Nothing is more frustrating than teeing up your driver, making a powerful swing, and watching the ball pop straight up into the air with a sad, tiny flight forward. Hitting under the ball, or skying your driver, robs you of distance and confidence. The good news is that this is an extremely common problem with a clear and fixable cause rooted in your setup and swing. This article will show you exactly why you’re hitting under the ball and provide the specific adjustments and drills you need to stop doing it for good, promoting a powerful, launching ball flight off the tee.
Hitting under the golf ball with your driver almost always comes down to one thing: your angle of attack is too steep. Think of it like this: an iron shot requires a slightly downward, compressing strike to get the ball airborne - like chopping wood. You hit the ball first, then the turf. A driver is the complete opposite. Because the ball is on a tee, the goal is to hit the ball on the upswing in a wide, sweeping motion - like a broom an inch or two off the ground.
When you hit under the ball, you’re basically hitting it with an iron swing. Your club is traveling on a steep, downward path at impact. This causes the top edge of the driver's face to make contact with the bottom half of the ball, sending it high with massive backspin and almost no forward momentum. It’s a distance killer and an absolute rally-stopper on the tee box.
So, how do we fix it? We stop swinging down and start swinging up. We need to transform your swing from a "chop" into a "sweep." This transformation starts with making some simple but powerful adjustments to your setup before you even begin your swing.
Your setup dictates the entire geometry of your swing. If you set up to your driver the same way you set up to an 8-iron, you are programming your body to chop down on the ball. Correcting your setup is the most effective change you can make and provides the foundation for hitting a high, powerful draw. Here’s what you need to change.
This is arguably the most important element. To hit the ball on the upswing, the ball needs to be positioned correctly relative to the bottom of your swing arc.
A tee that is too low encourages a downward, iron-like swing. You’re subconsciously trying to "pick" it off the tee, which often results in a steep attack angle. You need to give yourself permission to swing up by teeing the ball high enough.
Your spine angle at setup is a massive signal to your body about what kind of swing to make. With an iron, your spine is fairly neutral or vertical. With a driver, you need to tilt it away from the target to promote an upward launch.
With an optimized setup, you're halfway there. Now, you need to sync your swing motion with what your setup is trying to achieve. The goal here is to get rid of the steep, arm-driven "chopping" motion and replace it with a powerful, body-driven "sweeping" motion.
Your intention matters. If you’re thinking about hitting *down* on the ball, that’s what you’ll do. You need to change your mental image of the strike.
A primary cause of a steep downswing is an "over-the-top" move, where the shoulders and arms start the downswing aggressively, throwing the club outside the correct path. To fight this, you need to initiate the downswing with your lower body.
Now, let's take these concepts to the driving range. Drills are fantastic for turning a conscious thought into a new-and-improved subconscious movement.
This drill provides immediate, unmistakable feedback and is one of the best ways to train an upward angle of attack.
To succeed at this drill, you have no choice but to strike the ball on an ascending path. If you swing down steeply, you will smash the headcover. It instantly forces you to make the sweeping motion we’ve been talking about.
This dynamic drill helps coordinate your lower body and create a powerful, flowing motion through the ball, completely eliminating the stagnant, chopping action that causes sky balls.
The "step" forces a correct weight shift and sequence. It gets your lower body leading the downswing, which shallows out the club path and syncs up your body for a fluid, powerful strike. You will naturally feel your body rotating through the shot instead of getting stuck.
Getting rid of that dreaded pop-up with your driver comes down to shifting your entire concept from an iron-like chop to a powerful sweep. By making the key setup adjustments - moving your ball position forward, teeing it higher, and tilting your spine away from the target - you give yourself the best possible chance to succeed. Combine this with the drills and swing feelings above to replace that steep, unsatisfying strike with a high, launching drive that flies far down the fairway.
Translating these feels from the range to the course can be the final hurdle. If you find yourself on the tee, second-guessing your setup, or just needing a quick strategy reminder, our tool can help. We built Caddie AI to be your an-demand an instant, on-demand golf coach in your pocket. You can ask for a quick setup check or even snap a photo of a tricky lie to get immediate advice, removing doubt so you can commit to a confident, powerful swing.
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