You know the drill, someone standing on the tee with their brand spanking new 460cc driver that they saw Tiger Woods using at the Masters. As the round progresses the frustration of not being able to strike the driver properly means that a good round of golf is wasted due to the fact that people struggle when it comes to being able to play properly with a low percentage driver. So here are a few little tips that I hope will help you hit a golf ball with that driver:

1. Your tee height is the perfect example of one of the things that will have changed from your old club. The tee needs to present the ball with around one third showing over the top of the club. This compensates for the higher face of the club and the slightly different angle of the club head. If you use a longer tee try and get one of the new plastic ones that doesn’t scratch your new club. (Scratches are unavoidable but there are tee’s that will not scratch as much.)

2. The importance of that little bit of writing on the side of your golf ball when it comes to lining up your shot is something that is overlooked by a great number of higher handicapped golfers. If you line this writing up so you are pointing down the fairway you will have an instant advantage as when it comes to addressing the ball you can instantly see that you have a nice T where the club face aligns to the text on the ball. This way when you come to swing the club you already know that you are lined up properly in the direction you want to hit the ball.

3. The position that the ball sits in your stance has changed slightly as well. You need the ball slightly further forward in your stance than you did before where you used to line the ball up with your heel, now it is closer to being the tip of the big toe, as long as your stance is correct. This part is really personal preference and you need to spend time on the good old driving range in order to master where you are going to have the ball but you can test it in different areas until it feels completely natural. Once you have that you can just do what makes you feel good and practice it.

4. Hit the ball as you enter your upswing. With every other club in the bag you hit the ball at the bottom of your swing due to the abrupt angle of the new drivers to avoid driving the ball into the fairway a few short meters in front of you make sure that you are hitting the ball as you push through the swing. In step three we looked at changing the ball alignment so it is further forward in your stance thus meaning you should not adjust your swing as we are now looking to hit the ball after we have come through the apex of the swing.

These are simple to follow steps that you will be able to introduce to your game with your new club in order to be able to hit a golf ball cleanly and sweetly with your new club.