GOLFING
Secrets to driving success THERE ARE A LOT of frustrated golfers out there who just can’t figure out why they can’t get off the tee with any success or at least a little more consistency. I hear it all the time. “I hit my irons pretty well, I even hit my three wood well, but I just can’t hit my driver.” Golfer after golfer shows up for a lesson hoping I can teach them to hit their driver. But the truth is, you can’t learn to hit your driver. There are two possible reasons why you’re not able to hit your driver. The first is that the club just doesn’t suit you. If you hit all of your other clubs fairly well but can’t hit your driver, it may be time to look for another one. Why would you change a swing that works for all of your other clubs? You may end up with a swing that fits your driver but doesn’t work as well with the rest of your set. If that is the problem, you’ll need to look for a club that better matches your set. I suggest that you try several different clubs and look for one that works with your existing swing. But while you’re at it, keep in mind the two major factors that make a driver tough to hit. The first is the length of the club. Try something a little shorter and see if that helps. The other factor is the amount of loft on the club. If you’re struggling to get the ball in the air, try a couple more degrees of loft. It just may make the club easier to hit. For most golfers I see, I recommend a 44-inch maximum length with a loft between 10 and 12 degrees. The other, more likely, reason that you can’t hit your driver has to do with swing flaws and how the driver exaggerates them. You can compensate for many of your swing flaws with your shorter clubs because your arms and upper body are strong enough to square the clubface despite your mistakes. It’s not so easy with a
44 – 46 inch club. Centrifugal force will make it harder to square the club so you’ll see a lot of open clubfaces and slices. Also, little loft means more side spin. It’s hard to slice lofted clubs because they impart so much underspin on the ball, but with only 8-12 degrees of loft, side spin is exaggerated off the tee. To get off the tee better you’ll have to either get a different driver or work on and improve your golf swing. Here are a few keys to help you get there. Loft heads: Make sure your driver has enough loft on it. Loft is a good thing. You can always tee the ball up a little lower or move it back in your stance a touch if you want to hit a lower drive. Keep in mind most pros swing a driver with 120 mph club head speed and need 8 to 10 degrees of loft, so 10 to 14 degrees should not be out of the question for the average swinger. Driver lengths: Your driver shouldn’t be too long. Long clubs may lead to a little more club head speed, but they’re more difficult to swing. Getting the center of the clubface on the ball every time gets harder as the club gets longer. Address position: At address, make sure you have a nice wide stance to give you a solid foundation. Keep the golf ball forward in your stance. I suggest a ball position off your lead heel. It’s also important to have your hands behind the ball and your back shoulder low and relaxed to help you launch the ball forward.
Top of backswing: Make sure you control the length of your backswing with a driver. Many golfers overswing, which actually prevents necessary forward acceleration. You must be in a position to be able to deliver the club to the ball at the top of your backswing. A little shorter is better than a little long. You can learn a lot by watching a baseball player standing at the plate. He’s poised and ready to move forward, the bat is never wrapped too far around behind him. Batter stepping towards pitcher): Like a baseball batter, if you lead your forward motion with your legs and hips, the bat (or club) will shallow into the hitting zone. Impact position: Forward acceleration based on a strong top of backswing position results in a powerful impact position. Weight on lead leg, hips cleared and arms extending past you. Kevin Haime Kevin Haime Golf School www.kevinhaime.com
OTTAWAOUTDOORS SPRING/SUMMER 2005
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