Being able to find the short grass consistently is a skill that comes in handy when you’re playing a tight layout, navigating tree-lined fairways or on a course with a juicy second cut — much like the conditions players are up against this week at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills.
It’s the kind of precision that develops over time, through a bit of trial, error, and tons of playing experience. Fortunately you can steal a bit of that knowledge from someone who has plenty of both: two-time major champion Jon Rahm.
Widely regarded as one of the best drivers in the game, Rahm shared his keys for a fairway-finder drive — and it’s simpler than you’d think.
In the clip above, Rahm explains it only takes a couple of subtle tweaks — and one game-changing move — to narrow his dispersion off the tee. Follow along to use Rahm’s setup strategy to reign in your tee shots and find the fairway more often this season.
Tee it low, but hit up
Instead of changing his entire swing, Jon Rahm prefers to rely on a few simple setup adjustments, with tee height being one of them.
“So it’ll be a slightly lower tee, but I think the key here is that I’m not trying to hit down on it,” Rahm says, “I’m still trying to hit up.”
By teeing the ball down, a quarter to half inch lower than his normal driver height, Rahm explains he’s able to tighten his shot dispersion without compromising his natural swing.
“The second I try to hit down on the ball, that’s where the dispersion gets larger,” Rahm says, “With my bowed wrist and the way I swing, if I’m hitting up on the ball I keep the face more square.”
Teeing your ball slightly down while maintaining a neutral or slightly ascending angle of attack encourages you to hit it slightly lower on the face. Which often reduces spin and limits exaggerated curvature off the face — resulting in a controlled, penetrating ball flight.
Rahm’s key move
When it comes to controlling his drives, Rahm says he relies on a simple but powerful cue.
“I do one key thing. I’ll pick a spot right here, where I want the ball to end up. Maybe a foot in front of the ball, and line up to it,” Rahm says, “Then I step to the left.”
Why does Rahm align himself left of his intended target? By setting his feet slightly open to the target line, Rahm explains that he creates enough space to clear his body as fast as possible through impact — while also hitting up on the ball. Allowing him to make an aggressive swing without sacrificing control.
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