Driver Downswing: See the Ball at Eye Level

One feel I use to shallow out the driver is to feel that my eyes are behind and level with the back of the ball up to the point of impact. Impossible, I know, but we're talking about a feeling here, not reality.

The head and chest are behind the club shaft, the head is actually behind its original position.

Another way to put this is that--of all the clubs--it's most important with the driver to exaggerate staying behind the ball! It's true that the longer the club the more behind the ball you should be at impact, but it's an absolute necessity to hit good, penetrating drives with the driver.

Look at slow motion video of most professional golfers and you'll notice that, up to the point of impact, their heads are located over their right leg when swinging the driver. In many cases, their heads move FURTHER right from the initial address position, which was already behind the ball! (You'll still notice that their heads are behind the ball with other clubs too--just not that far back.) Thus my feel of trying to get my eyes behind and level with the back of the ball. The continuing motion of the arms and club will pull you fully over into the left leg and into your balanced finish.

A wider stance and increased rightward tilt at address will help with staying behind the ball at impact, but it also encourages a hook. Remember that a wide stance is a hook condition, meaning that it inhibits lower body movement and encourages more arm movement through impact. If you find yourself hooking the ball wildly, you may need to go with a more narrow driver stance to help straighten out your drive; a narrow stance is a fade or slice condition, because the body can get ahead of the arms; as the stance widens, the swing plane becomes flatter, and the plane becomes more vertical with a more narrow stance. There are many such characteristics associated with different ball flights that you can use to encourage a shot shape you desire, but remember that you still must be able to get behind the ball and stay there up to impact.

Swinging this way also allows you to tee the ball up higher to encourage a high draw without the fear of sliding the club UNDER the ball and hitting pop-ups, which is common with golfers who swing the driver too steeply.

Staying back like this with the driver helps to shallow out the downswing and produces a flatter swing plane, causing the golfer to catch the ball on the upswing and impart an upward angle of attack, which reduces backspin, helps ensure an inside-out motion (often resulting in a nice draw), and thus, increases distance. Some instructors teach setting up with an exaggerated spine tilt to the right, but this doesn't help if the golfer immediately begins moving back over the ball (as if hitting an iron). As a matter of fact, it might be best to set up with a rightward tilt with the understanding that this right tilt will, initially, increase when the downswing begins.

Some golfers try to keep their head still or over the top of the golf ball. To make a full turn on a swing with your driver your head might move a little towards your back foot. That’s fine if not desired. You need to be well behind the golf ball at impact. One should have a straight line from the front shoulder to the ball at impact.

Golf Tips with Bobby Lopez: Why Is It More Difficult To Hit Your Driver Than Any Other Club?

David Leadbetter in 100% Golf, 2004, states: "the head and upper body stay behind the ball as you unswing and accelerate into impact." Try to maintain your spine angle from the set up all the way to the moment of impact and don't worry if your head has a little lateral movement. Your head and spine are behind the ball at impact.

Keep Your Head Back and Behind the Ball Through Impact! Six Top Golf Pros Agree

The key to solid driving is that you first get fully behind the ball as you wind up your backswing. Only then can your truly stay behind the ball as you unwind on the way back down. With the driver, one of the problems that I see a lot of amateurs struggle with is they get too far ahead of themselves on the way down, which results in the swing being too steep coming in to the ball.

Remember, you have to get back to the left side to strike the irons properly, which involves making sure that your body weight is centred more on top of the left foot as you hit the ball. With a driver, if you can first get behind it and then stay behind it, you will enjoy flighting your tee-shots with a good powerful trajectory.

The BIG Feeling - Denis Pugh

Anchor the head at the beginning of the downswing. There is no need to shift the weight forward the same as on an iron shot where you have to hit down onto the ball. Keep the head back to hit the ball on the upswing.

Driving the Golf Ball - Golf Swing Driver Tips

In the swing you will need to feel that you are staying behind the ball with your upper body as you aggressively drive the hips and weight over onto the front foot. This is where the “uphill” sense comes from – as the hips drive the head stays back you create the body motion that allows for the clubhead to move up into the hit. I like to refer to this as body curve.

