Driving The Golf Ball Well Is Crucial At All Levels Of The Game... These 9 Tour Pro Driving Tips Will Help You Improve

Whatever level you play golf at, there is always a premium on driving the ball well. Striping one down the middle of the fairway, and giving yourself a short-iron approach, is a fool-proof way of shooting lower scores. Tour players do this exceptionally well, which is why we have shared 9 tour pro driving tips to help you improve off the tee...

Rory McIlroy

First and foremost, rhythm is very important. I don't think about it nowadays as it was drilled into me from a very early age, but if it's something you struggle with, I'd definitely recommend doing some work in this area. That doesn't mean it has to be slow but try and perfect your swing rhythm. Counting "one" and "two" to the top of the backswing and then "three" coming down into the hitting zone is a good place to start.

Balance is the other big thing. I still hold my finish just as I used to and it helps me stay in balance. Work on swinging through to the finish and holding the position. Over time, that'll help you hone a more balanced driver swing. 

Jon Rahm

At set-up, I like to have around 60 per cent of my weight in my right leg. When you feel your right glute tighten slightly, that's when you know it is set so you can turn against it. 

In the backswing, let your big muscles do the work. Turn to the top feeling like you use your back and shoulders and don't think about your hands and arms - let them move how they want to. You should feel pressure on the inside of your right thigh. From the top, I can't stress enough how important it is to rotate your hips through impact. Picture a pole through the centre of your body and rotate around it from the top to the finish and you'll start hitting longer drives.

Dustin Johnson

A lot of golfers straighten their right knee in the driver backswing, which can cause a reverse pivot. This makes it really difficult to square the face up at impact. Shorten your swing and correct your weight shift to create more power. To do this, work on maintaining a slight bend in your right knee all the way from address to the top of your backswing. 

As you take your club to the top, let your weight shift in to your right heel so you feel athletic and loaded with energy. Your swing will feel a little shorter but this is a good thing. In reality, you're getting rid of an artificially long backswing that actually saps power. 

Adam Scott

Tightening up your driver address position makes such a difference. For maximum rotation and speed creation, your hips need to tilt forwards at address. To do this, imagine you're trying to point your belt buckle towards the ball. Give it a try - you'll feel instantly more athletic.

In your takeaway, avoid lifting or snatching the club back. Instead, move your body and club as a single unit - that means you shoulders, chest, arms and hands all go together. This will help you stay on plane and control the clubface. In practice, I stop my swing and look back at the clubhead to make sure I'm happy with the arc it's travelling on.

Justin Rose

Drives fly straight when you swing with good rhythm. Take the club back slowly so you can feel the segments of your backswing unfolding in succession. I even count them off sometimes. Swinging slowly allows your body and the club to reach the top at the same time, making your transition nice and smooth.

When you start back down, make sure to swing all the way through the ball. A lot of amateurs decelerate at or just after impact with a kind of chopping motion, which causes a slice. Imagine there's a second ball a few inches in front of the real one and try to 'hit' both. This ensures you swing properly through the hitting zone. A tip on how to increase your swing speed is to aim to reach top speed at the second ball.

Jason Day

My tips on how to get more distance begin with making sure you line the ball up with the centre of the face. It sounds obvious, but even I misalign the club at address from time to time.

Swaying creates a lot of inconsistency at impact and takes away leverage. If you sway, set an alignment stick up against your trail hip and aim to turn inside it. This will give you a more stable platform from which to fire your body through impact. 

I see a lot of amateurs warm up before a round by swinging two irons together at the same time. All this does is train your body to move slower. Instead, grab an alignment stick and swing it as fast as you can 10 times before you tee off. The club will feel heavier afterwards but your body will have retained speed from the drill.

Sergio Garcia

Growing up, I was always quite small, so I had to swing the club hard and fast to keep up. What this enabled me to do was develop good balance - that's one of the keys to my technique, and what allows me to shape the ball both ways.

Another fundamental I work on is ensuring my ball position is consistent. Staying on top of the basics is vital if you want to turn your driving into a strength. As for the swing itself, I would recommend making sure you don't take the club away too far on the inside, as this can cause a host of problems. 

Finally, if faced with a pressure tee shot that you need to hit straight, tee the ball down a little, nudge it back in your stance ever so slightly, and shorten your backswing. Keep a nice rhythm and you'll be able to hit the ball with less spin, making it easier to control.

Tommy Fleetwood

Make sure the ball is positioned opposite your left heel and that your right shoulder sits below your left. Your stance should be wide but not too wide - a little wider than shoulder width is perfect. This will help you sweep the ball away on the up for a good combination of launch and spin.

As for the swing, you want it to be fluid, so keep your grip pressure quite light. From there, I'd recommend going to the range to hone a consistent tempo. Finally, a full finish is important because is shows complete commitment to the shot. Your body rotation should be complete with your chest and hips facing the target, and your weight should be over your left side.

Matt Fitzpatrick

The way your weight moves in the swing is extremely important. The trap you need to avoid is having big shifts from left to right, and vice versa. Keep your weight centred around your body at address and put a little weight on your right side in the backswing and transfer it to your left side on the way down. That's it - it should be a natural movement.

When it comes to the basics, the one you should check the most is alignment. It's so easy to creep into bad habits without realising. An alignment stick or club on the ground will help a little, but I'd recommend taking regular videos so you can check your whole body alignment.