The driver backswing is an element that so many amateurs struggle with when learning how to hit a driver, with power-sapping faults ultimately costing them later down the line in the golf swing.

Once you have nailed the driver setup position, the backswing is the next link in the chain - allowing you to generate and store the precious power that will help to generate the extra yards off the tee.

In this article, PGA Master Professional and Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Anders Mankert shares his expert tips, providing a helpful guide to mastering the driver backswing whether you are searching for beginner golf tips or a seasoned pro in need of a little fine tuning...

Key Steps To Generating More Power

Feel free to bookmark this page and come back each time you need a refresher on how to effectively execute the backswing with driver. There are plenty of helpful tips in the article below, but here are some of the key steps for those of you that are itching to hit the range and start improving:

• Low and wide takeaway
• Maintain width throughout backswing
• Left shoulder moves over right knee as you wind up
• Knees slightly flexed
• Feeling of tightness - like a coiled spring

The Driver Backswing: My Expert Guide

Low, Wide Takeaway

As the club moves away from the ball, the clubhead should remain very low to the ground in the initial stages of the backswing. Some amateur golfers have a tendency to pick the clubhead up very quickly, but this can lead to problems further down the line.

In terms of width, you need to feel as though you are maintaining plenty of width throughout the backswing, with your left arm straight and hands far away from your body.

Effective Rotation

The way in which we rotate is hugely important to generating power in the backswing, but so many amateurs get this wrong and end up sapping their potential due to reverse pivots or a poor weight transfer.

A good reference point is ensuring that when you turn in the backswing, your left shoulder ends up over your right knee. This will feel tight, and a little uncomfortable at first, but it needs to be in order to reach our maximum power output during the driver downswing. The weight will then sit in the trail heel (right for right-handed golfers) until your start the downswing.

When doing this, it's important to maintain some flexion in our knees - as this will help to keep our base stable and our swing balanced. The shoulders will turn a lot more than the hips do, as if you turn everything the same you won't generate very much power at all. The sternum will need to stay behind the ball throughout the backswing, so not to alter your low point for the driver impact position.

Common Misconceptions

When I teach amateur golfers, I sometimes see the weight remain on the lead foot as we rotate. In order to coil up effectively, and generate the most power possible, it's important that you transfer your weight onto the inside of your trail heel. Why not try some of the best golf exercises to build up your core strength and stability, as this will help you to feel less uncomfortable with that tight, wound-up position in the backswing with driver.

In 2024, Scottie Scheffler compiled one of the most impressive seasons of golf in history. World number one, Masters Champion, Olympic Gold medalist, and FedEx Cup winner, to name but a few of his achievements, Scheffler has achieved this through some exceptional tee-to-green statistics. 

WATCH: PGA Pro Joe Ferguson demonstrates Scottie Scheffler's driving secrets!

Whilst Scheffler is far from slow in terms of club head speed, he seems to punch above his weight a little in terms of distance output. Sure he uses one of the best drivers in the TaylorMade Qi10 which certainly helps, but I believe that is down to his clever variance of shot shape and trajectory to maximize his distance. Here’s how he does it...

Increasing height downwind

Scheffler is a master of making the conditions work for him off the tee, so very often he looks to increase his peak height when there is a helping breeze, and he does so with some very simple changes to his setup.

Firstly, after slightly increasing the tee height, Sheffler moves the ball up in his stance a little to promote a more ascending blow at impact. 

Instead of his ‘normal’ ball position with the driver which is generally just inside his left heel, you will see him nudge it up to somewhere near his left toe. 

All things being equal, this will set the head slightly more behind the ball and the spine angle will tilt a little more away from the ball, promoting that more upward angle of attack which will generally translate to a higher launch angle.

Another thing Scheffler is not afraid to do when he feels a helping wind is to hit the ball a touch harder. When hitting downwind, mishits are slightly less punished from a left-to-right dispersion perspective due to less air resistance. Scheffler is aware of this, and isn’t afraid to give those downwind drives a little more oomph!

Decreasing height into the wind

As well as having the ability to raise that launch angle downwind, Scottie Scheffler is one of the best in the game at knocking height and spin off his driver when hitting into the breeze. In fact, not only does he do so when hitting into the wind, but I regularly see him knock that flight down when conditions get firm, like at The Open Championship, or the US Open in order to maximize ball roll.

To do so, he basically employs an entirely opposite strategy at setup to raising the flight. Generally, he reduces his tee height a little to encourage less of an upward attack angle, but not so much as to lower the strike location excessively on the face, as this will cause unwanted backspin.

Scheffler will move the ball back in his stance a little to further reduce the angle of attack, but once again not too far as to create an excessive downward blow that increases spin levels.

From this position of being slightly teed down with the ball position slightly further back in his stance, Scheffler then simply makes a slightly slower, smoother swing at the ball. Speed creates spin, and the idea with this particular shot is to remove as much spin as possible to help the ball penetrate the wind more efficiently. Try these small alterations the next time you find yourself needing to bring that ball flight down.

Using fades and draws to maximize distance

Scheffler is one of the most creative shotmakers in the game of golf, never being afraid to utilize both fade and draw shapes to suit the hole in front of him. Not only does the world number one do this to suit the shape of a hole, like for example the 10th at Augusta National, but he also does so to maximize his distance output. On many occasions I have seen Scheffler shape the ball to maximize wind and slope assistance. Let me explain…

If you are faced with a right-to-left wind as a right-hander, and you hit a fade shot, essentially the ball is spending a lot of its flight banking into the wind which can cost you distance. Scheffler is a big user of that wind and will often choose to shape the ball in the same direction as the wind so the ball can ‘ride’ the wind rather than fight it which is a great way of squeezing out more yardage. The same applies to slope. If (as a right-hander again) you fade the ball into a right-to-left slope, the first bounce is essentially bouncing uphill, however, if you turn the ball in the same direction as the slope, you can take advantage of a livelier first bounce and maximize your run out. Clever stuff right? But how does he shape the ball?

Scheffler is a man who likes to keep things as simple as possible, so he makes all of his changes at setup so he doesn’t need to make any alterations to his actual golf swing. For the right-to-left shot, he understands that to create the requisite alterations to spin axis, his club face needs to be pointing left of his club path at impact. To do so, he simply aims his feet, hips, and shoulders to the right of the target to promote a club path off to the right, and he ensures that his clubface is aiming slightly left of his body alignment to manipulate that spin axis and create the draw shape required. From there, he just puts his normal, reliable swing on the ball and the setup alterations should do the rest.

To fade the ball, his principles are the same, just in reverse. The spin axis needs to be tilted the other way so his body alignment goes to the left, the clubface aligns slightly to the right of that and once again his normal swing can be used. The ball should start a little left of his target before falling obediently to the right.

Next time you are practicing, have a play around with your setup to see how much you need to alter your setup to produce different ball flights. Not only can it help you navigate dogleg holes more effectively, but it can also help maximize your distance and get you driving it a little more like Scottie Scheffler.

I've been coaching golfers for more than two decades, but I still often get asked the same question.. why do I pull iron shots?

When learning how to hit an iron shot, there are a few fundamental components that can help you become a ball striking machine - but often amateur golfers neglect this advice... bring faults like the pulled iron shot into play.

Pulling iron shots refers to the flight of the golf ball, specifically where it starts straight and curves away to the left of the target for a right-handed golfer. This is often caused by an out-to-in swing path, with the arms swinging the club across the target line.

An important distinction from a hook shot is that a pull begins its journey travelling straight, whereas a hook starts left and goes left.

In this instructional video and supporting article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach and Advanced PGA Professional Katie Dawkins shares her top tips to fix this common issue and generally improve your iron shots...

Why Do I Pull Irons Shots?

A pull can be caused by a number of faults. Firstly, the ball position is perhaps too far forward, which caused the angle of your shoulders to open.

When you swing along the line created by an incorrect ball position, the club face is often closed at address. The start line of the golf ball in flight is dictated by the clubface, so this is the first aspect that needs to be addressed.

Pulling the golf ball can also be a sign that your body isn't working effectively, with the arms throwing the club over the top of the target line.

So, break it down. Hit some half shots where you are rotating your body through impact and transferring your weight towards the target in the through swing.

Thinking of the golf swing as two turns (one back, one through) is a great thought to give good rhythm and encourage the bigger muscles to drive the swing.

A simple and very effective way to do this is to focus on your finish position. Concentrate on swinging through to a full finish position and hold it (as if someone is taking a photo of you).

Without becoming too technical, you should be able to develop better weight distribution in the golf swing and more effective rotation.

