Golf Driving Tips - Learn How to Hit your Drives Farther and Straighter

The toughest club in the bag to hit well regularly is the driver. The reason for this is that the margin for error is much smaller so it becomes very important to develop solid swing mechanics that you can repeat consistently. Here are some things you should keep in mind in order to improve your driving ability.

Tip 1: Focus on accuracy first

Instead of trying to put all your muscle power and energy into every drive, focus first on hitting your drives straight. Remember that an accurate drive will almost always go farther than a crooked drive.

Hitting a golf ball well consistently will require that you learn and master the basic golf swing mechanics. A good swing tip to keep in mind is that your back swing should be slow and deliberate. Most amateurs seem to put more energy in their back swing than their downswing. Slow down your back swing and you should notice an immediate improvement in ball striking.

Tip 2: Create an effortless swing: stop trying so hard

How is it that on the PGA tour you see so many thin players hitting the ball extremely far? It is not because they are extremely powerful but rather they learned to let the club do the majority of the work when it comes to hitting the golf ball.

Remember that a golf club is designed to hit the ball far and straight, all you need to do is support the club through your swing and let it do the work. You should not be tired after each swing or feel any kind of exhaustion because if you do then you are probably trying too hard.

Tip 3: Feel the club head as you swing

Most amateur players tend to grip the club very tightly and this will diminish your ability to feel the club head. A slightly looser grip will make it easier to create more club head speed since it will be easier to generate greater lag. Lag refers to the size of the angle made by the club and your left hand during the downswing. The smaller this angle is as you are about to hit the ball the more lag you create and the more energy is released at impact.

Tips 4: Tee the ball the correct height

Many players either tee the golf ball too high or low and end up hitting their drives at the wrong launch angle which results in a loss of distance. The ideal tee height will have half the golf ball above the top edge of your driver. This ensures that your drives will get launched at an optimal angle and with the right kind of spin.

Tip 5: Use the right kind of driver

The correct driver choice for your swing type can make a significant difference to your drives. If your club head speed is over 100 mph then make sure that the shaft of your driver has a stiff flex and also you need a lower lofted club, usually around 8 degrees or so. If your club head speed is under that then go for a driver with a regular flex and a higher loft, usually around 10 to 12 degrees.

Tip 6: Maintain good balance

Balance is very important in the golf swing and you need to make sure that every swing you take ends in a comfortable balanced position. Trying to force the driver in an effort to get more distance will normally cause you to lose balance so back off a bit.

The interesting thing is that the less muscular effort you put in the farther and straighter the ball will usually go. Make sure to complete each golf swing with in a balanced position looking towards the target and also have the club pointing towards the target after you complete the backswing.

There are a lot of steps to keep in mind and learn when it comes to hitting the driver better. Learn one thing at a time, be consistent with your practice routines and in time you are sure to hit those drives more accurately and farther down the fairway.