Staying Out of Trouble with Your Driver

Staying out of Trouble with your Driver

Fact: Over 90% of golfers will never be able to compete with you if you can do 3 relatively simple things (disregard putting for now).

Stay out of trouble with your driver (notice, I didn't say "smash the ball 300 yards down the center of the fairway").
Hit 70% of the greens you face from 150 yards in (in other words, learn to control your 8 iron and down).
Chip the ball within 20 ft of the pin, almost every time (regardless of what you may think, this is not that tough).

Tip #1 – Staying out of Trouble with your Driver

So what is it that's really causing problems with your driver? Is it a slice, a hook, or just flat-out inconsistency? Well the good news is that, regardless of what problem you are fighting, there are a few things to incorporate into your game that are sure to help you. If you're the golfer that's saying right now, "I've battled a slice for 25 years", then this is not going to be the undisputed end of your problem. But you CAN reduce the slice or hook, which will help you score better. So here is the first tip.

Swing Easy… Nothing can be better for your game than learning how to swing the club easier and make your swing more fluid. If you go to the range and concentrate ONLY on swinging easy, it will revolutionize your ability to position yourself for a good approach shot when you get onto the course. You will make more consistent impact with the ball, and it will reduce the amount of side-spin you naturally place on the ball because the club head won't be traveling as fast or with as much force. Again, I know you've heard it before, but I ask you to concentrate on this for 1 week. And if you can't physically practice it, visualize it at the office (visualization works great).

Switch to a low spin ball… Lower spin off of the tee means that the ball is going to fly straighter regardless of whether your ball moves right or left. I recommend the Titleist DT SoLo, the Precept Laddie, or the Maxfli Noodle. You can find these balls priced anywhere from $13 to $20 per dozen, and they will play a large role in reducing the side spin that you place on the ball.

I realize that this all sounds over-simplified, but it's not. If you are having problems controlling your driver, switch to a low-spin ball, and start swinging easy. When you are on the range, ALL you should be thinking about is swinging the club easy. Incorporate this into your game this week, then next week we'll discuss how to get some more distance with your driver.