Headcover Drill To Stop Pulling Iron Shots

A great range drill utilises your driver headcover. Place it down on the outside of the target line about a club head away from the ball.

The simple aim is to hit the ball without making contact with the headcover. The best part about this is you get immediate feedback, if your angle of attack is from outside the target, you’ll hit it.

If you are struggling with your rotation in the swing, you could also consider some fitness and mobility sessions. Improving lower body strength and flexibility will help your swing as it's initiated from the ground up.

With a huge premium on hitting long and powerful tee shots, the driver setup position is one of the most crucial elements in learning how to hit a driver.

This fundamental aspect is sometimes neglected by amateurs, so spending some time bedding in good habits at the range could help you to unlock your best ever tee shots and get ahead of the competition.

These setup factors are also pretty universal, applying to players of all ability levels. So, whether you are a newbie looking for beginner golf tips or an established club member, these tips will certainly help you to tidy up your tee shots.

In this article, PGA Master Professional and Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Anders Mankert shares his step-by-step guide to master the driver setup position...

What Does 'Driver Setup' Mean?

The driver setup, sometimes referred to as the driver address position, is essentially the way in which you stand to the ball when preparing to hit a driver. It's the first stage of the plan, and is just as important for a beginner looking for driver tips as it is for a low-handicap player looking to get their game ready for the new season.

There are many components that go into this essential stage of the golf swing, each of which will have an impact on that stages that follow - including the driver backswing, downswing and impact position.

There are many benefits to improving this fundamental position, including effectively generating and unleashing power, or creating the correct attack angle at impact to increase your distance and accuracy.

Misconceptions

Modern golf equipment doesn't need to be hit up anywhere near as much as many amateurs think, and in fact the top players in the world actually hit marginally down on the golf ball at impact with driver.

According to the latest Trackman data, the average PGA Tour pro has an attack angle of -0.9 degrees, dispelling the popular myth around hitting hugely up at impact.

The beauty of modern equipment is that all the loft is already built in to help you achieve those huge drives, so focusing on some of the other factors below is perhaps a better way to improve your performance off the tee.

The Driver Setup Position

1. Ball Position

Many amateur golfers think about ball position in relation to your front foot when hitting driver, but instead I want you to think about it in relation to your sternum. This is because your low point is below your sternum, and therefore this is a much better guide than your feet.

The perfect ball position for driver is just forward of sternum, below the left armpit (for right-handed golfers). This will allow you to hit fractionally up on the golf ball, as the ball position is forward of your low point.

It's important when focusing on the driver setup, particularly around ball position, not to lean back at address. This will cause your low point to shift onto your back foot, causing the club to bottom out well before the ball.

2. Stance Width

It's important when hitting our longest club, and hopefully our most powerful shots, to ensure you have a stable base to start from. The correct stance with driver is to have your feet at shoulder width or wider, giving you plenty of stability as your coil up and store all that power in the backswing.

3. Weight Distribution

Unlike hitting a wedge around the green, which is much more a delicate 'feel' shot, you want the weight distribution with driver to be about 50/50 on each foot. That means you shouldn't feel as though you are feeling more pressure on one side in comparison to the other, further adding to that stable base that is required for powerful tee shots.

4. Hand Position

When hitting a driver, your hands on the grip of the club are slightly out in front of you rather than hanging straight down. A good reference point for the hands would be under your nose, which would be clear to see if you took a photo of yourself at address from a down the line position (as in image below).

5. Tee Height

Tee height plays a pivotal role in the launch and trajectory of your shots with driver, but many amateur golfers simply plonk their peg in the ground and set about plotting how to smash the ball as far as they can.

If the ball is teed up too high, this encourages you to lean back and inadvertently shift your low point - causing a variety of common faults such as skying your driver.

If you are hitting the ball slightly up, you want approximately half the golf ball to sit above the top of the clubface. You can the camera on your phone to take a photo from low down behind the ball, which will show you how much of the ball is visible from behind the clubhead.

Understanding how launch angle and power are linked can help you hit it further without swinging any harder. With a driver you are looking for an upward angle of attack into the ball. If you get it right you'll hit shots that launch high and without creating too much spin, stay in the air for a long time. This video and article show you how to do it.

How power and launch angle are linked

If you take one thing from this, it should be how you can get more yardage without swinging any harder. Some players seem capable of generating easy power – that is they swing within themselves and yet their distance is always good. This is because their launch conditions are spot on.

With a driver in hand, this means you need the right launch angle. A good way to think of it is to imagine you are holding a hose – if you lift the end of the hose up the water goes further until the angle becomes too great and then the water starts coming back to you.

With your driver you should be aiming to find the optimum launch for distance. BY FAR, the most common fault among regular golfers is they don't launch the ball high enough. They carry a driver that is too low in loft and/or they attack the ball from a steep downward angle - this causes low launches and weak carries.

Set For Optimal Launch

The perfect ball position with a driver is forward. The ball should be just inside your left heel at address, your sternum behind the ball, and your weight distribution at address is on your trail side. Your lead shoulder should also be a little higher. The video with this article shows exactly how it's done.

If you can find this position at address you will be pre-setting the perfect launch angle to optimise your distance. Also, don’t forget about the tee height – roughly half of the ball should be above the top of the driver. Given how launch angle and power are linked, this is a crucial element to get right.

Weight Transfer

If you set the correct driver address position, you should be able to make a normal swing and find the ideal launch angle. However, one thing to watch out for is how your weight is moving. Your weight should settle over your trail leg at the top of the backswing and then move back towards the target through impact. Firstly, make sure that your weight is moving in the right direction (many golfers get this wrong, shifting away from the target through impact). Secondly, ensure that you're not lurching towards the target through the downswing. If you want that upward angle of attack that we have mentioned, your weight should gently follow the club as you move through impact. There are a host of driver drills for golf that can help with with this aspect of your technique. 

Hip Rotation

A good rotation is another crucial ingredient to power. The basic idea is that rotate your upper body around 90˚ while your hips turn about 45˚. The difference between these angles helps to create good clubhead speed.

Related: Most Forgiving Drivers

However, it's common for golfers to struggle to rotate their hips this far, which restricts the upper body rotation accordingly. Place an alignment stick through your belt buckle to highlight your own hip turn.

If it is less than 45˚, hit some shots with your right foot moved back. This will help improve your hip turn and your body rotation for extra distance. Then try to incorporate this feeling into your normal swing.

If you are still struggling, allow the heel of your lead foot to lift in the backswing. This will help facilitate a bigger hip turn which is very important. 

Creating Lag

One of the biggest power killers in the swing relates to the way your wrists work. In the backswing, your wrists will naturally hinge to help the club reach the top.

The correct wrist hinge in the golf swing is a huge source of power and you want to hang on to it for as long as possible in the downswing to maximise your clubhead speed. However, often it's released too early and speed is lost before impact as a result.

Creating lag for power is one of the many things the pros do so well that amateurs struggle to get their heads around.

To help, make some swings holding an alignment stick. The loudest swoosh should come as the stick swings through the impact area. If the swoosh is early, work on retaining the angle in your right wrist for a little longer.

Along with understanding how launch and power are linked will huge impact on your overall power potential.

Learning how to hit a driver is a fundamental skill that all amateur golfers must learn in order to give themselves the best chance of lowering their handicap and playing better golf.

With so many different aspects to consider, like how to master the different stages of the swing, how to generate more power or whether you need the best driver on the market, you could be forgiven for having plenty of questions.

Driving is a popular area of the game that players of all abilities focus on in their practice sessions, so whether you are a novice looking for beginner golf tips or a low-handicapper striving to play off scratch - we have something just for you in this article.

Well, in the interest of providing you with the most comprehensive guide out there, we asked three of our Golf Monthly Top 50 Coaches to share their best driving tips to help you hit your best ever tee shots...

The Quick Tips: Step-By-Step Guide

1. Ball position slightly forward of sternum
2. Feet at least shoulder width apart and weight evenly distributed
3. Do not lean back at address as this will change your low point
4. Low, wide takeaway
5. Maintain width throughout backswing
6. Coil up to the top with lead shoulder sitting over inside of trail knee
7. Transfer weight from trail heel to ball of lead foot as first move in downswing
8. Bring trail elbow tight into side on the way down
9. Shaft parallel with lead arm at impact
10. Wide release the clubhead and allow forearms to cross over past impact

Anders Mankert: How To Hit A Driver

Setup

The driver setup position is the first stage of the swing, and is crucially important to the success of the shot. This is a great place to start for anyone looking for beginner driver tips, but is also equally important for more seasoned golfers to focus on in their practice routines.

