Drives Need More Loft

[smithka]

I have battled a bad slice off the tee in my early days of playing golf. I am still new to the game, but I have become much more consistant hitting the ball straight off the tee. I even hit a draw every once in a while (just can't seem to do it when I want to). I have noticed, however, that my drives are usually very low and I can't help but feel like its hurting my distance. I am not a long hitter by any stretch of the imagination so I need every yard I can get. My driver is a 10.5* loft...I just think that I am hitting the ball too low on the clubface. Anybody have recommendations on how I can get the ball up a little bit?

[PiKapp23]

The first thing is simply to tee the ball higher - some instructors will say 1/3 to 1/2 of the ball should be above the top of the clubhead at address.

Knowing nothing about you or your equipment I can only provide generic assistance. But some other things to consider are the driver itself - is it a newer 460CC driver? If not you would probably find one of these easier to hit. Also, the shaft is very important. If you are struggling with getting the ball up, then you would probably need a Regular Flex shaft, preferably with a soft tip or low kick point (basically they're the same thing). Another thing that can help is a low compression ball such as a Noodle or Precept Laddie (or many many others including cheaper balls from Nike, Callaway, Srixon, etc.)

Beyond the equipment itself is you - a lesson or two would probably help you correct this issue with your current equipment. An instructor would most likely help you identify why you are struggling with getting the ball off the tee and have some solutions (or even make equipment recommendations). Lessons are not always expensive. If you find a driving range or course a little out from metro area they will often offer lessons for as little as $25-35 for 1/2 hour (maybe less money or more time).

[jambalaya]

Line up for a drive then have someone lay a club down touching the tee, perpindicular to your stance and extended between your legs. This is to check if the ball is too far back in your stance which can contribute to your trajectory problems. The ball, depending on the width of your stance, should be within a couple inches of the inside of your front foot. That may help you get a little better loft.

[CalBoomer]

Since you have a 10.5 driver, you must be slightly de-lofting the club at contact. And since you slice a lot, you probably have too vertical a swing plane. So:

#1 Tee the ball up a little more forward and higher (as already suggested) so the driver contacts the ball on a slight upswing.

#2 Make your swing plane more horizontal (a mirror helps with this).

#3 Follow through with your right hand. Pretend you are throwing a baseball underhand over the shortstop's head.

Good luck.

[Blades4me]

I have battled a bad slice off the tee in my early days of playing golf. I am still new to the game, but I have become much more consistant hitting the ball straight off the tee. I even hit a draw every once in a while (just can't seem to do it when I want to). I have noticed, however, that my drives are usually very low and I can't help but feel like its hurting my distance. I am not a long hitter by any stretch of the imagination so I need every yard I can get. My driver is a 10.5* loft...I just think that I am hitting the ball too low on the clubface. Anybody have recommendations on how I can get the ball up a little bit?

It looks like PiKapp23 covered it pretty well. The only thing I see missing is where you tee the ball in relationship to your left foot. If you haven't, try teeing the ball somewhere between the toe and middle portion of your left foot.

IMO, the best suggestion was take a lesson or 2. They never hurt and will help you brush up on some stuff and maybe even learn something new. Good luck with whatever you decide on