Everyone wants to drive the golf ball like the pros do. There’s nothing like teeing the ball high, rearing back, and smacking the ball long and far down the fairway. But for a lot of recreational players, that sequence is just a fantasy.
For many players, a steep swing is the culprit for the inability to hit long and towering drives. With a steep angle of attack, the clubhead hits the outside of the ball and does not have enough loft to properly launch the ball off the tee. The result is low and spinny fades that lack power.
To fix this flaw, you’ll need to teach yourself to route the clubhead from an inside path as you approach the ball, and with an upward angle of attack. GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood has the perfect drill for this move — and all the components can be found in your golf bag.
Inside path
Tee the ball up like you would for a normal tee shot and place a headcover parallel to your target line on the opposite side of the ball. With the headcover outside the club path, you’ll have to hit the ball from the inside to avoid the headcover on your swing. This will teach you the correct feel of swinging “in to out” and hitting the inside part of the ball.
Upward angle of attack
Tee the ball up once again just like you would for a normal tee shot, but this time place the headcover in front of the ball. With the headcover in this position, you’ll have to hit up on the ball to keep your clubhead from hitting it on the follow through. This will teach you to hit up on the ball and produce a higher launch angle, key for smashing longer drives.