Tips for Achieving a Straight Golf Drive Every Time

If you’re struggling to send a straight golf drive towards the flag, you can take some simple steps to perfect your swing.  There are just three things you need to do:

1. Hit the ball near the middle of the clubface.
2. Use good clubface control to hit the ball squarely.
3. Execute a straight club path towards the target.

Hit the ball near the center of the clubface.

Getting this right takes a lot of practice, and after a while, you’ll develop a feel for when you’ve hit the ball in the right place and when it’s off-center.  Using a simple material like spray chalk on the clubface will help you evaluate each swing to see how close you’re getting to a middle of the face hit on each drive.

One of the common problems golfers have that leads to off-center contact is swinging the club too steeply.  A golfing coach can watch your swing to see precisely what’s going on.  Videotaping and using slow-motion playback will also help you see your swing.  A good drive requires an initial steep downward motion that levels off before getting close to the ball.  The club should be traveling horizontally to the ground before hitting the ball, so it makes flat, even contact.  In other words, swing down towards the ground and across to the ball rather than swing down at the golf ball.

Use good clubface control to hit the ball squarely.

Clubface control means that the face of the club is flat (or “square”) to the ball when it makes contact.  An angle to the left (“closed”) will result in a hook, while an angle to the right (“open”) will end up as a slice.  Often your grip and release on the club impact the angle of the clubface.  A golfing coach can help you assess your grip and your swing to help achieve proper, square contact with the ball.  Sometimes, you can better feel what a square clubface is like by intentionally practicing open and closed clubface positions.

Execute a straight club path towards the target.

The final skill is to achieve a straight, neutral path towards your target.  First of all, make sure you are swinging your club towards the target–not at the ball.  While this may seem counterintuitive, aiming toward the target will help keep your swing straighter and accurately direct the ball.  Next, a golfing coach can evaluate your swing and create exercises to help your direct your swing appropriately.  Often, improving the body’s movement, starting with the rotation of hips and torso, can make a significant difference in the accuracy of the swing.

To learn how to perfect your drive, contact our Eagle Point Golf Club Academy.

We encourage our members and guests at the Eagle Point Golf Club to take advantage of personalized tune-up sessions.  These mini-lessons are designed to help golfers warm up and fine-tune a handful of skills before hitting the greens.  During a session, we’ll start by introducing you to some easy warm-up exercises designed to achieve balance and alignment on the course.

Next, one of our professional trainers will observe your swing in a few different scenarios.  We’ll pinpoint specific issues getting in the way of your game, such as aligning the perfect swing on the chipping green.  Next, we’ll introduce a few simple exercises for you to practice to perfect your short game.  By targeting just a couple of critical items, you’ll be headed to your game in no time with a manageable number of techniques to put into practice.

If you’re ready to take your game to the next level, call the Eagle Point Golf Club at 541-826-8225 to inquire about golf lessons.  We’re excited to see your game improve!