Start with the ball position slightly in front of your sternum, underneath your left armpit (for a right-handed golfer). This will allow you to hit the ball slightly on the up, as your low point is directly below your sternum.

Use a shoulder width (or wider) stance, and spread your weight evenly across your lead and trail foot. Try not to lean back away from the ball (away from target) as this will move your sternum and therefore your low point, causing the club to bottom out before the ball.

Backswing

Aim for plenty of width in the driver backswing and try to maintain it all the way up to the top. The takeaway keeps the clubhead low to the ground in the early phase, and moves up as we start to rotate our lower body and shoulders.

A great reference point is your lead shoulder moving over the inside of your trail foot in the backswing, creating a tightly wound powerful movement. This will likely feel a little uncomfortable, but it's crucial you coil up as much as possible to get maximum power output.

Downswing

The first movement to start the downswing is a transfer of weight from the heel of your trail foot into the ball of your lead foot. The trail elbow then falls closely into the ribs of your trail side, with the clubhead around a third closer to you than when it travelled up in the backswing. This will allow you to attack the ball on the correct path and avoid an over the top swing.

Impact Position

This is the point where we explode into releasing the club. The hands and forearms really whip over and deliver a lot of clubhead speed. At impact the shaft should be parallel with lead arm, as opposed to the shaft lean you would see with an iron or a wedge. This is illustrated clearly in the image below.

After impact, the swing becomes much wider again as the clubhead is released through the ball. The pattern to follow is: wide, narrow, wide.

Alex Elliott: Generate More Power With Driver

Grip

One of the first things you should be considering when searching for more power with driver is creating the perfect grip. Many amateurs start with the grip in the palm of their hand, which significantly limits the speed they are able to achieve. To remedy this, we need to ensure you start feel the grip more in your fingers.

In your normal setup position, allow the grip of the club to drop down as low as it can go without you dropping it. In the image below, you can see how the toe of the club has come off the ground, which makes it a lot easier to avoid that palm contact. I want you to hold the grip of the club like you are picking up a basket of shopping in a supermarket. Do this, and you won’t be far off that optimal position for a big, powerful drive.

Tee Height

Tee height plays a huge part in the distance you can achieve with driver, but many amateurs struggle due to pegging it up too high or too low. To give yourself the best chance of sending it long and straight down the fairway, ensure that only one quarter of the golf ball sits below the line at the top of the clubface. This will promote a little more shoulder tilt and will encourage you to hit up on the ball.

The X-Factor Stretch

In simple terms, the X-factor is the relationship between the line of your shoulders and the line of your hips in the golf swing.

The greater the stretch between these lines, the more potential power we can create with our driver. In order to create the stretch, the lower body must rotate back towards the target while the upper body is still completing the backswing.

A great drill for this is to start with both feet together, then as the hands reach shoulder height in the backswing the lead foot steps forward to the target side. Start slowly and build up your speed once you have the tempo correct. This drill will encourage the hips to start moving down and the hands are still moving up, accentuating the X-factor stretch.

Ben Emerson: How To Hit A Driver In Challenging Conditions

As much as we would like to play in perfect conditions all the time, that sadly isn't the reality. Golf is a game where you have to negotiate the elements, and change your strategy to manage your game when things get challenging.

Let's use playing in the wind as an example, as you are likely to have to do this at some point in your normal golf season. My best piece of advice would be to not fight the wind, especially if you are a mid- to high-handicapper. Playing a fade or a draw against the wind is a dangerous strategy, as if conditions die down midway through your ball flight you could find yourself in some tricky positions.

The majority of the adaptions to your approach actually come at setup, where I would advise you to move the ball slightly back in your stance and place your hands ever so slightly forwards of your normal position.

You would also benefit from swinging it a little more 'easy', as the harder you hit it the more spin you will be putting on the ball. That's not always a good combination with windy conditions, so focus on a nice smooth swing and centred strike.

Playing in colder or wetter conditions? Why not try these simple winter hacks from Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Adam Harnett...

FAQs

Q: Do You Swing A Driver The Same As You Swing An Iron?

A: There are many differences between a driver swing and an iron swing. Some examples would be that with driver the ball position is further forward and the swing plane is more rounded. With an iron, there is more shaft lean at impact and there is more of a downward angle of attack.

Q: How Do I Know Which Driver To Buy As A Beginner?

A: As a beginner golfer, it can be hard to know which equipment is right for you. With lots of jargon and plenty of options, it can be overwhelming trying to decide, so why not check out our brilliant guide on the best drivers for beginners? Our expert buying advice can help you to make an informed decision, allowing you enjoy your golf from day one.

Whether you are struggling with some of the simple faults that kill power in the golf swing, or you are looking to reset your fundamentals with some of the best golf tips, the end goal is the same... we all want to hit the ball further and maximise the efficiency of our swing.

In the video and article below, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coaches Gary Munro and Katie Dawkins share their tips on how to improve your driver golf swing basics for more power and consistency...

Driver Golf Swing Basics – The Setup

Extra distance demands the best ball speed. we can create this via clubhead speed and a centred strike, plus an optimal driver launch angle and spin. A big power leak is stance width – many players get too narrow, which reduces range of motion and stability.

The fix is a wide stable base with feet outside our shoulder line, which gives more natural tilt to help with launch angle and reducing spin with your driver, plus more stability so you can maintain a centred strike while creating extra speed via a more dynamic backswing turn.

The Takeaway

Another big power leak comes from trying to move the clubhead back too fast in the takeaway, using the hands and arms but without turning the body. This causes the club to be taken back too narrow and inside getting you out of sync and promoting timing issues. The strike location then changes and you lose distance.

We want the takeaway to have a wider arc to it. We’re trying to turn the chest in the takeaway and get the clubhead as far away from it as possible at around the 9 o’clock position. It can be a smooth takeaway as long as it is maintained very wide and away from the body. This creates more power, a better angle of attack and makes it much easier to get that centred strike.

Shoulder Turn

The final piece is to get the shoulder turn spot on. Look to turn the left shoulder as far behind the ball as you can. It should feel like it’s over the right foot but don’t sway your weight over to that right foot – the lower body still stays stable.

Placing an alignment stick down as a reference point will help. If you can combine this with the other two elements, you’ll generate a lot more power, your angle of attack will be better and your strike will improve, bringing you more ball speed and maximum distance.

Driver Address Drill

Many golfers set up with driver in hand just like they would their irons, standing with their spine angle straight up and over the ball. It's also not uncommon for amateurs to appear very rigid and tense in that set-up position, as if they are petrified at what's about to happen.

The teeing area on most courses has a gentle upslope from the path to the grass on top. Use this space to help you get the feeling you need when addressing the ball with your driver.

Set yourself up on this incline so you are heading uphill and address a whisp of grass, ensuring it's opposite the inside of your front heel in the position you should have the ball.

Now allow gravity to flow over you and do its thing as you settle yourself onto and become at one with the hill. The weight should gently settle onto your back foot and your shoulders end up almost perpendicular to that slope.

Ease tension out further by letting go of the club with your bottom hand and letting that arm hang before swinging it back onto the club. Tension is not welcome here so to keep shaking it out of your system is a wise move.

Collect The Ball

When you stride onto the tee and address your ball you want to recreate that feeling and once again settle behind the ball. You can rehearse this at home and notice, if you’re doing this in front of a mirror at home, the zip or buttons on your top lean gently behind the ball rather than being totally vertical.

Letting go with your trail hand and letting that arm hang down will not only help keep tension away but also help you achieve the correct distance from the ball at address. Your hand should swing and brush the part of the handle you should be holding, giving an indication of perfect positioning.

From this new and improved address position you can really collect that ball on the way through to a photo finish. Because launch angle and power are linked, you should notice a much-improved flight with the ball soaring through the air for longer.

Above all else it should feel effortless and let’s face it, who doesn’t love a dose of effortless power.

One of the ways in which tour players hit the ball such impressive distances is by maintaining their wrist angles on the downswing. This is known as lag. In the video and article below, PGA pro Andrew Jones explains how to create lag in the golf swing without sacrificing accuracy.

Pros are able to delay this wrist uncocking in the downswing because they know they will be able to square the clubface quickly to strike crisp, straight and powerful shots.

What many amateurs do is start their downswing by opening the shoulders first. This causes the angle of the wrists to be lost, and the club to be released early, something you might have heard referred to as casting.

They are reluctant to hold these tremendous wrist angles deep into the downswing because incorrect grip and positions can lead to a dreaded slice.

