Four Keys to Hitting a 460cc Driver

Friday, November 29, 2013

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 angle 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 angle and decrease spin rate, thus increasing your distance off the tee:

 

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 one-third of the way up the ball. Of course, this means that the standard 2 1/8-inch tee will not be long enough to accommodate. You will need a tee at least 3 inches in length, but likely a little longer than this.

 

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The notion of playing the ball off of your left heel is no longer valid.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!

 

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 yourself 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 it doesn't align with the ball. The ball isn't on the ground - it's three inches above the ground!

 

Hit the Ball on the Upswing 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 upswing. 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.

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Fitness Friday: Fix your swing in the gym

By Ron Kaspriske

If you keep hitting the same bad shot over and over, there's a good chance your body is preventing you from fixing the problem. Golf Digest fitness advisor Ben Shear (@Ben_Shear), who trains Luke Donald and Jason Day on the PGA Tour, says slicers often lack the hip mobility to initiate the downswing with the lower body. Hookers typically lack stability in their shoulder girdle, so they struggle to control their arms when swinging. And players who routinely top shots usually lack lower-body strength and/or upper-body flexibility.

Read More http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/blogs/theinstructionblog#ixzz2m6uKDawy 

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Fitness Friday: A healthier way to hit good golf shots

By Ron Kaspriske

I get a lot of grief from my friends, co-workers and the occasional teaching professional for the sometimes radical approaches I take to playing golf. For instance, I don't look at the ball when I hit a putt. I look at the hole. My latest fascination is with a short-game shot on tour that is one of the best-kept secrets in golf. It's called the straight-arm pitch and the shot is so simple and effective, I took it a step further and tried using it for a variety of shots: short irons, long irons. I even tried it with my driver. And you know what? I was amazed how well I could hit the ball as long as I stuck to the basic principles of the straight-arm pitch. My theory is that it improves synchronicity and control of your swing giving you a better chance of hitting the ball with the center of the clubface.

Don't worry, I'm including a link to the article at the bottom of this post. But before you click on it, let me explain why I'm writing about it on Fitness Friday. I really believe the straight-arm pitch can reduce the chance of pain and injury in three common hot spots for golfers. The key to the shot is letting trunk rotation provide the power. This pivot action back and through shallows the club's path into the ball. This reduces stress on the elbows, because you're not crashing the clubhead into the turf so violently. The pacing of the swing is smoother and easier to control, so your shoulder girdle isn't asked to work as hard to stop the club. Finally, the rotary action in the swing improves function in the mid-back region, which lessens stress on the bottom of the spine.
 

Read More http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/blogs/theinstructionblog#ixzz2m6r5RZg3

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