The No. 1-ranked player in the world gives a tip for consistently setting up with the driver.
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If you’re looking to get some golf tips from someone, few people are better to listen to than Scottie Scheffler.
Currently the world’s No. 1-ranked player, Scheffler can hit every shot imaginable, and do things with a golf club in his hands that few people on the planet can.
Sure, he’s spent years perfecting these shots on the range and by hitting lots and lots of golf balls, but his success often comes from finding a routine and sticking to it — which starts with a solid setup.
This means getting the hips over the knees and tilting both the belt and shoulders slightly upward. This leads to an easier pivot — rather than a slide — and allows the hands more room to generate speed at impact.
In a recent video from TaylorMade’s YouTube channel, Scheffler breaks down his driver swing, providing two keys in his setup that help launch his shots. Check out his tips below.
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2 keys Scottie Scheffler uses in his driver setup
The driver can be the most intimidating club in the bag — if you let it get into your mind. That’s why Scheffler says the first principle he follows is a simple one: Don’t make things too complicated.
“I try not to overcomplicate things for myself,” he says. “So first things first, I always like to just have a solid base in the setup.”
Next, Scheffler says something that every amateur probably needs to hear: “Swing your swing.”
Too many amateurs dissect everything in their swing, which can lead to trouble by constantly making changes. But no two golf swings are the exact same. So long as the clubface is square at impact, you’ll be successful — and Scheffler reminds players of that.
“If you’ve seen my swing before, it’s not very orthodox. So swinging your swing is an important part of the game, but having good fundamentals is also extremely important, so I make sure my grip’s on correct,” he adds.
Scheffler then describes the width of his stance while using driver, saying how it differs from using a shorter club or a wedge.
“On a driver, I’m going to be a little wider than I would be if it was a shorter club like a 7-iron or a pitching wedge,” he says. “I get a little narrower as the club gets shorter and shorter.
“But for the driver, I use a nice wide base that’s a little bit more than shoulder width.”
Finally, he talks about tilting his hip out toward his target a bit. By doing so, Scheffler gives himself a better swing path for hitting up on the ball, allowing him to launch it with his driver, rather than hitting down on it with an iron.
“The thing I want to feel here, which I don’t feel as much on the the other shots, I try to make sure that my body has a touch of a tilt in it. So I take my hip like I’m standing straight, and I’ll take the hip and bump it a little bit [towards my lead foot],” he says.
“With a 7-iron, I’m hitting down into the ball. With a driver, I’m almost hitting up on it. From there, I just use good fundamentals, and then just try to swing my swing.”