From the top of your swing you should feel your lower body drives first, followed by the arms and then the hands. This correct sequence on the way down, with the wrist angles maintained until just before impact, will help to create natural lag and more power at impact.

Imagine that your left arm is one lever and the club shaft is another. Hinge your left wrist on the way back to create a sharp angle between the two levers. As you swing down, try to maintain this angle for as long as possible as your body rotates and your weight shifts back towards the target. Then, as you release it, the clubhead will speed up, providing you with more power through impact.

Try this!

Practice the move that triggers the start of the downswing. Feel that your body leads the way with your arms following. This should create the angle between your forearm and shaft that delivers lag for more power in the golf swing.

In association with Titleist this set of videos focuses on how to get the best from your driver.

Driver Series Tips

Driving the ball has become more and more important at both the professional and amateur level in recent years because ultimately the top players regularly compete on courses over 7,000 yards and amateurs are always looking to keep the ball in play and on the fairway to put together better scores.

So bearing this in mind this series of videos, produced in association with Titleist, will focus purely on driving and how to help you find the fairway, control the ball in the wind, ensure a correct setup and several other ways. All of these videos are presented by Andrew Reynolds, one of our Top 25 coaches, and they were filmed at Royal Cinque Ports. We start with ball flight.

Find The Perfect Driver

There are five things you need to look for when getting fitted for a driver. Number one is find a club that you find aesthetically pleasing. Number two is finding out what your spin profile is because clubs can either help or hinder you. Therefore hitting on a launch monitor can give you data on how you spin the ball. Point three is you have to think about whether you want distance or accuracy. Point four is in relation to where you miss most often and knowing both of these things can give the fitter a clearer idea on how to fit you. Finally point five is whether you are making any swing changes. The beauty of clubs these days is that they can be manipulated as you change your swing.

Ball Flight

Reynolds talks about two different types of launch here. For the higher launching shot when hitting it downwind, tee the ball up higher than you normally would with most of the ball above the top of the club. Additionally he recommends positioning the ball further forward, towards the middle of your foot instead of traditionally positioning it in line with the heel.

When playing into the wind it's the complete opposite. Tee the ball up a lot lower and position the ball further back in the stance. Reynolds finally says to make sure your chest is over the ball at impact.

Crosswind

When the wind is at your back and knocking you off balance, Reynolds says to close the club face down a bit which will stop the ball spinning away from you. This is not advisable with the driver though because you are removing all of the loft of the club, instead he recommends using a three-wood because when you close the face there is still ample loft to get the ball in the air.

Driver Setup

When setting up there are several things to think about. Where you aim the club is number one, then how you hold it is important too. Reynolds recommends a neutral grip with the palms facing one another. Stance and body alignment is next. Your toes, knees, hips and shoulders should be parallel to your ball-to-target and your posture should also be with a straight spine. This provides you with a solid base to make the swing. Finally the ball should be placed opposite the left heel (if you are a right handed golfer, opposite for left handed golfers).

Driving Well Under Pressure

When faced with an awkward tee shot, come behind the ball and pick something in the first 5 yards in front of the ball to line up with.

Find A Repeatable Shot Shape

In short simply use the shot you are comfortable with. If you are a fader of the ball come to the right hand side of the tee-box and allow for the fade. (Vice versa for a draw).

How To Use The Teeing Ground

Many of us simply put the tee in the ground and hit without thinking about it, but the tee shot is the one time we get to choose the conditions of the shot. Choose a spot which fits your shot shape and suits your eye.

Slice Drill

Probably the most common shot in golf, many golfers feel they need to lift the ball in the air with driver. One way to rectify this is to make sure your spine remains vertical and your clubs, arms and shoulders are working through together. Slightly closing the stance can also have an effect.

Speed And Accuracy Drill

Rhythm and tempo is huge in golf so to find yours go to the range and do the 9-ball drill. Hit three balls as hard as you can, three balls as smooth as you can, and three with 10% of power off your smooth swing. You will start to see consistent ball flights for each. Then you can apply those swings to whatever hole is in front of you.

Tee Height

Modern clubs perform best when you strike the ball on the upper part of the face which means you need to have half the ball above the top of the golf club.

For more tips and intruction don't forget to follow Golf Monthly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Laurie Canter explains how he has been taught to hit longer drives by his coach

In this Ryan Fox Golf Swing Sequence, GM Top 25 Coach Barney Puttick checks out the powerful New Zealander who has hit the World Top 100 this season

Ryan Fox Golf  Swing Sequence

Three consecutive strong finishes from Fox in France, Ireland and Scotland have caught our eye this year, and this powerfully built Kiwi, whose father was an All Black, definitely sets up to the driver with positive intent!

He’s got a pretty strong grip and I like the way he hovers the driver at address. This can make the move away from the ball a little smoother - you need a little tension to create the hover, so don’t then have to factor that in as you raise the club to start your takeaway.

It’s a very wide takeaway too, very much like Tiger Woods in his heyday. It's also wide the other way, with the clubhead well outside his hands.

Watch: Check out how Tiger Woods's swing has changed over the years

The big talking point is the top of the backswing position, but bear in mind that his spine angle is still exactly the same here as in pictures one and two. It’s not actually an overswing but rather a little idiosyncrasy where his left arm tends to bend, and there’s still a big gap between shaft and shoulder at this point.

Check out the difference between shoulder turn and hip turn too. It’s massive, which explains his power (he ranks 2^nd only to Rory in the driving distance stats). The classic equation here would be 90˚ shoulders and 45˚ hips, but I’m guessing he’s under 45˚ with his hips while his shoulders have comfortably turned more than 100˚.

Watch: Rory McIlroy Golf Swing Analysis with long-time coach Michael Bannon

From here, there’s a parallel with John Daly as he drops the club down on the inside, getting it in the slot to really fire it down the line before pouring on the power at the bottom. I love his impact position too.

Watch: Check out John Daly's swing with thoughts from the man himself

He really maintains the gap between his knees in picture four, while still clearing the hips superbly. There’s no question of a spin out here despite shifting the club at an impressive rate of knots. The next picture showing his left arm and the shaft in a straight line just after impact is terrific too.

He’s not just a long drive guy either. He’s well above 70% for greens in regulation too. These photos show there’s more than one way to swing a club if the key elements are where they need to be. Keep an eye out for Mr Fox – he has all the attributes required to win on tour.

Watch Andy Sullivan's driving clinic where he talks about shot shaping and hits a series of drivers of the deck!

Watch Andy Sullivan's driving clinic where he talks about shot shaping and hits a series of drivers of the deck!

In this links golf masterclass, Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Clive Tucker explains how to find the fairway when the wind is blowing!

In this links golf masterclass, Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Clive Tucker explains how to find the fairway when the wind is blowing!

Me And My Golf Tips: Driving Distance - YouTube golfing instruction stars Me And My Golf share a simple drill with a headcover that should add yards to your tee shots with the driver

Me And My Golf Tips: Driving Distance

The two main reasons for a lack of distance with the driver are a poor strike and an incorrect angle of attack. We’re going to tackle both of those here, starting with your angle of attack. We’re in a unique position with the driver in that we can tee the ball up.

Hitting up slightly on the ball is the key to maximising distance, as it will increase the launch angle and reduce backspin. It also helps you hit the ball in the middle of the face, which promotes high launch and low spin.

Tee the ball high and set up with your spine tilted away from the target. Position a headcover about 18 inches in front of the ball on your ball-to-target line.

You should be aiming to miss the headcover on your throughswing. If you attack the ball downward with a steep angle of attack, you’ll hit the headcover. You want to feel like you are swinging from low to high through the ball.

Notice how when done correctly – hitting the ball on the up – you miss the headcover. This drill should encourage a better attack into the ball, better launch conditions and more distance.

Clubface is King

With regard to the strike, obviously hitting the centre of the clubface provides the most ball speed. But most golfers don’t know how often they miss the centre. By using foot spray or face tape you can get feedback on the strike.

Striking the ball out of the toe, for example, is going to encourage the ball to turn draw. With the TaylorMade M1 driver I’m able to slide a weight into that toe section to counteract that drawing shot shape. Positioning more weight behind the impact location will also help maximise ball speed.

Me And My Golf Tips: Driving Accuracy - YouTube golfing instruction duo Me And My Golf share a drill that should hopefully help you find more fairways

Me And My Golf Tips: Driving Accuracy

By Andy Proudman, Me and My Golf

One of the biggest reasons for golfers missing the fairway is excessive clubface rotation. It starts during the move away from the golf ball, where the clubface is turning too much and the shaft rolls away from the body.

