Different golf clubs have their own “feel” and design, and some are harder to hit than others. The clubs with more loft are easier to hit but have less distance in the shot. The driver is definitely the hardest club to hit and often takes the most practice to master.
The driver club has the least amount of loft out of all the other golf clubs in a set, and it creates the most ball speed. These two aspects combined make the club the hardest to hit accurately. Shots that are hit with the driver have a higher chance of straying off course than other clubs.
Playing the first shot from the tee with a driver is often the hardest and most nerve-wracking aspect of the game. Pulling off a great shot with the driver is a feeling of success that every golfer covets!
Learning to get distance with a driver is normally the easier part, but it is developing accuracy with the distance that is the big challenge for any golfer!
Why Playing With A Driver Is Different To Other Clubs
The Driver Is A Lot Longer
The driver is the longest golfclub in the set and is usually 45 inches long or more in some designs. 5 Irons are only 38 inches, which explains the big difference in length. The difference in length changes the attack angle and the impact position when attempting a shot.
The swing is longer because of the length, and with the low loft and higher speed, it can mean much bigger misses. The driver is the most challenging club to hit with consistently and takes the most amount of practice and effort.
The shorter clubs have a shorter swing, which means fewer movements in the swing and better consistency of shots.
- The Driver Is Hit Off A Tee
Taking a shot with a driver means taking a shot off a tee. The reason taking shots off a tee is different and can be more challenging is because it changes the impact position.
Hitting a driver is different from other clubs in that instead of hitting the ball to create a divot like with other clubs when using a driver, a player wants to hit the ball on the upswing to get maximum power and height in the direction.
Using a tee helps lift the ball slightly so that the driver connects the ball in an upward sweeping motion. This changes the angle of attack.
- The Swing Is Different
This is a simple difference that plays a big role in adapting between different clubs for a different shot. Due to the extra length of the driver, the swing will be longer, and the set up will be different when taking a shot.
How The Set-Up Changes For A Driver
Tee The Ball High
Setting the tee up is important when using the driver. The tee must be set up high in order to hit upon the ball.
Golfers are often afraid to tee it high in case they sky ball it; however, it is the opposite that is true. If the tee is too low, there is a greater chance of hitting down on the ball, which results in sky marks.
Widen The Stance
The swing for the driver is much longer because of its length, which means balance becomes more difficult and more important.
Widening the stance helps to maintain balance for a bigger and longer swing that is going to generate more power. Stance helps with stability, and adjusting the stance for the driver’s shot is necessary to hit the ball cleanly.
Both feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and not too far apart. It is recommended to position both feet slightly open, which will help with a smooth turn of the hips when striking the ball and will activate your lower body more.
A wider stance will help with the weight shift and the accuracy because of better stability when striking the ball.
Change The Position Of The Ball
Positioning the ball becomes even more important when widening the player’s stance and using a driver. If the ball is positioned in the middle of the stance, there is a greater chance of hitting down on the ball, causing it to pop up with little power and distance.
Positioning the ball in front of the front foot in the stance helps ensure that the club hits up on the ball and gains much more distance because of the focused power of the shot.
Hands Should Be Set Back At Address
When hitting with other clubs like wedges and irons, positioning the hands for a slightly forward press at the address is good. It is different when hitting a driver.
The hands should be slightly back at the address, which helps keep loft through the swing and does not create backspin, which will slow the ball down. When going for distance and using a driver, setting the hands slightly back at address will help a lot.
Adjust Attack Angle By Tilting The Shoulders
It is important to adjust the shoulders because the ball is teed higher than when playing off the ground. The front shoulder should be higher than the back shoulder.
This is another way to help ensure that the player hits up on the ball for maximum flight and distance.
Make Grip Pressure Lighter
When playing with a driver, the tension in the forearms can cause a player to lose the tempo and natural flow of the swing. Tension on the forearms is mostly caused by too tight of a grip when a player is trying to hit the golfball too hard.
Lighten the grip at address and focus on a smooth and consistent swing.
Common Reasons The Driver Is So Hard To Hit
- Trying to swing too much on the upswing.
- Trying to hit the ball too hard.
- The ball position is wrong.
- The tee height is wrong.
A lot of golfers try to hit the ball too hard or too fast on the upswing, which can stop the club from hitting the ball on the sweet spot. When learning to hit with a driver, it is better to focus more on hitting the ball at the center of the clubface than to hit the ball too hard.
Power will come after finding the right ball position and the right tempo of the swing to make a clean impact.
Gaining more distance from a shot with the driver comes from hitting the ball on the sweet spot before it comes from hitting the ball harder. Professional golf players spend more time practicing hitting the ball on the sweet spot than they do try to hit the ball harder.
The temptation when hitting a driver is to strive for speed and power. This results in players trying to whip through their swing and not connecting the ball cleanly. It also causes players to pull or slice their shots because they are trying too hard.
Timing and control are big aspects of a successful shot with the driver. A player needs to learn the right timing of their shot even if it looks slow. Distance comes from clean impact and follows through rather than speed.
It is a lot more difficult to find control in the shot when striving for speed and power. Establishing control and a consistent tempo will produce consistent shots.
Once the timing and control of the shots are established, the player can slowly add more power to the shot without changing the technique and set up of the shot.
Conclusion
The driver has its reputation as the hardest club to hit because it is the longest and most powerful club when used correctly. Hitting a shot with a driver that travels a good distance with great accuracy requires a good amount of skill and practice.
There are many aspects like the loft, set up, ball position, the tempo of the swing, point of impact, and grip strength that all play a part in developing a good shot with a driver. The best way to overcome the challenge is to focus on the basics, do not try to hit the ball too hard, and find the tempo within your swing that works for you.
A good amount of practice and the right adjustments to approaching a big shot with the driver will help any player make the driver one of their favorite clubs!
