A player's performance off the tee is a huge determining factor in their handicap index and the scores they are able to shoot - which is why finding the best driving tips and drills from expert professionals is so important.
Thankfully, utilising the extensive experience and expertise of the Golf Monthly Top 50 Coaches, we have done the hard work for you - by curating this comprehensive guide to improving your performance with driver.
Whether you want to learn how to hit a driver, understand how to hit the ball dead straight or gain 10 yards off the tee, there is something in this fantastic teaching tool that can help you to excel with the big stick...
20 Best Driving Tips And Drills In Golf From Top 50 Coaches
01 PARALLEL AT SET-UP
Your feet, knees, hips and shoulders should all be parallel to your ball-to-target line at address. It should look like you are standing on a train track. For the perfect posture, stand upright and keep your spine straight, before bending at the hips and flexing your knees until your upper body is set nicely over the ball.
02 MID-SPINE ROTATION
Put a club behind your back and hold it there with the arms to encourage a feeling of mid-spine rotation going back then rotation through the ball. You need the maximum range of movement to create speed and power for longer drives.
03 USE THE TEE WISELY
Choose the spot on the tee that will promote the shot shape you’re looking to create. Right-handers looking to hit a fade should tee up on the right and aim towards the left edge of the fairway. Conversely, if you hit a draw, tee up on the left and aim more to the right. This strategy will help to open up the hole more.
04 HOOK CURE
This drill helps ensure a good swing path, with the sticks encouraging alignment at address to be square to the target line. The other balls creating a staggered gate three inches either side of the one I’ve hit help to ensure my swing path isn’t coming in too much from the inside.
Struggling with a hook in golf? Try this expert drill to cure the problem for good
05 WEIGHT TRANSFER
A good drill is to have the heel of your front foot raised at the top of the swing, then slam it into the ground as your start down. About 75% of the your weight should be on your front foot at impact.
06 STOP SKYING IT
This is a great drill to encourage the shallower angle of attack needed if you’re skying your drives. Tee a ball up and place an empty three-ball sleeve five inches in front of it. Your goal is to hit your drive without disturbing the sleeve. If you can do this, you’re hitting the ball on the up, from where it’s all but impossible to sky it.
07 HOVER THE CLUB
One way of adding more speed to your drives is to hover the club at address. The idea is that this will reduce tension in your forearms and allow you to make a more free-flowing, fluid and powerful swing.
08 AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL
On tight drives especially, as part of your pre-shot routine, pick a small target beyond the fairway or on the horizon and take dead aim. Focusing on a very small target means that even if you miss it, you’re likely to still end up on the fairway.
Pick a small target - even if you miss you will likely be closer to your general larger target of the fairway
09 CREATING LAG
First, we need to understand wrist hinge in the golf swing. In the backswing, your wrists will naturally hinge to help the club reach the top. The angle in your wrists here is a huge source of power and you want to release this as late as possible.
Make some right-hand-only 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 wrists for a little longer.
10 LEFT HAND ONLY
Over-releasing the club at impact can cause you to hook the ball. A useful drill is to make a few swings with your left hand only, so you can really feel the club going through to the target. It’s quite hard to do, but it will stop the dominant right hand becoming too active and generating a hook as it shuts the clubface.
11 GRIP PRESSURE CHECK
The perfect golf grip is crucial for better ball striking, but gripping too tightly robs you of power and control. To avoid excess tension, hold the club out in front of you and waggle it to make sure there’s still some ‘play’ in the head. Keep that feeling as you then hit it.
12 HANDS AT ADDRESS
Amateurs often hold their driver too far away so it’s hard to deliver a consistently centred strike. If you rest your little finger on your trousers you should just be able to touch the top of the grip with your outstretched thumb.
This is a great drill and pre-shot check point for any golfer who struggles with where to put the hands at address with driver
13 SHOT-PATTERN CATALOGUE
This exercise can help when you face a tight drive. Hit nine shots on the range using your three longest clubs. Three with each club should be your very hardest swing; three with what you consider a smooth swing; and three taking 10% off your smooth swing. Record where each ball goes; there will be a pattern.
14 MONITOR THE STRIKE
Apply foot powder spray to the clubface at the range. It will leave a mark after impact and you can instantly tell whether you have achieved a centred strike with your driver. Impact tape does the same job, but spray works better in wet conditions.
15 DISTANCE FOR SENIORS
Gripping the club a little looser (maybe 4/10) will allow your wrists to hinge a bit more. More wrist hinge promotes more release and adds clubhead speed. Also, lifting your lead heel makes it easier to get weight onto your trail foot, which in turn makes it a little easier to generate extra speed as your weight moves forward.
16 HIP ROTATION
Your upper body should rotate to around 90˚ and your hips around 45˚. The difference between the two helps create club speed. Put an alignment stick through your belt buckle to highlight your hip rotation. If it’s less than 45˚, hit shots with your right foot pulled back to improve hip turn.
Instant visual feedback is so important, which is exactly what you get from the alignment stick in the drill
17 RHYTHM DRILL
Hit three balls - first with a half swing, then a three-quarter swing and finally with a full swing. Not many would think to use a half swing with their driver, but this will improve timing and precision.
18 STOP COMING OVER THE TOP
Take your set-up, then raise the club up in front of you so the head is just below your knees. Swing the club around your body on this more elevated plane. This will get you attacking the back of the imaginary ball on the right path – almost like a baseball shot. Make a couple of swings like that, and you will be able to feel the club releasing nicely as you come through the imaginary ball.
19 FAIRWAY FINDER
Imagine a fairway at the range and try to land ten shots in your target area. The idea is that you start to feel the pressure, especially on the final few attempts with a personal best on the line. These are the types of feelings you want when practising, as they will help you on the course when you need to execute a particular shot. Keep a note of your scores and try to beat your previous best each time.
20 ELIMINATING ANXIETY
It’s usually where the ball might finish that causes us anxiety. Focus on a point nearer to you to mentally take yourself away from the uncomfortable situation further down the hole – something a couple of feet in front of the ball, like an old divot. Picture the ball flying over that, rather than worrying about the visuals further down the hole.
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