From here, it becomes much harder to square the clubface at impact, leading to compensations in the downswing – the arms and body are having to work too hard to get that clubface square. Often the clubface is left open and you’ll miss the fairway right, or you’ll overcompensate and miss left.

We want to create a more stable clubface in the takeaway so these compensations aren’t required and, as a result, your action becomes more repeatable. Having the butt of the club pointing more at your trailing hip in the takeaway will promote a squarer clubface.

The drill below should help achieve this, and it will also improve your swing plane, too. It’s an especially good feeling for golfers who slice the ball because it helps stop the clubface from opening in relation to the path - the reason golfers slice the golf ball.

Try this drill - Feel the reach

Step 1 Take your set-up position and move your hands down the shaft so the right hand is touching the steel. Rehearse a move away and as your hands pass your right thigh, the butt of the club should be pointing at your trailing hip, engaging the body as you do so.

Step 2 You’ll notice how the clubface rotates very little in this position. This makes it easier to square the face more consistently at impact, which should tighten your dispersion. It will take time to get used to the feeling of a squarer face but stick with it.

In this exclusive video, Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach explains how to avoid driving out of bounds when it runs down the entire length of one side of the hole

Here is a situation we often face on the golf course. You are stood on the tee and there is trouble down the entire length of one side, in this case it is the left. The danger it poses to your scorecard is obvious so you need to be smart about what to do if you want to know how to avoid driving out of bounds. Some coaches will tell you to ignore the trouble and focus on the shot but in my experience this is impossible. You can’t trick your subconscious to forget that it’s there. Instead, you need look at it, acknowledge it and then devise a gameplan that helps you feel as comfortable as possible. Finally, a great quick tip is to tee up on the same side as the danger. This will ensure you are playing away from it as much as possible when you set up to the ball.

Watch more video driving tips

Swing checks

Whether you suffer with a slice or a hook, the thing you really need to avoid is allowing for the shape by adjusting your alignment. In this instance, you’d be aiming further right to allow for the hook but by doing this, you are only going to accentuate the right to left ball flight. Head to the range and hit shots from a perfectly square (or even slightly open address position). This will get your swing working on a much better path and should help straighten out the hook. Likewise, if you are struggling with a slice set up square or even slightly closed. The same rules apply in opposite. This approach is your first step in how to avoid driving out of bounds and eradicating your bad shot.

Why do I hook the ball?

Fix your slice

More loft, less sidespin

As you take a look at the hole and devise your strategy, think about your club selection. You don’t have to do what your playing partners are doing and if you choose a club with more loft (a hybrid or a 3-wood) you’ll produce less side spin and more backspin. This should help you hit a straighter shot. Above all remember that when you get to a tough hole like this, half the field will be caught out. Your number one aim should be not to fall into that trap and a shorter, straighter drive is a much more sensible option.

Plan and commit

When learning how to avoid driving out of bounds, the more knowledge you have, the more likely you are to make a good decision. On any given day, in any given conditions you’ll be able to judge which clubs will carry or come up short of the trouble. Once you have looked at the planner and made your choice, commit to the shot. This means making a full, powerful release through the ball. Being tentative, guiding the club through impact is an error we have all made and rarely results in a straight shot.

In this exclusive video, Golf Monthly top 25 Coach Keith Wood asks how to hit the perfect 1st tee shot and offers some simple tips for getting off to a great start!

How to hit the perfect 1st tee shot?

Before we get into any of the more technical elements to a good opening drive, let’s focus on your gameplan. When you are nervous it is imperative that you work within your comfort zone. Choose a shot you know you can hit. This sounds painfully obvious I know, but it’s amazing how often players hit the shot they think they should hit off the first tee instead of the one they know they can hit. A gameplan that takes you out of your comfort zone will add to the nerves and make a bad swing more likely. So study the hole think about where the major hazards are and then select a club and a shot you know you can hit. If that’s a fade with a hybrid, so be it. This is how to hit the perfect 1st tee shot and get your round off to a solid start.

Watch more driving tips videos

Preparation

If you are serious about playing well you should really be warming up on the range. At the end of your range session hit five or 10 shots with the club you intend to use off the first tee. Picture the hole in front of you and rehearse the swing you’ll be making for real. As you stand over the ball, preparing for your opening tee shot, visualise the best shot you’ve just hit with that club on the range. See the ball flight, trajectory and shape. The confidence gained from having already hit it successfully on the range will be invaluable.

Why do I pull iron shots?

Keep moving

We all suffer with first tee nerves. Any player you think doesn’t is just doing a good job of hiding it! Understand that the nerves themselves are natural and do not mean you’ll play badly. However, it is important not to let them take over so before you hit your opening drive, stay occupied. Talk to your playing partners, look at the course planner, make practice swings and do whatever you need to, to stay occupied. Above all, remember to breathe! A series of slow, deep breaths in and out will relieve some of the butterflies and help you relax. Then, just before you pull the trigger, waggle the club to keep the muscles in your forearms and hands loose. This will help you make a fluid swing.

How to get more distance - power tips for golf

Two full turns

If you are asking how to hit the perfect 1st tee shot understand that tension is a killer in the golf swing. When you are nervous, the natural reaction is to tighten up, the swing gets shorter and you fail to complete your turn. A shorter swing either side of the ball can cause a number of issues so it is certainly something to be aware of. As you prepare to play your opening drive, have this simple swing thought in mind: make a full turn back and through. By acknowledging the affect the nerves can have and understanding how this might change your swing, you’ll be able to combat the issue. This will help you make a full, committed swing which is much more likely to produce a good shot than a short, nervy one!

You might think you know how to hit a driver correctly, but if you are finding the ball skying off the top of the clubface - we need to get to the route of the problem.

After all, the best drivers are supposed to be a source of joy for golfers. There are few better feelings than a sweetly struck tee shot that sails miles down the fairway, especially if you have spent hours bedding in the perfect setup position and worked hard on your driver backswing sequence.

In the video and article below, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Alex Elliott discusses why you're skying it and shares some simple tips that will help you fix the fault.

Tee height

One of the most common causes of this dreaded shot is your tee height. If you have the ball teed up too high, it is going to be sitting well above the top of the face at address, making it easier to go under the ball and make contact with the crown.

Get a friend or someone you golf with to check your tee height. If it is you are struggling with how high to tee up a driver and are skying the ball regularly, you need to lower it. I like to use the pink castle tee when I play as it keeps it consistent. You're aiming for roughly half the ball to sit above the face at address but don't be afraid to experiment and set your tee height lower if that works for your swing.

Angle of attack

The second common symptom of this shot is an over-the-top golf swing, where your hands are thrown out towards the golf ball in the downswing. This causes the angle of attack to be very steep and golfers therefore hit down on the ball, which makes it much harder to find the sweetspot and increases the likelihood of ballooning one into the air and leaving that nasty sky mark on the crown.

Here's a simple drill that will help improve your angle of attack. If you are hitting down, it's vital to find a way to start feeling like you're sweeping the ball off the tee and hitting it on the up. Only then will you start to make more consistent contact and hit the ball further.

I always recommend having an external focus when practising. In this scenario and as you can see in the video above, I've ripped off a piece from a golf ball box and placed it roughly a clubhead behind my ball and just inside the target line. 

The objective is simple: I want you feel like you brush it on the way back and, more importantly, as you swing down into impact. It might take a few sessions but you should notice your angle of attack improves and you stop skying the ball. 

It's something you can do easily at the range or even on the course using a bit of grass or a mark that might be noticeable on the tee. 

In this exclusive video, PGA Professional Rick Shiels explains how to use your body for power in the golf swing for longer straighter drives

How to use your body for power

One of the great things about golf is that you don’t have to be hugely strong in your arms to hit the ball a long way. What is far more important is how efficiently you work your body. Start by setting a stance that is wider than you would have for any other shot. It needs to be wide enough to support your frame and this will help you when it comes to rotating your body.

Watch more power tips videos

As you take the club back, try to make a big upper body turn and allow your hips to rotate to about 45˚. When you get to the top of the backswing, if you have made a good rotation, this position should be very hard to hold. This is because, through a powerful coil, you have created separation between your upper and lower body. This is effectively power that’s stored, to be used in the downswing. Get into the right position at the top and you can then rotate your hips back through and create the power at impact that will send your ball both long and straight.

Watch more golf swing tips videos

1 Too many hinge points

Some players are able to create a full but incredibly weak backswing by allowing their elbows to hinge. If you are also hinging your wrists too much you’ll be missing out on energy that can be stored in the backswing, ready to fire through the ball.

