Helpful Drill With The Driver (Balance/Tempo/Feel)

If any of you higher handicap golfers are trying anything/everything to get more comfortable and consistent with your driver...

An instructor I have been working was trying different ways to get me to 'let the club do the work' with my driver.  He noticed that although I am getting better and more consistent with my drives, I tend to work too hard instead of having a feel for what proper mechanics can do for me while exerting less needless energy etc. So, basically I can get the same distance/result of a good drive, with a nicer and less 'violent' looking swing.

The drill is to set up to the ball as you normally would for a drive

Bring your feet/legs together tight enough so they are touching.

At first, you may want to try it with your feet/legs spread out about a grip length but no more than that.

The ball should be close to the middle of your stance, maybe on the outside forward foot at most.

Now put a nice swing on the ball.

The purpose is feel, so don't try to hit the ball as far as you normally would.  Just swing at 60-75%

Sounds really silly/simple etc, but this drill actually helped me more than any other that I have tried!

The drill is potentially excellent (assuming you have a somewhat good grasp on proper swing mechanics/club path) because:

- it forces you to be mindful of balance more-so than you normally might be.  (can't swing too hard, or you would almost fall over).

- in order to hit the ball straight with a nice trajectory, you have to have your mechanics in check.  This is a good check-point for that.  If you have a nice tempo and proper rotation/coil, you should be surprised to see the ball go almost as far as when you hit a nice drive in your normal set up/swing.

Doing this drill say 10 times before a round, or before working on your full swing with the driver at the range should work wonders!  It actually trains your mind/body to remember that with the right mechanics, your club should be doing most all of the work.

After the drill when you widen your stance and set up as you normally would, you feel extremely stable and confident that a nice smooth swing can give you some sweet results!  If nothing else, it should give you a nice feel for a 70% swing when you are facing a tight fairway with trouble and you just want to get something out there safely in play etc.

I am aware that this may be one of those things that worked for me, but may be the opposite of helpful to someone else, so consult your instructor prior if need be etc.

I am excited at how helpful this was for me.  I am hoping that even 1 or 2 people give it a try and that it helps them as well.

Thanks,

Kevin

I had an instructor tell me the exact same drill. His purpose was to help me feel my weight on the instep of my right foot. I still use this drill. Excellent drill !

After reading this I tried it today. I like the drill. I'm gonna add it to my routine. Thanks for the tip.