Are you wanting to hit your driver straight and learn how to drive a golf ball straight every time?
If so you’re in the right place as we guide you through the exact steps that you need to add this to your golf game. You may have already read our guide on how to increase driver distance and choose the right golf driver for you whether you’re a beginner golfer, mid-handicapper or low handicapper. However, having the right driver and great distance off the tee is in vain if you are unable to drive a golf ball straight consistently.
Here at ReachPar we care about your all-around golf game, which is exactly why we want you to hit more fairways on a consistent basis. Many amateur golfers are fully focused on hitting the driver as far as possible, however we all know that it leads to inconsistent results and that it is about having a balance between distance and accuracy or ideally both.
Why Is It Important To Hit A Driver Accurately?
Hitting your driver accurately will make your life easier on the golf course and ensure you are always playing from fairway instead of longer grass.
As I’m sure you’re aware, driving accuracy is so important. On the PGA Tour the top 10 golfers in driving accuracy on average gain a 0.7 stroke advantage on the field due to their accuracy.
By missing the fairway on your tee shot, you essentially make life harder for yourself on a hole as holes are designed to reward straight drives and accurate approach shots. How many times have you found yourself in long rough, the trees or out of bounds and struggled to make a good score on the hole? This is why accuracy is important and can mean that forgiveness is something that you look for the next time that you choose the best golf driver for your needs.
Don’t believe us, have a look at some of these terrible tee shots that include bad drives from the PGA Tour!
By knowing how to you will make life easier for your second shot and most likely increase the chances that you reach the green in less shots than beforehand.
A great way to get started is to choose drivers with a large sweet spot such as the Taylormade SIM Max (check out our full review here) or the Cleveland Launcher HB as these have forgiveness built-in to allow for straighter drives.
The TaylorMade SIM Max driver is a great all round driver for beginners who are looking for high performance.
- Highly Durable
- Large Sweet Spot
- Adjustable
Straightest Drivers On Tour
The straightest drivers on the PGA tour can gain an advantage over the field, especially on shorter courses that demand accuracy. This is because straight drives in the middle of the fairway mean an increased likelihood of reaching the green in regulation. Golfers who are often renowned for their accuracy off the tee include Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar. The Top 10 in driving accuracy statistics on the PGA tour typically have a driving accuracy of around 70% and 75%.
Distance Hitters Vs Short Hitters
Golfers who drive the ball longest such as Dustin Johnson or Phil Mickelson typically have an accuracy percentage closer to the 50 to 55% range. However, driving distance can be hugely important as well as accuracy as both of these players have been ranked in the top golfer in the world on a consistent basis.
However, a disadvantage that long drivers have is that if they are unable to drive straight consistently then they heavily rely on their short game to bail them out of trouble and lower their scores despite their faster clubhead speed.
How To Drive A Golf Ball Straight Every Time
There are different ways to drive a golf ball depending on your aim. If you are looking to drive the golf ball farther such as 300 yards like the pros you will take a different approach to somebody looking for more control and accuracy.
Step #1: The Tee
The first step involves the teeing up of the golf ball. For longer hitters who have more leeway with their accuracy they will tee the golf ball high to maximize distance and the loft that they can get on the golf ball.
However, if you want to increase driver accuracy then we would recommend that you tee the golf ball about half way up. This will help you increase your accuracy when you hit the golf ball.
Step #2: The Stance
The second step is utilizing a different stance than the golf stance required for a longer drive.
Firstly, set up your golf stance so that you are taking a narrow stance which is just beyond shoulder width. By doing this you will get more control with your golf swing than if you were to adopt a wide stance which allows for a bigger golf swing motion.
Secondly, you will need to stand so that the golf ball is slightly inside of your left toe (assuming you are right handed). This is a subtle difference to longer drivers as they would ensure that their left foot is in line with their left toe. The difference that this makes is that you have more control because of the decreased golf swing motion that the few inches provides.
Thirdly, you want to ensure that your body lines up in parallel to your target line.
Step #3: The Grip
By gripping the golf driver slightly lower you will be able to have more control and increase the probability of driving the golf ball straighter.
You may lose some power from your drives but what you lose in power you should make up for in control and accuracy, especially by adopting a neutral golf grip.
#4: The Golf Swing
The final part when learning how to drive a golf ball straight every time is the actual swing and the swing path itself. The main focus here is focusing on control and accuracy is to ensure that you are focusing on the fundamentals of the golf swing for an efficient golf swing path with the golf club. This will involve distributing your weight evenly in the swing and stay center to the golf ball with eyes focused when you hit the golf ball.
Rounding Up: Driving The Golf Ball Straight
Now that you know the steps needed to know how to drive a golf ball straighter we would recommend before you step onto a golf course that you should practice your driving at your nearest driving range. This will help you to improve each and every time that you step out onto the tee box.
This will allow you to find consistency with your swing as it is something that may make time and isn’t an overnight process.
You may also want to choose a forgiving golf driver to aid your game off the tee such as our top pick the Taylormade SIM MAX driver.
The TaylorMade SIM Max driver is a great all round driver for beginners who are looking for high performance.
- Highly Durable
- Large Sweet Spot
- Adjustable
