Four Keys to Hitting a 460cc Driver

The key to hitting the ball farther with the modern driver and golf ball (which spins much less off of a flat face than balls of the past) is high launch combined with a low spin rate. Our goal is to get enough spin to achieve lift, while minimizing (hopefully eliminating) drag. Assuming that you have a driver with enough loft, here are four things that you can do to increase launch and decrease spin rate, thus increasing your distance off the tee:

1. Tee the ball higher.

The old adage has always been that the top of the driver should be about halfway up the ball when it is teed up. However, with a 460cc driver, I like to see you set the ball high enough on a peg such that the top of the driver is no more than 1/3rd of the way up the ball. Of course, this means that the standard 2 1/8” tee will not be long enough to accommodate. You will need a tee at least 3” in length, but likely a little longer than this.

2. Move the ball forward in your stance (towards your left foot for a right-handed golfer).

The notion of playing the ball off of your left heel is no longer valid. We want to hit the ball on the upswing, thus increasing launch angle and decreasing the ball’s spin rate. In order to do this, we must move the ball forward in our stance. For some golfers, it will be enough to play the ball off of your big toe, while for others it may be necessary to move the ball all the way up so that it is positioned outside of your left foot. Experiment with different ball positions – but, whatever you do, move the ball forward in your stance!

3.

Set up to hit the ball on the center of the face.

Most golfers set their driver on the ground at address. This results in a high percentage of driver shots being hit on the heel-side of the face, especially when we tee the ball higher. Test your-self this way: The next time you are at the range and set up to hit your driver, once in the address position stretch your arms out and move the club up to the ball’s height. Notice where the ball is going to contact the face of your driver? On the heel side – or possibly the hosel – of your driver. This is a very common problem for golfers – and it’s an awkward adjustment. The solution is very simple however. Instead of setting your driver behind the ball such that the center of the face is aligned with the ball, move backwards a couple of inches (towards your back) such that the TOE of your driver is aligned with the ball. Now do the test again. Stretch out your arms and pick the club up to the ball’s height. Is the ball aligned with the center of the driver face? If so, put the club back down and fire! If not, keep moving back until it is. Don’t worry that once you set the driver down that it doesn’t align with the ball – the ball isn’t on the ground. It’s three inches above the ground!

4 The driver is now a specialty club – much like a putter.

Our set-up, ball position – everything is different from any other club in the bag. You shouldn’t be hitting the ball at the bottom – or apex – of the golf swing like a fairway wood. The ball should be struck past this point – on the up-swing. This will lead to a higher launch angle and lower spin rate – which is how we are going to hit the ball farther than we ever have before. © 2005, Kevin M. Downey

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