3 Keys To Hitting UP With Your Driver
3/02/23
Written By Joe Saia
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If you want to hit your driver far and high like the pro’s then your attack angle needs to be more positive. In simpler terms you need to be hitting up on the golf ball with your driver, rather than down like with your irons. When players hit too down with their driver it can lead to a huge loss of distance because of the increase in spin and low ball flight. Hitting down with your driver can also cause you to miss the center of the face a lot. In this post I am going to explain to you three simple ways you can promote hitting up with your driver.
Forward Ball Position
When you hit up with your driver the club is traveling slightly upward on the swing arc as its traveling into the golf ball. Positioning the ball forward in your stance will give you a better chance at achieving a positive attack angle. This is because the club will bottom out on the swing arc just before the golf ball, then its traveling upward on the swing arc as you are hitting the golf ball. Players who position the golf ball back in their stance when hitting the driver will struggle to hit up on the golf ball because the club will most likely be traveling down on the swing arc as it hits the golf ball. (refer to the image above for a good driver ball position for a right handed player)
Shoulder Tilt At Setup
When you are hitting the driver you want your lower body to be slightly ahead of your upper body at impact. Your shoulders will also have some tilt at impact which helps promote hitting up on the golf ball. In order to make this position at impact easier to get into, you want to start with some shoulder tilt at setup. If you start with zero shoulder tilt at setup then you’ll have to make some compensations during the swing in order to get into a good position at impact. More compensations will lead to more inconsistency. (refer to the image above for an example of shoulder tilt at setup for a right handed player)
Head Position At Impact
I mentioned above that you want to have your lower body slightly ahead of your upper body at impact when hitting the driver. A big part of achieving that is making sure your head is positioned BEHIND the golf ball at impact. That will help you create that tilt in your body that helps promote hitting up on the golf ball. So many amateurs let their head drift past the golf ball when hitting the driver and it really messes up their attack angle, among other things. (refer to the image above to see a good head position at impact for a right handed player)
Use and practice these three keys above to help you hit up on the golf ball with your driver. That will help you hit the ball higher and farther by reducing spin and hitting the center of the club face.
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