2 Over-rotation

Another position that will rob you of power is if you let your hips turn too much, causing your right leg to lock straight at the top of the backswing. In this instance there is no separation between lower and upper body.

3 No hip turn

The other extreme is when the player fails to turn the hips at all. The right and left leg stay parallel to each other during the backswing. This helps you create ‘resistance’ as you reach the top and it looks strong but it is very difficult to rotate your body back through from here.

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Keith Wood asks how slice and tension are linked and offers some simple advice to help you hit more fairways, more often!

1 Slice And Tension

One of the most common causes of a slice, that is often over-looked, is tension. Think about all the great sports and the best sportsman and you should notice that no game is ever played well without rhythm and fluidity. In golf, tension in the swing often translates to a slice – let me explain. One of the key moves in golf is at the start of the downswing where the club should drop down onto the right path. A common cause of a slice is starting the downswing with the right shoulder, throwing the club outside the right path. This is often the result of too much tension in your hands, arms and shoulders at address. So as you take your address position, let the pressure in your hands and arms soften. This will help you create crucial angles in your right elbow during the backswing and then, if you can retain that fluidity, it will help the club drop into a much better position on the way down. Soft arms will also help you find the release required to square the face through impact. This is hugely important but often not taken seriously enough.

Fix your slice

2 Hook Practice

No matter what your fault is, a good way to rid yourself of the affliction is to practice the opposite mistake. In this instance, it means teaching yourself how to hit a hook. This is great for people who don’t want to get too bogged down in the technical elements of the golf swing and would rather work on their feel. While you’re on the range, aim your body and club face to the right and really try to close the face through impact to create a hook. Drop the club on the inside on the way down and then make a very aggressive release through impact – the more right to left spin you generate, the better. By working on this you’ll start to understand how to rid yourself of the slice. This is a great way to develop self-awareness in your golf game.

3 Weight Transfer

The reason a slice is so common is that right-handers will usually have a tendency for their right side to dominate during the golf swing (the opposite often applies for left-handers). As we have already mentioned, this can cause you to throw the club outside the line on the way down but it can also cause your weight to move in the wrong direction. To put it simply your weight should move away from the target during the backswing and towards it during the downswing. However, if you are struggling with a slice you need to check that your weight isn’t falling onto your right side through impact. This will send the club outside the ball-to-target line and cause you to cut across the ball through impact. Work on allowing your weight distribution to move right on the way back and left on the way through. You will start to hit longer, straighter shots.

4 Body Rotation

If you have been struggling with your accuracy off the tee, losing balls to sliced drives, it is only natural to search for more control. However, this often translates into a restricted body turn as players look to sacrifice distance for accuracy. The problem here is that your body rotation helps create the room required to swing the club on the correct path and also helps square the face through impact. Remember that distance and accuracy in the golf swing go hand-in-hand. You are looking for the club to work in harmony with the rotation of your body – the rotation leading the club through impact on a good path and with plenty of speed. If you are struggling with a slice make sure that your body movement hasn’t become too static.

Keith’s Checklist

• Make sure your arms, hands and shoulders are relaxed at address
• Practice hitting hooks to improve swing path and clubface control
• Move your weight away from the target on the way back and towards it on the way through
• Let your arms work in harmony with the rotation of your body

Challenge Tour professional Reeve Whitson shares his best tips for driving the ball long and straight in windy conditions

Driving the ball in the wind can be a unnerving prospect, especially since the majority of amateurs spin the ball more than they should, which means the ball will curve more through the air.

The first thing to consider is where the wind is coming from. I like to use the wind off the tee, golfers that try to fight the wind will tend to lose out on distance. So if the wind is off the right-hand side I'll aim a long way off line and won’t be afraid to let the wind do it’s job.

I close the shoulders at address to ensure everything is aligned right and working from the inside and let the clubface turn over through impact. Setting my weight slightly more on my right side will help this feeling.

To fade the ball off a left-to-right wind I’d aim down the left side and move the ball further forward in my stance to give the clubhead more chance to exit left through impact to get the fade spin.

When hitting into the wind with a driver I see people make the mistake of teeing the ball high and trying to hit it as hard as they can. I like to tee it lower and hit the ball softer to keep the spin down. I have my weight slightly more on my left side and ball slightly further back.

Then downwind, tee the ball high and hit it as hard as you can which means it will go higher and use the wind more to travel further. I set my weight onto my right side at address and tilt my spine away from the target. The goal is then to keep it there during the swing to hit more up on the ball and launch it higher without much spin, maximising distance.

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Keith Wood explains how to maximise your distance into the wind with some simple tricks for playing from the tee

Maximise your distance into the wind

If you find yourself reading this, then you probably already understand the joys of winter golf. There is nothing like a clear, crisp winter’s day when the course is both score-able and free from fair-weather players to stir your most basic golfing instincts.

The challenge facing you over the winter months will, of course, be subtly different. Master the basic changes and you’ll become hard to beat, even when the worst of our gloriously unpredictable weather strikes.

Into the wind players often make the mistake of teeing the ball down. But this causes you to strike the ball from te bottom of the clubface which actually creates spin. You need to aim for an area on the face above the centre to maximise your distance into the wind. Also, the other way to keep spin off is to swing as smoothly as possible. This will prevent too much backspin from being created at impact and the ballooning into the sky. So tee it high and swing it a fraction softer than usual - this will help you maximise your distance into the wind.

When the fairways are wet, distance is all about carry. For a lot of amateurs, especially those with slower swing speeds, this means that you’ll find more distance from your 3-wood than your driver. The extra loft will offer you more carry through the air with the added bonus being that more loft will also deliver less sidespin, which should make you more accurate. Just pulling out driver without thinking about the carry distance is a mistake worth avoiding.

The other factor to consider before you tee off is where to peg up. Teeing grounds will often become muddy and slippery so pick a spot with a fair coverage of grass to stand on. Some simple consideration here could go a long way.

In this video Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Keith Woods offers some winter golf tips on how to approach your first tee shot by making a full and committed swing

Winter Golf Tips: First Tee Shot

Keeping the ball in play by hitting drives that carry further through the air is the perfect winter combination. But to do that you need to be  warmed up and ready to go from the start. Here's my guide to understanding how winter conditions can affect your driving game.

Make a full turn

It’s cold and I suspect you probably haven’t warmed up on the range before arriving at the first tee - that's not surprising given that it's winter! The problem here is that, if you haven’t stretched at all before your opening tee shot, you’ll struggle to complete your backswing. The result is likely to be a big block right – we’ve all been there. This comes because the club is left behind as the body rotates through impact.

I want you to become conscious of this. Understand that if you don’t at least make a few simple stretches, a big block right or slice, is on the cards. So, perform a few simple stretches by placing a club behind your back and slowly rotate your upper body. Hold the top of backswing position and feel the resistance between your core muscles and your lower body. Then slowly rotate through to your finish and again, hold the finish for a couple of seconds. This might not seem like much but it is preparing you for an athletic move and relieving some of the tension in your core muscles. Finally, as you stand over the ball, have this one single swing thought in mind. That is, to rotate back until your left shoulder hits your chin - your back will be pointing towards the target.  This will give you much more time to strike the ball accurately down the fairway. If you can follow this simple process, you’ll be one up on the field by the time you

Golf Monthly top 25 Coach Barney Putting offers some simple guidance for overcoming first tee nerves that will help you get your round off to a more solid start

Overcoming first tee nerves

Fault:

Nerves are preventing you from starting well You don't live up to your potential in big events

Fix:

Suffering 1st tee nerves can have a major impact on your round. All your anxiety and tension is focused on the success or otherwise of your opening shot and if it all goes wrong, which it can do even for the best players in the world, you can be left dreading the next four hours. Overcoming first tee nerves is about developing a way to control your breathing. Take deep breaths to control your heart rate - this will help calm you down. When it comes to actually playing the opening tee shot, I always tell my students that it's vital you stick to a pre-shot routine. This will be slightly different for every golfer, but a great option is to take a practice swing behind the ball, pick out a specific target and then set up to this target. This will stop you from thinking about all of the places you don't want to hit the ball, and will set good fundamentals.

From there I always think its a good idea to have one swing thought... Zero swing thoughts can lead to a lack of focus while three or four is confusing. Having one clear swing thought will really help you make a more positive, confident swing. Try to make a controlled swing to get the ball in play. If you can do this, you'll be up and running.

Read more golf swing tips

Read more driving tips

If all esle fails, take a conservative startegy. A hybrid or long iron on the fairway is much better than a driver into the trees. Often once the first tee is experience is over you'll relax - and certainly seeing your ball in the centre of the fairway will help you calm down much quicker.