Driver Set Up | Andrew Rice Golf

 

Take an Inside Path

We've all heard time and again that we need to swing inside-out, and there is no shortage of drills and instruction out there designed to help us do just that. But like most things in golf, there's usually a huge difference between what we THINK we're doing and what we're ACTUALLY doing during our facsimiles of a swing. Often when we try hard to follow the target or aim line with the club, we end up unintentionally swinging over the top (OTT). That might be okay if you're trying to hit a fade or slice, but this isn't preferable or as powerful as swinging from the inside and hitting a draw.

I've written about swinging inside-out numerous times (including Ernie Els' clever "keep the box" thought)--a move that produces an inside path to the ball, which is one half of the equation to hitting a hook or draw. The other half of the equation is that the club face at impact must be closed to the path to some degree. Too much club face closure relative to the club face path and the ball will hook wildly or pull-hook. We've been told to swing to right field, swing towards one o'clock, hit the inside-left of the ball, etc. I've tried all of these and they've all worked and then later failed me in one way or another, and I believe that's because I was still making an unintentional OTT move by being fixated on the target or aim line and fixated on getting the club head back to the ball with respect to the target line.

I think it might be best to occasionally drill what a REAL inside path to the ball feels like. One should start with imagination: imagine a half semi-circle behind the ball. The smaller the club, the tighter that circle should be if attempting to hit the inside. Now, how can one swing inside WITHOUT trying to steer the arms through impact, which relies on timing and small muscles too much? In other words, how can you make an inside swing using--mostly--the big muscles in the lower body to drive the swing?

I don't think I've seen a better description lately than Martin Hall's drill/feel for hitting inside-out (video below). At address, imagine there's a large tent stake that's about waist high, inline with your rear foot, and about three feet away from you. Your first thought coming down should be to use your club as a hammer to hit that stake before rotating down. This will shallow the swing path to inside-out instead of the steeper outside-in move.

Another thought is to feel like the butt end of the club handle (and thus the entire club) is pointing out to right field shortly after starting down (back is still turned at this point and hands and wrists remain passive). But avoid the impulse to throw the club head at the ball from the top. When the club reaches near parallel to the ground and the hands are located close to belt level, the shoulders and the end of the club handle (and thus the whole club) will be pointing out to the right and appear to be pointing at the inside left of the ball or inside the target line. The right elbow will have dropped in close to the right hip and the right wrist can dorsiflex (bend back) even further (right palm facing the ground) to keep the end of the club pointing off to the right and on plane. Keep the club and shoulders pointing this way for as long as gravity and centrifugal force will allow. You may notice that the weight shift driving all this is naturally moving the way many teaching professionals (such Hank Haney and David Leadbetter) describe: The weight shifts first into the left big toe and then around to the outside of the left foot. The reason is that the weight of the club and arms are moving in this direction initially!

The club head will "fall" (creating the appearance of a loop) and be located well behind you at this point--NOT pointing at the target line, which would be an OTT move. This swing thought solves several problems. For one, it helps ensure an inside approach to the ball, which is essential for hitting a draw and avoiding a slice. It also ensures that lag is retained because of how late the butt end of the club is still pointing out to the right; as a matter of fact, lagging the club and swinging inside-out are closely related, just as casting and swinging OTT are closely related. The club head shouldn't just lag behind the hands relative to the target line; it should ALSO lag behind the hands relative to right field (lags behind the hands and also behind the body for a time). Finally, it flattens a steep swing and should therefore lessen fat shots.

In order for the club to return to that lined-up position at address, it must approach the ball on the downswing on an inside-out path. In fact, the proper swing path will cause the club to strike the inside quarter of the ball.

“On line” and “target line” are not the same. If you could take a string and attach it to the inside quarter of the ball on one end and to the butt of the club at the top of the backswing, then keep the butt of the club sliding straight down that string on the downswing, the swing would be “on line.”

Swinging Inside-Out - Golf Instruction

So, the question is, “How do you get the club to the inside and in the ‘slot’ on the downswing?”

There are many ways to feel this. One of the most popular thoughts is the clock image. Feel like you are swinging the club from 7 o’clock to 1 o’clock. Some golfers need a body thought to get the club to the inside on the downswing. If this is you, you might want to think of getting your right elbow close to your right hip on the downswing. Too simple, you say.

