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3 Things You Can Do To Instantly Straighten Your Drives
Hitting long, straight drives that land in the centre of the fairway can be tricky – even some of the best golfers may need to fix their slice and hook occasionally.
The good news is, with a little practice and a couple of lessons with a specialist, you’ll be hitting your drives straighter in no time.
Here the experts at Clarkes’ Golf Centre offer 3 simple tips to help you hit your driver straight:
1. Evaluate your equipment
Before you begin swinging your club over your shoulder, the first thing you need to do is check your driver because, in most cases, a driver with too little loft will cause you to slice the ball.
Ideally, you want to use a driver with an adjustable loft. This will allow you to increase the loft and move the weight to the clubhead’s heel.
If your driver isn’t up to the job, consider investing in a new one. You’ll find an extensive range of golf drivers on our website from renowned brands such as Ping, TaylorMade and Titleist, to name just a few – all priced competitively and ready to be delivered to your door.
2. Correct your set up
You might think we’re stating the obvious here, but you need to make sure you’ve got the right grip, stance, alignment, and swing tempo if you’re to hit long, accurate shots.
There are one of three ways in which you can grip the club:
- Interlocking – your left pointer finger interlocks with your right pinkie finger
- Overlapping – your left pointer finger overlaps on top of your right little finger
- Baseball grip – there is no interlocking or overlapping at all
Choose whichever you find the comfiest, and don’t make the mistake of pointing your thumbs straight down the handle.
As for your stance, keep your legs shoulder length apart, bend your knees a touch, and allow your arms to hang comfortably in front of you. Lean your body into the ball, bending your spine ever so slightly. For long shots, bear a little more weight on your left foot.
Making sure the clubface is square to the ball is the easy bit, but your body also needs to be positioned to promote a swing path that will keep your shots perfectly straight. A great way to correct your alignment and ensure your body is in the right position is to use alignment sticks.
Once you’ve got a solid foundation, you can then focus on the speed of your swing. Aim to come up slowly, then transition smoothly into a fluid downswing. Allowing the clubhead to build momentum until it reaches maximum speed at impact will enable you to send shots faster without sacrificing accuracy.
3. Practice drills
Knowing what you need to do to hit your driver straight is one thing, but doing a few practice drills – either in your own time or during your lessons – will make the world of difference.
Take the chair drill, for instance. If you tend to sway as you swing your club, this drill will prevent the lower body from moving, as you’ll be seated, allowing you to concentrate on your grip and fire the ball in a straight line.
Another great way to improve your accuracy is to perform a few practice shots. The goal is to take full swings with your driver. Always start off slow, and once you’ve hit so many times, increase the speed and distance in small increments. Though you might not realise at the time, you’ll be using a nice smooth tempo which is great for shorter shots.
For more tips on how to straighten your drives, or information about correcting your slice or hook, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at Clarkes’ Golf Centre.
You can either speak to us by calling 01744 885 294 or email admin@clarkesgolf.co.uk. Alternatively, come and visit us in-store. Here you’ll be able to explore the wide range of equipment we have in stock, book a lesson with one of our experienced trainers, and identify the best clubs for your game with our custom club fitting.
