When you are able to belt longer and straighter drives you will not only become the envy of your golfing buddies, but you will begin to build confidence in your game. Here are various exercises you can apply that will help tremendously increase your distance and the amount of control you have over the shot.
There are good reasons why amateurs spend so much time concentrating on hitting longer and straighter drives. The primary goal should be, of course, to make a par. But to take it a step further and think about a potential birdie or better yet, an eagle, the distance you can get on your drives is going to determine the result you can expect on the hole. A golfer tends to lose the most strokes in his round in one of two places: the drive or the short game. If you slice or hook the ball off the tee you are dead from the get go. So, being accurate as well as long go hand-in-hand.
The combination of mastering both distance and accuracy for longer and straighter drives starts in the address position. You need to feel a tad crouched at address with your feet lined up with your shoulders both distance wise and down the target line. Bend those knees a little bit. If you played baseball, picture yourself getting ready to field a ground ball.
Now, we need power. That comes, not from the arms, but from your abdominal muscles which uncoil and lead the way. Think of a rubber band on one of those old time model airplane propellers. Wind it up and let it go! Keep in mind the importance of bending your knees throughout the swing. If you are standing up on the shot as you come into it, your results will be dreadful. Making sure the ball is forward in your stance is also a significant vital to a successful shot. To get yourself into the textbook stance, keep the ball more towards your front foot and away from the center. The distance it should be depends of what club you are hitting and the type of shot you are trying to produce. This helps the club get the ball releasing on the correct path and into the air.
One swing factor that is often overlooked is how does the backswing kick off? Do the shoulders, hips, torso or hands kick things off? The one and only answer to this question is - the hips. Don't let your hands lead the way. Turning your hips first - not the head, shoulders or hands - gives you the best chance to blast your tee shots. The hips turn and the upper body, arms and hands can do nothing but follow. The central point of this is not to allow any other part to take over. This holds true right up until you are looking down the fairway at the the fantastic shot you just crush. To recap the sequence - the hips initiate the backswing and downswing with the hands and rest of the body trailing behind. Until you are able to perfect the role of the hips in the golf swing, you can't gain maximum distance with your driver.
Now that you are crushing the ball with the tips outlined above, we need to become more accurate and bang straighter drives. At this point, we resort back to the hands. They need to trail the club head at the critical impact point. Timing your hands so that they are even with the club head or a little behind it when you meet the ball will counteract a possible hook or slice on the ball. If hooking or slicing the ball is a major concern in your swing, look at your grip. When the grip is too weak or too strong, the club face normally flies open on your downswing. For the best results, your grip should always be neutral; this will keep the face from opening and closing.
Another drill to look at in the sequence of hitting longer and straighter drives is to have a square stance as you address the ball. You can open or close it if you want to cause a little fade or draw, but to hit it straight the feet need to be on the same line. Apply this to your hips and shoulders as well. Maintain a body that is square with the target and you will see the improvement in your accuracy.
There are good reasons why amateurs spend so much time concentrating on hitting longer and straighter drives. The primary goal should be, of course, to make a par. But to take it a step further and think about a potential birdie or better yet, an eagle, the distance you can get on your drives is going to determine the result you can expect on the hole. A golfer tends to lose the most strokes in his round in one of two places: the drive or the short game. If you slice or hook the ball off the tee you are dead from the get go. So, being accurate as well as long go hand-in-hand.
The combination of mastering both distance and accuracy for longer and straighter drives starts in the address position. You need to feel a tad crouched at address with your feet lined up with your shoulders both distance wise and down the target line. Bend those knees a little bit. If you played baseball, picture yourself getting ready to field a ground ball.
Now, we need power. That comes, not from the arms, but from your abdominal muscles which uncoil and lead the way. Think of a rubber band on one of those old time model airplane propellers. Wind it up and let it go! Keep in mind the importance of bending your knees throughout the swing. If you are standing up on the shot as you come into it, your results will be dreadful. Making sure the ball is forward in your stance is also a significant vital to a successful shot. To get yourself into the textbook stance, keep the ball more towards your front foot and away from the center. The distance it should be depends of what club you are hitting and the type of shot you are trying to produce. This helps the club get the ball releasing on the correct path and into the air.
One swing factor that is often overlooked is how does the backswing kick off? Do the shoulders, hips, torso or hands kick things off? The one and only answer to this question is - the hips. Don't let your hands lead the way. Turning your hips first - not the head, shoulders or hands - gives you the best chance to blast your tee shots. The hips turn and the upper body, arms and hands can do nothing but follow. The central point of this is not to allow any other part to take over. This holds true right up until you are looking down the fairway at the the fantastic shot you just crush. To recap the sequence - the hips initiate the backswing and downswing with the hands and rest of the body trailing behind. Until you are able to perfect the role of the hips in the golf swing, you can't gain maximum distance with your driver.
Now that you are crushing the ball with the tips outlined above, we need to become more accurate and bang straighter drives. At this point, we resort back to the hands. They need to trail the club head at the critical impact point. Timing your hands so that they are even with the club head or a little behind it when you meet the ball will counteract a possible hook or slice on the ball. If hooking or slicing the ball is a major concern in your swing, look at your grip. When the grip is too weak or too strong, the club face normally flies open on your downswing. For the best results, your grip should always be neutral; this will keep the face from opening and closing.
Another drill to look at in the sequence of hitting longer and straighter drives is to have a square stance as you address the ball. You can open or close it if you want to cause a little fade or draw, but to hit it straight the feet need to be on the same line. Apply this to your hips and shoulders as well. Maintain a body that is square with the target and you will see the improvement in your accuracy.
About the Author:
Tony Tolliver has been scoring with a low handicap for more than thirty years and can consistently bomb longer and straighter drives. We encourage you to also claim your FREE Guide on tuning-up your entire golf swing. If you are commit yourself and follow these easy steps, a new swing awaits in about thirty days.
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