How to Drive the Golf Ball Properly

My driver has always been the club that I have been most confident with. In order to drive the golf ball properly, you must first master the fundamentals of the swing.

When setting up to hit a drive, stand with your feet slightly greater than shoulder length apart, in an athletic stance, with your knees bent. The ball should be teed up in alignment with the inside of your left foot (for right handed golfers). Stand so that you do not need to reach too far in order for the clubface to be lined up with the ball. Your back should be slightly bent at an angle relative to your legs.

In order to consistently have a clean tee shot, don’t try to kill the ball! I see so many beginners walk up to the tee box, and swing at the ball with all their might. Usually the ball will end up sharply slicing or hooking, in either case, losing a considerable amount of distance. Take a nice easy swing, especially on the backswing. Also, bring the club back so that it is parallel to the ground at the top of the backswing. It may even help to take a three quarter length swing to ensure that your club remains on the correct swing path.

Remember that most of your power will come from your torso; not your arms. It is therefore crucial to be conscious of keeping your swing in rhythm with you weight shift. Just like when hitting a baseball, your weight should shift from your back foot to your front foot as contact is being made with the ball.

Also, be sure to follow through completely. Do not try to stop the club right after making contact, as much power will be lost. When finishing, your left (front) food should still be planted onto the ground, and your body should be facing the target.