Driving

Steal My Feel

By Rickie Fowler Photos by Dom Furore
August 10, 2011
instruction-2011-09-inar01_fowler.jpg

At the end of a range session, I like to hit about 10 driver shots with my eyes closed. I'm looking when I get into my address, but before I take the club back, I shut my eyes and don't open them again until I'm holding my finish. It's a good way of instilling everything I've just worked on and want my body to remember the next time I practice or play.

When you can't see the ball, you become highly aware of the movements in your swing. You get a strong sensation of your posture and balance, like how much your spine is tilted and how your weight transfers between your feet. You also swing in control because you're nervous that you might miss the ball. I don't do this with my irons, because taking divots blind doesn't seem like a smart thing to do. But with the driver, which you hit on the upswing -- and which conveniently has the largest clubface -- it's a fun drill to help retain the good things you've figured out.

RICKIE FOWLER, a Golf Digest Playing Editor, was the 2010 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.