Other golfers need to focus on the ball. If this is you, try to hit the inside edge of the ball at impact.

A good thought for you might be to keep your back to your target and swing your arms down to the inside. Just try to avoid starting your down with your shoulders and upper body as this will throw the club down on a steep and outside path.

For those of you who are very athletic and have strong legs, a good thought would be to move your weight to your front leg during the transition. This will allow the arms and club to fall down to the inside on the forward swing. Other people can relate to the butt end of the club. These people seem to gain distance (maybe 10 to 15 yards) simply by feeling the butt end of the club being pulled down at the ball. In any case, this seems to get the club on a good inside path.

Speed is another issue. If you have a fast change of direction it is called “hitting from the top.” If you are too fast during your transition, your club will never come down in the proper inside-outside approach angle. A good thought for you might be “slow at the top.’’

Jim Suttie: Better golf through an inside path

You may be hitting the outside of the ball at impact, imparting left to right spin. To correct this, you need to hit the inside of the ball at impact instead. To help you achieve this position, have the butt end of the club pointing inside the ball-target line as you swing your arms down. This will help you hit the inside of the ball.

Looking to get more power on your golf swing? Here's how - WorldGolf.com

Downswing Drops in the Slot with Right Palm Down

As the downswing starts, the right arm and shoulder simply drop straight down as the feet press firmly into the ground and the knees make a slight lateral shift. There is no body turn at this stage the right arm cant drop straight down if the chest starts turning.

This straight down drop is what stores the lag angle at right elbow and right wrist as the club drops on plane into the slot half way down. The secret at this stage of the swing is to feel the pressure against the right hand trigger finger as the right palm faces down at waist-high. From the top of the backswing it feels like hitting your right thigh with the heel of your right hand while your right wrist stays bent all the way back.

At this waist-high downswing position of the hands, the butt of the club should point at the golf ball, toe of club points upward (but not quite straight up) and right palm is facing the ground, or more technically faces the ball on the ground.

Right Wrist Action for the Perfect Golf Swing | Herman Williams Golf Instruction

 

Low Trajectory with the Driver

UPDATE: Can now confirm that this is a MUST, especially with longer irons! Definitely gained yards and height by keeping the head back, but the bend in the right elbow (or keeping the box) needs to be kept as long as possible to prevent hitting fat. Another way to think of keeping the head back is to simply widen the stance, which automatically pre-positions the head behind the ball and more weight to the right side. Also, one of my old habits is to unconsciously try to lift the ball (a yip or flinch), because we've all been told to hit up on the ball with the driver, but this actually will cause thin and fat shots. It's more important to envision swinging level to the ground; pretend you're trying to drive a nail directly in the back off the ball with the driver and woods.

This is something that has plagued me. So I'm intrigued to try some of these strategies to correct it and give me a higher ball flight with my driver. In essence, I think I use too much of an iron swing with my driver; I end up with low pull-hooks, high push-slices, hitting behind the ball (fat), and toe shots. I've noticed that my head will often get ahead of the ball or that I'm fully on the outside of my left foot at impact, and thus the only thing I can do is hit more down and cut across the ball as opposed to sweeping it off the tee with an inside-out motion. I also often try to help the ball into the air using body english and arm motion, and this just makes things worse; the irony is that the ball will get more airborne by concentrating on hitting the back of the ball (sweeping it level with the ground) as opposed to trying to hit up!

I believe that a lot of my problems stem from being too aggressive with shifting to the left leg (again…left over from my S and T days), and that is especially troublesome with the woods. Yes, I think it's true that the weight must shift fully to the left, but for me I think it has been too quick as opposed to a gradual process. Pictures of pro golfers hitting driver at impact shows that their heads are well behind the ball and even over their right leg, while they finish fully on the left. Clearly, I'm not executing a proper weight shift and losing distance as a result.

The golf weight shift from right to left is a definite…but a GRADUAL definite. It's not an instantaneous, violent maneuver as I've thought of it before. As Haney says with regard to weight, one should roll from the inside of the right foot onto the left big toe and finally to the outside of the left foot and heel.

