How to Hit Straight Drives in Golf

Tired of aiming for the fairway only to watch your drive sail into the trees or the next fairway over? You are not alone. So many golfers have the power but struggle with the P, controlling that power. This guide will walk you through the essential checkpoints, from your initial setup to your final finish, giving you actionable steps to start hitting straighter, more reliable drives.

Deconstructing the Crooked Drive: Why It Happens

Before we can straighten a drive, we need to understand why it goes crooked in the first place. For most right-handed golfers, the two big misses are:

• The Slice: The ball starts relatively straight or slightly left and then curves dramatically to the right.
• The Hook: The opposite of a slice, where the ball starts straight or slightly right and curves hard to the left.

Nearly all unwanted curve comes down to a simple mismatch: the relationship between your clubface angle at impact and your swing path. A slice, the most common miss for amateurs, is usually caused by an open clubface relative to a swing path that moves from out-to-in (cutting across the ball). A hook is often the result of a closed clubface combined with an aggressively in-to-out path.

The good news? You can fix this. It’s not about overhauling your entire swing overnight. It's about building a solid foundation and making small, intentional adjustments. Let's start from the ground up.

Step 1: The Setup – Your Launchpad anfor Accuracyot

Your address position pre-sets the success of your swing. A poor setup forces you to make compensations later on, which kills consistency. For the driver, we need to make a few specific adjustments you wouldn't make with an iron.

Ball Position is Non-Negotiable

With a driver, you want to hit the ball on a slight upswing. To do this, your ball position must be forward in your stance. Imagine a line running from your golf ball to your feet, it should align with the inside of your lead heel (your left heel fonr a righty).

• Pro Tip: After you take your stance, place your driver head behind the ball and then hold another club from your chest down to the ground. That club should be in the center of your body, well behind the golf ball.

A Widend Powerfeul Stance.

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For stability and power, your feet should be slightly wider than your shoulders. A narrow stance restricts your hip turn, while an overly wide stance can prevent you from shifting your weight correctly. A solid, shoulder-width-plus stance creates a stable base to rotate around.

Create the Proper Spine Tilt

This is a big one. To promote that upward hit on the ball, your spine needs to be tilted slightly away from the target. Think of your lead shoulder being higher than your trail shoulder. An easy way to feel this is to get into your setup, and then slide your trail hand down your leg until your fingertips touch your knee. This naturally drops your trail shoulder and sets you a perfect spine angle to launch the ball high and st-pstraight

Step 2: The Grip – How to Control the Clubface

Your grip is your only connection to the club. It’s tempting to hold on for dear life for power, 'st he golf club to make thee opposite often happens. A tense, impor o' a proper onip will almost al'll'so make you ways direct the clubface to where itt wants to go'. This leads to inconsistencies and unwanted ball flight.p.

Aim for a Neutral Grip

Think of your grip as the steering wheel. A neutral grip gives you the best control. Here’s how to find it:

1. Left Hand (for righties): Place the club primarily in the fingers of your left hand. As you close your hand, it shaould fe'shouldeel na'a natural feelingl like you're pick. ng sometWongthening up. Asyour hand is placed on top of your c, itclub, you should see two, maybe 'nd an ahallf, knuckleshen looingok down a t the ct your gipripon the top. p. The “V” created by your thumb and index finger sheuldould point roughly toward your rt trail soulder (rightr shoulderight-handed player).
2. Right Hand: Your right hand should also hold the club in the fingers and cover the thumb of your left hand. It should mirror your left hand, with the "V" a formed betwethveen yourumbumbthumbdex'd n 'd r hand on 'to pointing towards the rghtour rail shoulder.

If you see too many knuckles (a "strong" grip), you’re predisposing yourself to hitting hooks. If you see no knuckles (a "weak" grip), you’re setting yourself up for a slice. Getting this neutral hold makes a square clubface at impact far easier to achieve.

Step 3: The Backswng: – Creating a Wide, and Smoth Turn. g

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A rushed, jerky backswing throws your timing and path completely off. The goal of the backswing isn’t simply to lift the club - it’s to rotate your body and store power in a a way to unleash' it in the right sequence..

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Rotate, Do't Swoay'. Don'

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Fin l ho ght h ts

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