How to Hit a Driver in Golf - 6 Things You Should Know • On The Golf Green

Learning how to hit a driver in golf is one of the biggest hurdles you need to overcome to master the sport. Drivers are fundamental in golf, but they can be challenging to learn.

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You need to consider several aspects to hit it right. Fortunately, many professionals have been sharing their stories and tips on how to hit drivers like a pro.

Hitting a driver is a popular topic among golfers. Adam Young, a professional golf coach and best-selling author of international golf book “The Practice Manual – The Ultimate Guide for Golfers”,

Cited learning how to hit a driver in golf as one of the most requested tutorials from him.

This goes to show how popular drivers are. However, learning it can be quite a challenge. After all, even professionals fail almost half of the time in their fairways.

To help you in the process, we’ve compiled some of the best advice to hit golf drivers like a pro in no time.

How to Hit a Driver in Golf for Beginners

First, let’s review the basics. A driver is the first shot on any hole, and it requires a long club to do the job. A common mistake for amateurs is trying to hit the ball too strongly.

In hitting a driver, you must observe proper balance and technique as you swing to hit the ball on the right spot.

For beginners, it’s best to start small. Adam Bazalgette, two-time Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) Teacher of the Year and founder of Scratch Golf Academy, recommends this to enhance your developmental skills in golf.

He compares learning how to hit a golf driver to learning how to drive a car.

If you’re only starting, you don’t want to go straight to where the traffic is. Instead, you will opt to practice in a parking lot to avoid distractions.

This analogy also applies to golf drivers. To aid you in the process, here are six things you should know in hitting drivers.

6 Things You Should Know in Learning How to Hit a Golf Driver

Focus on the fundamentals

A driver capitalizes on distance, so make sure you have optimum launch and spin conditions to cover it. Drivers are commonly confused with irons.

Although they share some similarities, their difference lies on their directional angle. Where irons take downward angles, drivers need upward hits.

These fundamentals are essential in avoiding common mistakes in learning how to hit a golf driver properly.

Another thing golfers need to consider is managing how to hit the golf ball lower with a driver. Golfers tend to fail in drivers because their launch angle is too low.

You need to consider how high to tee up golf balls for driver if you want to succeed in this game.

To answer this, you need to have a basic idea of your tee’s height range. A tee’s height range from 2.25–4 inches (5.7–10.2 cm).

In drivers, you need to get under the golf ball by ensuring only the bottom 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) are in the ground.

However, you are free to experiment to test the best launch angle for your driver.

Observe the proper stance

There are various ways for you to avoid pitfalls by learning How to set up to hit a golf driver properly.

You can do this by observing the proper stance and footing. For one, you can make the inside of your lead heel as a reference point. Your golf ball should also be forward in the stance.

Taking a wide stance increases your possibility of covering more distance in your drivers.

Take advantage of your club

Remember that you are using a long club. As a general rule, longer clubs need a wider stance, while shorter clubs need narrower positions.

A short wedge club, for example, requires you to have a small stance. Inversely, a driver needs a broader stance.

Multi-awarded PGA professional Andrew Rice supports this as he argues that taking a wide stance for drivers allow you to stay behind the ball and swing upon it.

This is one of the critical steps you need to remember if you want to know how to hit a golf ball far with a driver.

Aim right

Although easier said than done, aiming where to hit the ball right requires initial steps first. One thing that can help you do this is by practicing with a visual guide.

Adam Balzagette recommends making a ‘tee gate’ by setting up two tees in the ground and allowing enough space in the middle for your swing.

This space will enable you to visualize where to hit the ball better because of the tee gate that will serve as guideposts. Use the two tees for feedback.

Make sure you don’t touch them during your swings.

While practicing, your brain will subconsciously trace this path, so make sure to deliver your swing in a nice, fluid, and smooth motion.

Remove the tee gate once you get the hang of it. This also helps in learning how to hit a golf ball far with a driver.

Hit with purpose

After taking these things into considerations, you can now practice hitting an actual ball. So many golfers hit the ball too strongly that the ball goes off to other directions.

Tap the back of the ball forward lightly. You need to establish a solid contact with the ball like you’re hitting it with a mallet.

This goes to show how soft you need to hit it with your club while also controlling the direction you want it to go to.

Create motion and flow

There is always the anxiety of not making actual contact with the ball. Professionals suggest not to overthink too much about it and instead focus on your swing.

There are two essential things you need to remember in swinging – motion and flow. Create a mental picture of yourself, creating a fluid swing so that you have something to follow.

Many golfers are confused as to How to hit a golf ball higher with a driver. You can do this practicing swings from “low to high.” Imagine the club moving upward as you strike the ball.

Doing this repeatedly can help you get a feel of the motion needed to swing that driver.