In Part 1 of our How to Hit a Driver series we looked at striking the ball on an upward trajectory. In Part 2 – Hand Position & Grip we discussed the techniques to help you properly grip the driver for best control. Now, in Part 3 – Proper Positioning let’s take a look at your golf position, body position, golf posture, and spine angle in your driver setup.
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Significance of Your Stance in a Driver Setup
This is where it all starts to come together. The ideal golf driving position and posture will help you hit up on the ball, attain more distance and keep control of the driver through impact and into your backswing.
And the terrific news is, it’s actually pretty simple to find your perfect stance when using your driver.
Discovering the Right Stance Width
For the proper driver setup, you want to start with your foot alignment. Your stance should have your feet slightly outside your shoulders so that you have a strong, well balanced base to swing the club from.
Next, take a look at your feet. Where are your toes pointing?
If you’re like a lot of amateur golfers, you’re standing with the toes on both feet square to the golf ball. That may feel right , but it’s not the perfect position for a strong drive.
Rather, flare both feet out a little. This allows you to get more hip and shoulder rotation, which then permits you to create more club head speed.
Foot Pressure
When you are in your driver setup, feel where your weight is in regards to your feet. Are you putting more weight on your right foot? Left foot? Does your weight feel evenly distributed across both feet?
To support the rhythm and momentum of your golf swing, you wish to feel a bit more pressure in your lead foot than in your trailing foot. Ideally, it as a 60/40 weight circulation. So if you are a right handed golfer, more weight should be on your left foot. Conversely, if your are left handed, more weight would be on your right foot.
This setup allows you to shift pressure to the trailing foot at the top of your backswing and bring it back to the lead foot as you swing through the ball and finish your follow through.
Body Angle
Now let’s talk golf posture.
There are 3 main body angle adjustments that need to be in order to allow you to make a strong hit on the ball.
- Bump your lead hip forward, towards the target.
- Raise your front shoulder a little higher than your rear shoulder and tilt your body away from the target.
- Check your head position to verify it’s a little behind the ball.
Now, without changing your posture, check to see if you aim needs to be adjusted.
Improving Your Aim
Beginning golfers should first learn to hit a draw with their driver. It is a much easier shot to learn when compared to hitting the ball straight. Additionally, when hit properly, a draw gets greater distance for most golfers. Also, when you understand how to hit a draw, you understand how to control the ball.
The first step in hitting a draw is to adjust your aim. Most golfers are used to lining up their shot with their whole body aimed at the target – the center of the fairway. Your shoulders, hips, and feet are all parallel to the target line. Seems like the right thing to do.
It’s not correct however if you are hitting a draw.
To properly hit a draw, you should aim slightly to the right of your intended target line. That’s presuming you’re right-handed. Reverse these instructions if you’re left-handed.
Pull your rear foot somewhat back from the ball so the line of your toes is aimed about 8-10 yards to the right of the target. Examine your hips and shoulders to make sure they are also aimed slightly to the right of your target line..
This setup guarantees a rightward angle for your swing. Combined with correct club face control, this is the ideal formula for striking a draw.
Now let’s dive into the last aspect of an ideal driver setup: golf ball position.
Click here to go to How to Hit a Driver Part 4 – Ball Positioning