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Have A Go-To Shot
When you just can’t seem to hit the fairway (or you’re playing on an extremely narrow course), you need a go-to shot in your arsenal. I call my go-to the “knockdown driver.”
Much like a second serve in tennis, the “knockdown driver” shot was conceived to ensure greater accuracy. Its two key elements are choking down on your driver (as Anthony Kim does) and teeing the ball lower. Shorter clubs and lower shots are easier to hit straight. Now, just make a normal swing. Simple as that.
Footwork
Your feet are the foundation of your golf swing, so how they move has a profound effect on the rest of your swing.
To hit the ball farther, many players get too active with their lower body, which throws their swing around their body, inhibiting the proper release of the club. Remember, it’s a downswing, not an “around swing.”
Keep your back foot down until after impact, as your arms swing down and release past you and through. Even Tiger is guilty of this at times. Notice how he hits all his iron shots with his right foot on the ground but drives the ball with his right foot well up in the air. This is one of the reasons he often struggles to find fairways. Kenny Perry, on the other hand, is one of the longest, most accurate drivers of the ball. He keeps his right foot planted well into his followthrough.
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Good drivers have a lot of width and extension in both their takeaway and followthrough. They also continuously move their shoulders as they swing back and through. Stopping your shoulders from moving causes the arms to lift in the backswing or chop in the downswing, and that’s a recipe for disaster.
Here’s a great drill to encourage a nice, wide and proper sweeping motion. Place a medium-sized range bucket in between your arms and make half swings back and through (about hip high). Just keeping the bucket between your arms while you swing helps to maintain the distance between your hands and the center of your chest, as you turn back and through with your shoulders.
Stay Relaxed
Keeping your arms and shoulders relaxed is key for big drives. While tension slows down the swing, relaxation speeds it up and adds “whip.”
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Everybody gets loose in different ways. Rocco Mediate raises his driver over his head; Tiger Woods pulls his left sleeve back and raises his arms; Sam Snead said he liked to feel “oily.” Regardless of what these men do (or have done), they each have the same purpose: to eliminate tension in their arms and shoulders, so they can swing fast and freely. Experiment with some of their mannerisms, find one that suits you and swing.
Find Your Tempo
Accurate drivers develop and retain a consistent swing tempo for the entire round. A good drill to help you find this is to experiment with a variety of different swing speeds.
Simply, tee up five balls in a row and, with a full-length motion, make a swing that’s about 20% of your full strength. Hit the next one at 40%, the next at 60% and so on, until you beat the stuffing out of the last one.
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This drill also helps you become more aware of any deviations from your standard tempo while you’re out playing.
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Hold your finish
To make solid contact and drive the ball straight, you have to finish in balance.
In this photo, notice how my weight is on my forward leg. I’m standing on the point of my right toe, my knees are together, the club is framed behind my back, and my belt buckle faces the target. I’m as in balance as it gets.
Although it might seem antithetical to what we often see (and do), to hit the ball far, your goal should not be to swing as hard as you can. It should be to swing as hard as you can and still maintain good balance. Good drivers always finish in a poised, balanced position because they’ve swung within themselves and haven’t compromised their balance for more distance.
I’ve probably had more success with this one simple thought than any other while playing competitive golf. If you don’t believe me, consider that Mike Weir swings through the ball to a balanced finish position and holds that pose for three seconds—on every shot.