In reality, keeping the head back longer and preventing a rapid weight shift from right to left are nearly synonymous. They both refer to the same thing. And this error is never more glaring than when hitting driver. Get the feel that once you get over the right leg in the backswing that the head stays there while the lower body weight shifts to the left.

Also key is teeing up a little higher when you're trying to achieve a higher trajectory. The height difference will not be that different--maybe a quarter of an inch, but this will help get the ball back in a good position for the sweet spot with a more upward motion. Use with caution, however. Teeing higher requires that the ball be further forward in the stance, which may mean simply widening the stance.

Shallowing influences include positioning the ball further forward, swinging more around the body, and widening the stance.

When your head moves forward during the downswing, your whole swing plane moves ahead. That means you will tend to lose the ball to the right or leave the clubface open through impact.

One day, Lee Trevino was playing with the amateur golfer. Trevino gave only one advice to this golfer. He told him to keep his head back.

This amateur golfer was hitting a strong draw on that day.

[From Impact Position: Keep Your Head Back | Golf Tips & Lessons]

If you feel that you’re shifting to the left in the downswing to early, do some practice swings facing a mirror and watch your head to see if it’s moving left in the initial stages of the downswing. Also, watch yourself load your weight better into the right inste/heel as you hit the top of the backswing.

Another thing you can do is take you ball and as you tee it up, turn the label so it faces to the right. Now, as you go to hit your shots, watch the label. If you shift too much left, you will loose sight of it. The only way to see the label is if you stay behind the ball as the club swings through impact.

A final thing you can do are practice swings “feeling” more weight on your right foot as the club swings through. By feeling more weight on your right, it will stop you from shifting to drastically to the left. Once you get the feeling in practice swings, apply it to your shots.

NOTE: It’s not that I want to weight on the right foot at impact, it’s just a drill to stop the weight from shifting to the left too soon. So, do a bunch of practice swings feeling more weight on your right side into the downswing. Then, apply this new feeling to your shots. After you start hitting your shots higher forget favoring the right leg like this.

[From Stop Hitting The Driver Too Low]

Lift your left heel

At address, lift your left heel. Take a few practice swings with your left heel off the ground during the whole swing.

This will prevent your upper body to move forward on the downswing.

If you stop your head from moving forward, your clubhead speed will increase.

[From Impact Position: Keep Your Head Back | Golf Tips & Lessons]

Lee Trevino had a great tip or swing thought that I use when I want to hit a ball really high (#10 at Lake View requires me to carry a ball pretty high over some trees around an 80° dogleg).

His tip was "you want to feel as if you're head is moving backwards (to the right for a righty) at impact." Lee used the tip to hit a draw, but if you're square it's a good way to keep your upper body back through impact, too. Tee the ball up a bit higher if necessary too, yeah.

[From Trajectory is too low with my Driver]

When a golfer places too much weight on their front foot, it increases the chances of a golfer getting out front of and "stabbing" at the ball, which is likely to yield a low trajectory off the drive. However, by keeping one's weight back and leaving it there until impact position, the weight is more evenly distributed across the swing, which will help make impact with the ball on the way down, therefore increasing the chances of a longer, higher drive. Also, make sure not to swing too quickly and "lunge" at the ball, as this can create a low drive as well.

[From Causes of a Low Drive in Golf | Golf Tips | Golfsmith]

Lots of teachers will tell you to hit it on the upswing with your driver. But if you do it too much, it can cause slice. Some golfers start to hit well when I ask them to sweep the ball instead of trying to hit up on the ball.

...you can focus on the back of the ball instead of just looking at the top of the ball. The clubface contacts with the back of the ball. So you should focus on the back of the ball as well.

Here is a good swing thought. Picture a nail stuck into the back of the ball. When you swing down, I want you to drive the imaginary nail through the ball.

The problem is teeing up higher and placing the driver on the ground at address. For example, let's say that you tee the ball up so that 2/3 of the ball is above the driver head. If you return the driver head to its address position, you will hit a pop-up.So you will have to raise the driver head off the ground at impact. But if you do this, the driver head moves further away from your body and cause heel hits.To fix this and hit it in the middle of your clubface with higher tee height, hover the driver head (off the ground) just behind the ball. I think you will be able to fix your heel hits with this adjustment.

[From Can't Hit the Driver? | Golf Samurai]