How to hit a driver straight and long

Learning how to hit a driver correctly could completely transform your golf game. As the first club you’ll use on a hole, the shot you take with your driver is of huge importance to your success on the course.

When you picture a round of golf in your mind, the shot you envision could likely be that huge shot off the tee, which flies hundreds of yards into the fairway on those par fours and par fives. But it’s not easy to get right, and many beginners struggle to hit their drivers with maximum accuracy and distance.

Here you’ll learn how to hit your driver correctly and avoid some common mistakes to ensure you set yourself up for any hole as proficiently as possible.

The principle

Using a driver is unlike using any other club in your kit. It’s probably the longest club in your set, and you’re almost certainly going to be using it to tee off. This means the technique required to get the most out of it is unique to this club.

Simply put, when teeing off with a driver, the key is to ensure you’re swinging upwards on the ball. If you’re adept at using your irons, which require you to swing down and compress the ball, you might find this a little uncomfortable and even unnatural.

By upswinging with a driver, the ball will generate less backspin. This will promote further distance and accuracy. When you’re using an iron or even a wedge, your primary concern is precision. And while this is absolutely important for drivers as well, their main purpose is to generate distance on bigger holes.

So, if you’ve been instinctively swinging down when hitting your drivers, you may have been achieving some distance. But swinging upwards could be the key to getting that ball further than ever before.

And this is how to do it.

Setting up

As with any club, correctly setting up is vitally important.  

Position your feet correctly

Firstly, your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. With this being the biggest club in your set, you simply need to create more room for the swing itself.

Know where to place the ball  

It’s also important to place the ball in the correct spot relative to your stance.

With drivers, you should place your ball in line with the heel of your leading foot (for right-handers, that will be your left foot and vice versa for left-handers). Again, this is to accommodate the size of the club, but also to allow you to generate that upward angle of attack when swinging.

Consider the tee  

Of course, there’s also a tee to think about here, and setting this up correctly also plays a key part in helping your upswing. Place your standard, 7cm length tee in that position in front of your leading foot, but only place it very shallowly in the ground. This will position the tee and ball higher above the surface, giving you more room to hit upwards against the ball.

Hold the club and position your hands in the right place

As for holding the club, your strong hand should be slightly further down the shaft, and your weaker hand further towards the top on the butt of the club. The grip you use here is really down to personal preference – whether you prefer an overlapping grip or an interlocking one is up to you – just so long as it’s stable.

Your hands and the end of the club should be positioned just under a foot away from the centre of your waist to allow more room for your swing. This is once more a case of adjusting for the fact that the club you’re using is as big as it gets. Allow for a couple of inches to go between the clubface and the ball, too. Don’t position your club right next to the ball, as this will make it harder to swing upward and make proper contact.

Pick a target for your swing

You and your ball are now positioned correctly, meaning there’s one final step to setting up before your swing. Picking a target. A lot of beginners jeopardise their swing by hitting aimlessly towards the fairway. You’ll find your shots are far more consistent if you choose a landmark and aim directly at it. This will help you keep your swing aligned and not haphazard.

The swing

Now that you’re positioned and set up correctly, it’s time to think about one of the most important parts of hitting a driver: the swing itself.

Loosen up and get your balance right

The first thing to be aware of is whether your body is stiff and rigid or relaxed. If it’s the former, make sure to loosen up a little – without losing control of your club, of course! A seamless swing only comes when you’re not overly tight.

Balance is also imperative here. You’ll perhaps already have noticed that, with the butt of your club towards your centre and the ball positioned in line with your leading foot, your spine is tilted towards your back foot. Indeed, distributing your weight slightly – and only slightly – on your back foot will allow you to produce a more powerful swing, without actually moving the club any faster.

Shift your weight for the swing

Swinging a club is not a static motion, though, and neither should your distribution of balance be. As you swing – particularly when you’re approaching the ball – make sure to shift this weight towards your front foot. This isn’t easy and requires a lot of practice, but a good way to start is to ensure your weight is on the balls of your feet, not your heels.

Technique before power

As for the swing itself, the power does not come from swinging as fast as possible to hit the ball as hard as you can. Like with anything in golf, technique comes before power. A combination of your weight distribution, a smooth swing and the upwards angle of attack will create distance, not a rapid swing.

So, go slowly. Your backswing should be slow and smooth, not quick and jolty. Make sure to reach the top of your backswing, too. Many beginners inadvertently sacrifice power by not reaching the top.

Create an upward angle of attack

Remember, when you’re swinging towards the ball, you’re looking to create an upward angle of attack. Make contact with the ball as the clubhead is moving up. Finally, make sure to follow through. You’ll get more distance and accuracy by continuing your swing even after you’ve made contact with the ball than by stopping immediately. Think of this almost like a tennis player continuing their swing after each hit.

The important things to remember

The key message for hitting a driver is to ensure you have that upward angle of attack, rather than hitting down on the ball as you would with an iron.

Setting up correctly – lining the ball up with your front foot and giving yourself enough room to swing – plays a big part in this. Ensuring that your swing is slow, smooth and consistent is equally as important.

Ultimately, practice makes perfect, and the only way you’ll make noticeable improvements is by repeating the correct technique over and over again. So get out there and give it a go!

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