How to Hit a Driver

Introduction• Attempting to play golf without understanding the basics of a golf

swing, such as the correct posture, swing plane, addressing the ball, and the correct golf grip, can cause major issues in learning how to play golf. Having the correct swing plane and posture can make it easier for a golfer to have a consistent tempo with his or her swing, but it also helps reduce injuries caused by bad posture and form. Continuous use of terrible posture and a bad swing plane during hours of playing and practicing can cause injuries to different parts of the body, such as the back, the wrists, and the knees. In order to avoid these issues, the following instructions were designed to help illustrate how to correctly swing a golf club. With the help of professional golfer Jason Day, the following pictures will help understand one of the many ways to correctly swing a golf club, in this case, the driver.

Figure 1: “Interlocking” Grip

Golf has many different way to grip a club now-a-days. The most basic and consistent form is called “interlocking.” As it can be seen in Figure 1, the golfer places the left hand on the club, holding it like you were giving it a handshake, then place the right hand above the left hand on the grip. Then you can also see that with your right hand’s pinkie finger, you then place it in between the index and middle finger of the left hand. With the completion of this part, you would have successfully mastered the “interlocking” grip.

Note – The grip described above is for right-handed golfers. If you are a left handed golfer, switch everything opposite of what was stated.

Overview

Equipment Needed

• A driver• Golf glove (recommended)• A tee• Golf balls• A mat or driving range

Instructions – Step 1

• First, tee up a golf ball and address it (go up to the ball like you are getting ready to hit it) by laying your club head flat on the ground, as if you were ready to hit the ball. The clubface should be directly behind the ball and facing the direction to which you would be hitting the ball (Figure 2).

• Note: When addressing the ball, make sure your feet are spread “shoulder distance” apart and align your spine in an upright position (should make a 45 degree angle with ground and spine).

Instructions – Figure 2

Figure 2: Posture and Setup

Instructions – Step 2

• When addressed, the club should be slightly extended from your body. Your grip should be located directly under your eyes (Figure 2). And visually, the ball should be placed slightly inside of your left heel.

• Note: You can test this by holding a golf ball next to your eye and letting it go. Wherever it falls is where your hands should be located.

Instructions – Step 3

• After setting up your shot, start by slowly taking the club backwards while twisting your torso with the club. When taking the club back, the butt end of the club and the middle of your torso should be facing each other.

Instructions - Step 4

• As you are taking the club back as far as you can extend your arms, start by bending your wrists so that the club starts to go over your body.

• Note: Make sure your left hand (or right hand for lefties) is facing straight ahead of where you are standing when you start to hinge your wrists.

Instructions – Step 5

• When making the wrist hinge, make sure your thumbs are pointing upward (Figure 3). This is sometimes referred to as giving “two thumbs up.”

Figure 3: Take Back and Wrist Hinge

Instructions – Step 6

• When taking your club back, remember to keep your left arm straight at all times; bending it will cause loss of distance to your shots.

Instructions – Step 7• Continue these motions until

your body can’t turn or your wrists can’t handle anymore. This step may vary for different ages of people. The correct way to finish the backswing is to get the whole club at the top of your body and have it parallel to the ground. If you can’t make it completely parallel, just get it as far as you can then move on to the next step (Figure 4).

Figure 4: End of Backswing

Instructions – Step 8

• When beginning the down swing, make sure to start moving your hands and the club downward before starting to move your hips or lower body, as this will cause your ball to fly significantly further left or right of your intended target (Figure 5). Figure 5: Start of Downswing

Instructions – Step 9

• Continue dropping your hands as well as turning your body. Remember to face the butt of the club and your torso towards each other on the downswing as you did on the backswing.

Instructions – Step 10

• When you come closer to making contact with the ball, keep your head down and eyes on the ball at all times.

Instructions – Step 11

• When making contact with the ball, your body should be shifting slightly forward due to momentum of your swing, and powering through the ball. This will cause your back foot to turn and pivot on the ground, while the momentum will shift the weight to the outside of your left foot (Figure 6).

Instructions – Figure 6

Figure 6: Making Contact

Instructions – Step 12

• Also, your hands should pass through their original position after contact is made with the ball (Figure 6).

Instructions – Step 13• After contact is made, follow

your swing arc through to your target line, extending your arms out fully like the backswing (Figure 7). Make sure to pivot the back foot and turn it so the top of your shoe will be facing the target line as well.

• Note: Keep your head down at all times to stay focused and to make pure contact with the ball.

Figure 7: Follow Through

Instructions – Step 14

• After following through towards the target, continue the swing path up and around your body. The finish of your swing should look something like Jason Day’s finish in Figure 8.

Figure 8: Finish

Instructions - Conclusion

• In the completion of these instructions, you should be able to understand the basic swing motion, with assistance from pictures of a professional golfer. Likewise, having the correct posture, tempo and swing plane will also get your golf game ready and keep you pain free.

• NOTE: Keep in mind that these instructions are for the right-handed golfer. If you are a left-handed golfer, use the opposite arm or foot then the ones stated above.

Sources

• The pictures that are for the swing above were from the November 2011 edition of Golf Digest. The link to the pictures can be found below:

• http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/swing-sequences/2011-11/photos-jason-day#slide=1

• The picture of the grip came from “Discover the 7 Steps to a Perfect Golf Swing.” The link of the website can be found below.

• http://www.perfectgolfswingtips.net