Gary Alliss asks why hanging back kills power and provides tips on how to prevent it and how optimising your attack angle can help you gain lost yards.

Why hanging back kills power

If you aren’t producing the optimum flight off the tee then you won’t be getting all of the potential power out of your swing.

Getting the ideal flight with driver stems from the angle that the club approaches the ball through impact, which can be either too shallow or too steep.

Quite often players will hang back on their left side in an attempt to launch the ball in the air. This is often coupled with a flicky hand action at impact to help lift the ball.

This results in hitting too much on the up and the ball tends to make contact with the driver off bottom of the face and never reaches its optimum trajectory.

What you are looking for with your driver is that the club approaches the ball almost on a zero angle, parallel to the ground or one degree on the rise at the most.

Read more top golf tips

This will results in a strike out of the middle of the face, with an optimal launch and spin rate.

To encourage this, and to give you more confidence that you don’t need to hang back, you should tee the ball up with more than half the ball above the face of the driver.

Teeing the ball low can encourage an unwanted descending blow which results in a low launching, high spinning shot. Teeing the ball higher will promote an upward attack angle, and a result high launch, low spinning shot.

Guard against this!

Don’t overcompensate by hitting down on the ball. This will cause the opposite problem of hitting the ball off the top of the face. Focus on approaching at a level angle through the impact.

Shot on location at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal, Turkey by Tom Miles

Learn to power up your tee shots and add 10 yards off the tee with these simple tips from Golf Monthly top 25 coach Andrew Reynolds.

Follow these tips to add 10 yards off the tee and you'll reach par 5's in two more often, and have shorter irons into greens enabling you to be more aggressive with your approach shots.

There are a certain occasions when a big tee shot will set up a realistic birdie opportunity. Knowing what to do to generate a few crucial extra yards is important for every golfer but crucially, what you cannot do is lose your rhythm. By swinging harder all you'll do is destroy the timing that lies at the heart of good golf so here's how to increase your swing speed by making a couple of small, simple tweaks at address.

Firstly, widen your stance a fraction. This will help you make a more athletic turn that creates resistance between your upper and lower body at the top of the backswing.

The key is to make a full upper body turn. To do this, let your left heel lift off the ground as you reach the top. That should make it easier to rotate your upper body.

This will help increase body rotation, which in turn produces more speed during the downswing. To maximise club head speed further, move your hands to the top of the grip at address.

By increasing the length of the club, you’ll make the arc of your swing wider for more speed and power.

Lots of amateurs swing down into the ball with a steep angle of attack and actually hit down on their drives. This causes the ball to pop up and lose distance.

To hit up on the ball and sweep the ball off tee tee like the bombers do, move the ball forward in your stance. Tee the ball up in line with the outside of your left foot, and set the club head back about eight inches behind it. This will encourage that upward angle of attack we are looking for.

This ball position should encourage a shallower path on the downswing. Setting up behind the ball should help you visualise the club head rising up to the ball at the point of impact.

Try these relatively minor tweaks while you’re at the range, and you should see how they translate into some important extra power.

Read more top golf tips

Key tips

• Make a full upper body turn
• Lift your led t heel off the ground as you reach the top to increase body rotation
• Move your hands to the top of the grip at address for a wider swing arc and more speed on the downswing

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Gary Smith explains how optimising your coil for more power can result in you gaining valuable yards off the tee.

Optimising your coil for more power can result in you gaining valuable yards off the tee, leaving you shorter irons into greens.

Try these tips if your swing lacks power and you often find your driver goes the same distance as your 3-wood.

A technically sound swing will also be a powerful one. If you lack yardage, especially off the tee, the first thing to check is the quality of your coil.

The way you work your body through the swing will determine how powerful your drives are. To groove a more effective rotation, place the shaft of your driver across your chest as shown.

Now turn as you would during the backswing until the shaft is at right angles to the target. The resistance between your upper body and your hips is what creates speed through the downswing.

So make sure the left side of your chest turns over the ball and that your elbows do not fold and you’ll add crucial yards to your drives.

Read more top driving tips

Top tips

• The most powerful swings are often the most technically sound swings.
• If you consider yourself a short hitter, the first thing to check is how well you coil and uncoil throughout the swing.
• The amount you work your body through the swing will determine how much energy is transferred into your drives.
• Try placing the shaft of your driver across your chest to groove a more effective rotation.
• Turn as you would during the backswing until the shaft is at right angles to the target.
• The resistance between your upper body and your hips is what creates speed through the downswing.
• Ensure that the left half of your chest turns over and covers the ball, and that your elbows do not fold.
• Combining all of the above movements should add crucial yards to your game.

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach John Jacobs has some simple rhythm and timing tips to explain how to hit tight fairways.

How to hit tight fairways

Try these simple yet effective tips if you struggle for rhythm on tough drives and your range rhythm deserts you on the course when it matters.

On the driving range, many players swing the club with wonderful rhythm and timing. However, on the course, their swings often bear little resemblance. The reason is simple - pressure causes adrenaline and this, if you're not prepared for it, can kill your rhythm.

More top golf tips

Yet rhythm and timing are among the most important things to maintain. The range is a flat field, rather than a shaped golf hole with all its associated pitfalls, so you feel more comfortable there.

On the course, first focus on where you want the ball to go, rather than where you don’t. It's hard (impossible) to block out the danger if it's looking you in the face so I'd suggest you acknowledge the danger but, just before you hit, visualise what the perfect shot would look like. See the flight, see the shape of the shot.

Alternatively, instead of letting your eye be drawn to the trouble, try to get an image of the range in your mind.

Another great tip is to rehearse the swing without the club, keeping arms and hips working slowly and smoothly together in unison. Finally, step up to the ball and try to recreate that same rhythm and timing

Top tips

• Rhythm and timing are two of the most important things to maintain if you want to play good, consistent golf.
• The reason you find it easier to sustain an even-keeled tempo on the range because that range is a flat, open space rather than a shaped golf hole with trouble and pitfalls waiting to catch errant shots.
• It is important to focus you're mind on where you want the ball to go, i.e. the fairway, than where you don't want it to go, i.e. a hazard or OB.
• Try to then get the image of the the range in your mind and make a swing just like you would do in a practice session.
• Rehearse the swing without a club, ensuring you keep your arms and hips working at a smooth, slow pace together in unison.

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Keith Williams has a simple technique to help you shape your drives and hit draws and fades off the tee at will.

If you're game is too one-dimensional and you struggle to control your ball flight, try these tips to shape your drives off the tee and find more fairways.

Shot shaping is fun to try and will also improve your skill level. You can learn the mechanics behind the draw and fade elsewhere but in this piece I want to focus on the right feel... A great drill to use if you’re developing this part of your game is to draw a spot on your golf ball.

If you want to hit a draw, set the spot so that it’s aiming slightly more towards you at address, as I’ve done here.

For a fade, turn the ball in the other direction. The aim here is simple – just try to hit the spot square on.

This simple trigger will focus your mind on how to manipulate your swing to create the flight you want. Without worrying about the mechanics behind a fade or draw, you should be able to deliver the swing path required to produce them both.

Read more top golf tips

As long as your hands work to square the clubface at impact, you should start to see the gentle shape that you’re looking for. Above all, this is a fun way to add new skills to your game.

Being able to master both a fade and a draw off the tee will help you tremendously, especially in the wind.

The ability to draw the ball into a left to right wind, or cut it into a right to left wind will make you a much more accomplished player.

Top tips

• Draw a large spot on your ball using a sharpie marker.
• To hit a draw, set the spot so that it's aiming slightly more towards you at address.
• For a fade, turn the ball in the other direction.
• The aim is then just to try and hit the spot square on.
• This simple reminder will focus you on how to manipulate your swing to create the flight you want.
• Ensure you work hard to square the clubface at impact.

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Kevin Craggs discusses some ways to generate more power and find some extra length off the tee when you need it most.

Generate more power video

There are certain occasions when a little extra power off the tee could help you reach a par-5 in two or drive a reachable par-4.

However, swinging harder at the ball is a risk (you might lose your timing as well as your accuracy).

Instead try to lock your focus onto the mechanics of the swing that generate speed and by that I mean the mobility of your upper body.

Before you address your ball, make a few practice swings with your right foot drawn back. As you reach the top of the backswing you should feel the resistance between your upper and lower body.

It is this ‘tension’ that creates speed as you whip the club through impact. Make a series of practice swings feeling this resistance and then try to replicate this move as you address the ball for real.

Still make sure you still remember to swing within yourself. Not striking the ball out of the middle of the club face will cause a large loss in distance.

