Golf tip: Tips to wallop longer tee shots
Do you feel you're not getting everything out of your driver? Here are my top tips on how to hit the driver as far as possible.
In order to hit a ball high and far you need to set up for success.
The first key is ball position. With the driver you want the club head traveling upward into impact. This eliminates the amount of backspin the ball has and helps the ball launch high.
As a general rule, the ball position should be lined up with your lead armpit. This gives the club enough time to start its upward ascent into the ball. Tee the ball high, making it easier to hit in the angle previously discussed.
Once ball position is set, you need a stance wider than shoulder width. The driver is the longest club in the bag, and it generates the most speed. When you increase speed, you need a way to balance that increase in energy and stance width helps.
The last setup key is make sure the lead shoulder and hip are in line, and your lead shoulder is higher than your trail shoulder.
A tendency is that once the ball position moves forward, golfers tend to open their shoulders to reach the ball. This puts the ball back in relation to the center of the chest, thus making it harder to hit up on the ball.
Once setup is complete there are three things to do in the motion. First, your backswing needs a faster tempo than normal. Too often, players are trying to control where the ball goes and, consequently, they end up limiting how far the ball could travel.
Second, hit up on the ball. This could be the single most important thing that you do to improve overall distance. Hitting up has many effects on the ball and how far it flies.
The last thing is swing fast. I often get the question of how to hit it farther. Once a player is more efficient with the strike and the angle of attack, it comes down to getting the club moving fast.
There is no secret to this; it is just trying to hit the ball as hard as you can. Speed comes from training your body to consistently swing fast.
With these tips I'm confident you'll hit your longest drives ever. Give it a try.
• DiNino is a certified professional through the PGA of America and a certified U.S. Kids Instructor. He is at Countryside Golf Club in Mundelein April to November. Visit stevedininogolf.com.