The Olympic mantra is ‘Faster. Higher. Stronger’. When we’re standing on the tee with a driver in hand, the mantra we want to adopt is ‘Higher. Further. Faster’.
The best players in the world fine-tune their driver swings, paying close attention to launch angle, spin rates and ball speed.
The good news for amateurs who want more distance and straighter tee shots is that there is a simple drill developed by my good friend and one of America’s best instructors, Andrew Rice, that will deliver the results you’re after almost instantly.
Tee the ball up nice and high, set up with the ball just inside your left heel and increase your spine angle slightly (right shoulder lower than left for right-handers). Next, lay an empty golf ball box on the ground one clubhead’s width in front of the ball. Now swing. If you clip the box on your through swing, your angle of attack is too steep. You need to hit up on the ball. I’ve seen people gain 20 metres in carry through the air simply by doing this.
Make that slight adjustment and watch those tee shots soar.
If you have any questions or are interested in undertaking some online lessons, e-mail Jason at [email protected]
Quick tip
Lofty ambition
You’re not going to hit your best drives if your driver doesn’t fit your specific swing. Many amateurs have a driver loft that is too low and generates far too much spin. Great tee shots are a combination of launch angle, spin rates and ball speed, and you need the right driver fitted to your swing to maximise those numbers. And maximise your tee shots.
Photo credit: Â Getty Images: Keyur Khamar