Also, try teeing the ball a little higher to encourage an upwards strike on the ball. This will result in a high launching, low spinning ball flight to induce distance.

The key increased power is to feel like you are trying to turn your back to the target on your backswing.

On your backswing, turn your left shoulder beneath your chin until your shoulder is over your right foot.

Read more top golf swing tips

Don't simply raise your arms. Ensure that you turn your shoulders far enough.

Guard against this!

Many golfers swing their arms back without turning their upper bodies. You may feel like you’ve reached the top of the backswing but you’re cheating yourself out of much-needed power.

A big shoulder turn is key to powerful swing. Work on tucking your left shoulder underneath your chin at the top of your backswing.

Shot on location at Montgomerie Maxx Royal, Turkey by Tom Miles

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Kevin Craggs discusses how to deal with hitting fairways under pressure.

Hitting fairways under pressure video

All too often, when players are looking out towards a tight fairway with danger left and right, I see amateurs try to steer the ball down the middle.

They focus on the trouble on either side, rather than where they want their ball to go - the middle of the fairway.

Pick a specific target in the fairway to aim for, such as a greenside bunker in the distance. Having such a small target will narrow your focus and eliminate thoughts of hitting the ball in trouble.

This is a natural reaction to the tension of a tight drive but steering the ball is a sure fire way of missing the fairway.

You need to develop a more confident mindset that allows you to commit to a proper swing. A great drill is hit some practice shots with your left foot set back by six inches or so.

This will encourage you to rotate your upper body through the shot for a more powerful, committed strike.

Try to embrace the nerves and tell yourself that this is what you practice for and that being nervous is a good sign.

If you weren't nervous, then that would mean you didn't care. Being nervous shows you are playing the right sport and that you embrace the challenge of playing and scoring well.

Read more top driving tips

Try this!

When you are facing a tight drive, using the left foot back drill as part of your pre-shot routine.

Make some smooth swings, rotating your upper body through the shot, and then address the ball for real. This should create a more confident approach.

Then, taking your normal stance, make a fully commited swing to a specific target in the disance. Base your results not on whether you didn't go in the trouble, but by how far you missed your small target.

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Andrew Reynolds has devised a weight shift drill to get you moving correctly throughout the golf swing

Weight shift drill

Fault: - You struggle for distance off the tee

-You often hit a slice

Fix: I often hear golfers offer advice to a playing partner saying 'keep your head down'. However, this thought often leads to mistakes. There are very few golfers who I have ever met who suffer with lifting their heads through impact. This is often sighted as the problem when actually fault is that the player is losing their posture, lifting up through the ball and coming out of the shot.

If you consciously try to keep your head down, you are likely to get hunched at address and then get your weight stuck on the front foot in the backswing. From here, the only way to deliver a good strike is to lean back - this is called a reverse pivot. Here's a drill I've devised that will really help you.

More golf swing tips

Place three allignment sticks in the ground - the middle one pointing at your sternum and the other two either side.

These represent where your weight should move to during the backswing and follow-through. At the top of the backswing your weight should be over your right side and then in the finish position your weight should be over your left side. These alignment sticks represent where your weight should be at three crucial points - address, top of backswing and finish position. Crucially, you need to keep your spine angle constant as you swing back and through. If you can do this you'll hit longer, straighter drives.

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Kevin Craggs explains how to find the x factor power move to create more speed through impact for extra yards

There are certain occasions when a little extra power off tee could help you reach a par 5 in two and this is why you need to find the x factor power move. However, swinging harder at the ball is a risky option - you might lose your timing as well as your accuracy.

Instead, try to focus on the mechanics of the swing that generate speed and more distance. What I mean by that is the mobility of your upper body. Before you address the ball, make a few practice swings with your right foot drawn back slightly.

As you reach the top of the backswing you should feel the resistance between your upper and lower body and if you pause for a moment here you should find this hard to hold - that's a good thing! It is this 'tension' that creates speed that allows you to unwind powerfully through the ball.

Make a series of practice swings feeling this resistance through a strong upper body coil and then try to replicate the move as you address the ball for real.

Importantly, your upper body needs to turn by about 90˚ (so that your back is facing the target at the top of the swing) but your hips should only turn a fraction of this amount (maybe 45˚). It is the difference between these two angles that is sometimes described as the 'x' factor and is essential power and control.

If you can find the x factor power move and groove it into your golf swing, you'll add distance without having to swing any harder. That's a combination we can all enjoy!

Guard against this: Many golfers swing their arms without turning their upper body. You may feel as though you've reached the top, but you're cheating yourself out of much-needed power. You need to swing your arms with the turn of your body.

In this lesson, Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Andrew Jones explains how to avoid skied drives by making some changes at address

How to avoid skied drives

There are a number of causes behind a skied drive but the underlying problem is having too much weight on your left side through impact. As your body gets ahead of the ball, the angle of attack becomes too steep and the ball comes into contact with the very top of the club.

Firstly, in the address position check that your ball position isn't too far back, your hands aren't too far forward (ahead of the ball) and the clubface isn't closed. These are your first three checkpoints. Often, if you have been playing in the wing and wanting to keep your drives down, this can be a set up position you fall into. Try to get yourself back into a more neutral position.

Now practice hitting a series of shots keeping 60% of your weight on your right side throughout. This should help to shallow out your angle of attack into the golf ball. Try to strike the ball on the up swing.

Long game: Long game golf tips Short game: Short game golf tips Scoring zone: Scoringzone golf tips Video tips: Golf video tips

Another drill worth trying is to tee the ball further forward at address by an inch or so. You can also peg the ball up higher than usual. The only way to strike it cleanly in this scenario is keep your weight in a more neutral position through the downswing. Once you are happy with the contact you are producing, move the ball back but try to keep that same feeling of staying behind it through impact. This should shallow off your angle of attack helping you find the middle of the clubface once again.

Backswing coil for power is an element of the swing that every golfer needs to get right. Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Gary Smith explains here how to find a good backswing coil for power.

Backswing coil for power is essential. If you can grrove it into your game you'll be able to hit longer drives without having to swing any harder. Of course there are a whole host of reasons you might be struggling for distance off the tee, but coil in the backswing is a great place to start.

Coil or upper body rotation, is one of the essential elements for both power and accuracy in the swing. What you are looking for is your chest to turn behind the ball. At the top of the backswing your back should face the target. Importantly your hips should not rotate as far. If you back has turned 90%, your hips should only tunr 45˚. This is what creates what is sometimes referred to as the x factor in the golf swing and creates power without you having to swing any harder.

Place a shaft across your shoulders and mimic your backswing. When you reach the top, the bottom of the grip should be pointing to the right of the golf ball. then as you drive through the ball, a full coil through will see the bottom of the club pointing well to the left of the ball.

This is also what creates width in the golf swing. When Tiger Woods was in his prime, it was the width in the golf swing that was responsible for the huge distances he was able to hit the golf ball.

Get this element of the golf swing right and you will also develop better weight distribution in the swing and avoid the dreaded reverse pivot.

Try this drill in the mirror at home and take the time to groove the correct motion. Repeat it again and again and this very simple mechanic of the golf swing will become a strong feature in your game. You will soon start to develop more speed through impact and hit the ball further off the tee without having to try!

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Andrew Reynolds explains why you need to turn your shoulders to stop slicing - a simple but effective approach to straight drives

There are many reasons that golfers slice the ball but in my years of coaching experience, one of the main culprits is the way the body moves during the downswing. Instead of keeping your upper body nicely centred during the swing, players let their shoulders move ahead of the ball at impact.

This creates too steep a downswing and the result is an ugly left to right ball flight. The answer is to turn your shoulders to stop slicing.

Ensure your angle of attack is not too steep by making a full shoulder turn. At the top of the backswing your back should be facing the target.

Of course, not all of us are able to rotate as far as Rory McIlroy but you should make as much of a turn as you can. If you hold the position at the top of the backswing it SHOULD feel uncomfortable. This is because you have created resistance between your upper and lower body and this is responsible for creating power in the golf swing.

To help you cure your slice with shoulder turn imagine a ball teed at shin height. Your shoulders are forced to turn and your swing will automatically find a flatter path. Your upper body will not lean into the ball but turn powerfully, coiling behind the ball ready for a rapid rotation back to impact. Moreover, you will also activate a better release of the golf club through impact.

Your hands should naturally rotate through the ball, helping to square the golf club at the key moment.

This is a great drill to help you fix your slice. A simple visualisation of a ball teed up two or three feet will activate your shoulder turn and allow you to make a solid, powerful contact with the golf ball.