Start out in Mid Year form with your Driver

This April, you may have trouble hitting the ball straight and long with your driver from the winter dust that accumulated on your swing.  Or even if you had a chance to play this winter you may still have some trouble with your driver. 


Here are some things to check for better contact, straighter flight, and more distance.


1.  Don't let your backswing get too long.  If you are out of practice or merely struggling a bit with your driver this is one of the first things I would look at.  If your backswing gets too long, even by a little bit, it may cause you to get off balance at the top of your backswing or cause an improper weight shift which can takeaway clubhead speed at impact and decrease solid contact.
2.  Check your ball position, your ball needs to be played off of the inside of your left foot.  If that does not feel comfortable and you are reluctant to have the ball teed up on the proper position of your stance, do it anyway!  Eventually after a few or more times it will feel comfortable and you will see the great results to match your new found comfort.
3.  Alignment and Set-UP, make sure that not only are your feet and shoulders positioned so they line up at the target but also make sure that your hips are level (getting the back hip bone to settle downward a little is actually preferable) and make sure that they too are aligned at the target with your feet and shoulders.  All too often golfers balance into their forward foot (the left foot, leg, and hip for a right handed golfer) when it would actually be beneficial for driving the ball especially to get a tad more weight and tilt into the right side at address.
4.  Release The Golf Club.  Try this drill ... Turn your driver around so that your holding your driver just below the clubhead on the shaft, only with your right hand (for a right handed golfer) and using your normal right hand golf grip.  Now make some nice swings at 6" to 12" above the ground and make a nice whooshing sound letting the grip end of the club whistle through the air.  Notice it takes your legs, hips, and upper body to swing the club, but the snap of the club and the most clubhead speed, or in this case grip speed, comes from the faster muscles and joints of your elbow, forearm, wrist, hand, and fingers.  Now after doing that a little bit, turn the club around, hold on to it properly by the grip with the clubhead at the ground and feel that same release that you just felt.  Keep working on a great release of the clubhead to see great results.


Use these tips for more fun and better golfing!