How do you hit a driver?

[shermanM4A1]

I can hit most of my other clubs pretty well most of the time. However, I can barely get the ball off the tee with my driver. How do you usually hit your driver.

By the way, I have a Taylor Made r5 driver, if that helps. Also, my handicap is not really 36. It's just that I'm a beginner and I have yet to play a single game of golf.

[Shindig]

The nice thing is that, for all clubs except the putter, you can make the same swing, provided you make variations in your stance and ball position.

Check out the Hogan ball positions:
http://perfectgolfswingreview.net/Ho...llPosition.jpg

The clubhead is a bit farther away from the ball than it would be for any other club, including a teed-up 3-Wood. And I lately make my focus (on all tee shots) keeping my right knee flexed - I've found myself with the urge to straighten it too much in the backswing, to the point that it locks. This leads to all sorts of trouble. I guess my brain thinks I'm going to push off against it?

In any case, slightly different setup, same swing.


I find it helps to figure out how far you hit your driver, then try to hit the driver that far. I know it seems paradoxical, but I'm serious: if a good driver swing for you nets 200 yards and a reasonable, repeatable shot shape, don't try to extend that distance for a while. Treat it as your 200 yard club and you'll be fine.

[GaijinGolfer]

For now, forget about the driver. The driver is the most difficult club in the bag to hit well, so until you develop a consistent, reliable swing and are pretty decent with your 3-wood, you should just forget about the driver for now.

[bioman]

Start off hitting you driver like you hit your mid irons. Back in your stance and closer.

[shermanM4A1]

How high should I tee the ball? I find that I tend to hit the tee when I tee it too high and hit the ball thin when I tee it too low.

[flopdarock]

this is a question that still perplex's me to this day... LOL...
when im on the range... ill find the tallest rubber tee(if im in a hitting bay) or tee it pretty high if im on grass...
my stance would be a shoulders width apart from the insteps...
nice flex in my knees...
when my drives have been completely out of control... ill start with 1/2 swings on the range... taking note of direction/trajectory/shotshape...
if i like what i see... ill start making bigger swings... then get faster and faster till i notice it falling apart again...
always trying to keep things that are working the same as the last time i hit it well (complete setup/ stance/ ball position/ etc)

[Shindig]

How high should I tee the ball? I find that I tend to hit the tee when I tee it too high and hit the ball thin when I tee it too low.

See if you can get as close to exactly half the ball above the club-head. Then look where this makes the tee stop on your driver - that's a good reference point for future teeings.

[RocketSauce]

grip it and rip it, hehe

[YamahaJay]

this is a question that still perplex's me to this day... LOL...

Excellent advice on the 1/2 swings,I am going to try this also as I can't hit a driver good either.I know if I wasn't stubborn and just would hit an iron off the tee, my score would drop dramatically but I just can't do that. I'm going to the range and trying the 1/2 swing till I'm more comfortable then slowly increase the swing distance.

[beachbreak]

Don't be in a hurry to hit the ball. It's a longer club, the swing will take longer.

Swing back smoothly and through smoothly, building momentum on the downswing.

Swing through the ball, don't hit it. The ball is just in the way of the swing.

Play it forward in your stance.

[Marinemike]

when my drives have been completely out of control... ill start with 1/2 swings on the range... taking note of direction/trajectory/shotshape...

This is actually a good way for a beginner to do it. To save the money on the range and also to groove it EVERY DAY I hit into a net in my back yard. Being able to do half swings and slow motion stuff etc. without feeling like I was pissing away my range ball budget at any time of the day in any clothing I wanted helped me to learn the mechanics, launch, and my habits. I did that until I got it under control at full speed. And I did it ALOT. The parrot on the neighbor's back porch can now make the sound of a Taylormade Burner (not even joking).

Once I got the confidence there, THEN I went to the range and figured out the shape and distance. I'm pretty sure that put me way ahead for not much money.

[Danattherock]

I can hit most of my other clubs pretty well most of the time. However, I can barely get the ball off the tee with my driver. How do you usually hit your driver.

Quit swinging so hard

[wannabe]

are you completely whiffing the ball with your driver, or are you just hitting it and the ball does something that is not a good result? What does the ball do? What direction, how high, how far, curving or straight?

unlike your irons, with which you hit the ball on the downswing, with the driver you hit the ball on the upswing. Therefore the ball position needs to be further up in your stance, toward your lead foot.

If the ball is going low to grounder, you're hitting the upper half of the ball, so you need to think about staying down through the swing, spine angle intact, or you need to move the ball a little further back so the driver face contacts it earlier in the swing path, or else you need to tee the ball higher so the driver face hits the ball.

If the ball is going really high, you're likely hittinng the lower part of the ball, and you need to move the ball further forward in your stance or tee it lower, or you need to not drop down too much and hit under the ball.

Also, make sure you're keeping your eye on the ball before, during, and just after impact, to keep your head down, no peeking. This helps keep you stable & consistent distance from the ball, & head behind the ball.

Think similar timing as with your other clubs. Full shoulder turn back, arms & hands stay in front of the chest throughout, hips resisting, knees bent, feet planted, keep the spine angle (stick your butt out), shallow arm plane, eyes on the ball, then drive your back knee toward the front knee to give you your downswing, eyes still on the ball, through release to the target and full finish.

if the ball's slicing, slow yourself down.
if the ball's hooking, keep your head behind the ball.

That'll be $20, please.

[Andycapped]

There's too much information for anyone to really type. Videos would really be necessary for someone to show their swing. However, videos won't do you a whole lot of good either.

You need to start by developing a solid base to build from. Don't learn to swing by accumulating advice from people all over the internet. Don't learn to swing by watching videos of professionals swing.

What you need is an instructor. Plain and simple. There is no substitute for a good instructor examining, critiquing and correcting your swing.

[AirMick]

Tee the ball as high as possible, and think of lifting the ball, like giving the ball a spanking on its 1/4 rear end. Very forward in your stance. It worked for me.

[c4m]

my problem when I started playing was that I tried to kill the ball with my driver.. Once I slowed my swing waaaaay down I was able to figure out how to hit it straight. Eventually I was able to speed it up to get more distance and maintain the straightness.

[wannabe]

There's too much information for anyone to really type. Videos would really be necessary for someone to show their swing. However, videos won't do you a whole lot of good either.

+59

(my previous post was a bit tongue in cheek) If you're beginning, this is the only way to go, unless you want to spend years duffing and hacking around like I did. Get a series of lessons - 4 to 8 is ideal - and learn it the right way from the get go. Plan to spend at least two days a week at the range in between lessons, and spread the lessons out enough so that you ingrain the drills you're taught. You can do it!

[DES NUTTZ]

It will suck to blow a bunch of money on lessons but in the long run you will be glad you did it. I am just now taking some lessons and I wish I had 10 years ago so I could have been playing better the entire last 10 years lol