Driving to the Flag

 - and not in a golf car!

Golfers have had an ongoing debate for years, “Which is the most important club in the bag?” 

The putter usually wins out in the discussion simply because more strokes are attempted with the putter throughout the course of an eighteen hole round than the driver. 

However, those that favor the driver in the discussion do have a compelling point – if you are able to get off the tee box long and accurately, it makes it all the more possible to shoot a low score on a given hole.

Golf Instruction For the Driver

The stance and set up for the driver

When setting up to hit the driver, the feet should be slightly wider apart than normal.  They should actually be outside of the tips of your shoulders.  Also, in the setup for a normal golf swing, the back foot is set perpendicular to the swing line.  When hitting the driver, because the feet are wider, you may want to turn the back to outward slightly, to take some of the stress off the back knee.

The back swing 

From this point, the back swing should be similar to any other club.  Don’t be tempted to take the club back faster just because you want to hit the ball far.  Increasing the tempo of your back swing can throw off many other elements of the golf swing.  Club head speed should be generated on the down swing.

Hips should turn not slide 

It is also important to stay “on” or “over” the ball when you take back the club on your back swing.  Do not allow your hips to slide backwards with the club.   The hips should turn, not slide, and that front foot should stay on the ground during the back swing.The club should be taken back straight and away to cause a wide arc, but you must stay over the ball.  The weight should be shifted to the back foot without sliding the body.  It cannot be said enough, “turn the hips, don’t slide them”.

The setup and back swing are really the only elements that should be changed between using the driver and other shots.  There are slight differences that will occur throughout the swing based on a wider stance, driver length and a heavier club head – shoulders turn further, chin tucks in deeper, down swing is faster – but these are naturally occurring events, and the golfer should not give thought to giving assistance for any of them.  The only addition to that statement would be to make sure that your arms and shoulders are working in conjunction, and that one is not getting ahead of the other.

The Golf Options Book is by the same author as my top pick David Nevogt of The Simple Golf Swing. How to Master the Golf Irons is an "oldie but goodie" that also might be worth a look for readers.

Please click on the pictured book for more information about these books.