handle on those two variable discussed above – launch angle and spin rate. Most of them make swings that seem free and effortless, yet the ball rockets into the sky with incredible power and velocity. In any event I have sort of been down this road before but as time went by I lost this approach and was actually I am sure hitting down with my driver. While the ideal launch angle for you is going to depend on the specifics of your swing, most golfers are going to want to land somewhere between 10* - 15*. It is very difficult to get the ball into the air properly when your head drifts past the position of the ball during the swing. Neutralize your grip on the club. If you still pull or pull hook the ball to the left - start your hips sooner. Although it may be a hard problem to correct, the causes of hitting the ball to the left are often easily identifiable. While the launch angle of your shots determines the initial height of the ball flight, it is the backspin that you put on the. Keep a wide base. Get the right golf ball. Often times, a low drive is caused simply by teeing the ball up too low. It can be helpful from time to time to know how to hit a low drive when you need one (windy conditions), but a high ball flight should be your standard shot when the weather is good. I have been having trouble lately with hitting the ball too low especially with my driver. You have reached the maximum number of submissions for today. My remedy for this would be the old tee your golf ball up an inch or so away from your driver headcover and see if that doesnt get the ball started out on the right path. (We respect privacy and keep all emails confidential). Sometimes on the golf course, i will hit very low drives which dont even go past 200 yards, and my average driver distance is between 240 - 270 yards with a good trajectory. This moves your center of gravity closer to the target, and means you are going to hit down through the shot instead of up into the ball. If even one shot is off, it can put a damper on the rest of your game. If the ball is too far back in your stance with driver, that can be a cause of the dreaded pop-up. With both hands holding the club, form a "V" with your thumb and index finger. The relationship between driver loft and distance varies based on the golfer. For example, I am a very low-spin player. My driver is approximately 225 carry and pitching wedge carries approx. This is a very, very common cause. That combination is why it is difficult for the average golfer to keep tee shots in the fairway. Don’t rush through your backswing and make sure you give it plenty of time to be completed before you transition into the forward swing. To fix this issue, grip the club properly with the "V" on your right hand, created by your index finger and thumb, pointing to the inside of your right shoulder. So, for example, a 0* launch angle would be a shot that never leaves the ground, and a 90* launch angle would be a shot that goes completely vertical up into the air. What Is Happening When I Hit the Golf Ball Way Up With a Driver? A club fitting session with a local professional should only take about a half hour of your time, and usually isn’t very expensive to schedule. As you swing the driver down toward impact, focus on keeping your left heel down flat on the ground (for a … Let’s tackle some causes and cures for both groups. In many instances, having a strong grip will cause your ball to go low. 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