Stop hitting pop-ups off the tee

Launching a high ball with the driver is often a good thing, especially for slower swingers who need to keep shots in the air longer to max out their distance. That said, hitting pop-ups, rainmakers, satellite killers—you pick the name—is not the way to get all you can out of your tee shots. The good news is, you can easily fix this mis-hit if you follow these steps. —Adam Kolloff, one of Golf Digest's Best Teachers in Massachusetts

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  • Be careful not to set up open or position the ball too far forward
  • Instead, square your alignment and play the ball in line with the lead heel
  • Once you get set, hold the club above the ground about mid-stance (above, left)
  • Move the clubhead out to the ball by lowering your trail shoulder (above, right)
  • Hover the clubhead behind the ball to reinforce sweet-spot contact
  • Keeping your hands low, start turning your torso back
  • Hinge the club upward with your wrists three-quarters of the way back
  • Check that the butt of the club is pointing in line with your toes
  • Feel like the backswing is vertical, which sets up a shallower downswing
  • From the top, move your trail shoulder toward the toes of your trail foot
  • Feel the club shallowing, or tipping behind you, from its steep backswing plane
  • As the clubhead approaches impact, it should be swinging level to the ground
  • Try to sweep the ball off the tee with a slightly upward strike
  • Swing through impact on an in-to-out path in relation to the target line
  • Feel as if you're swinging out to right field (for righties)
  • Let the trail arm fully extend in that direction
  • Finish the swing completely unwound and in balance