Driving

This is the easiest backyard driver drill we’ve ever seen

January 04, 2017
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If you’re into working on your game in your backyard, we’re guessing you’ve limited yourself to chipping. And that’s fair; no need to smash golf balls through your neighbors’ windows. But this drill that Jason Guss, one of our Golf Digest Best Young Teachers, gave us for your backyard lets you pull out driver.

Ok, we should be clear, you’re not going to be hitting balls. This is all about practice swings. Grab your driver and head into your yard. The grass in your lawn is the perfect swing aide for working on your driver. Choose a spot that’s about the length of the rough at your course, about the height of a tee. Set up like you're going to hit a ball (but don't actually put a ball down), with the bottom of your driver just touching the tips of the grass.

“Make some swings skimming the top of the grass,” says Guss. Your driver should never make contact with more than the very tops of the blades of grass. “You’re sweeping it, and learning to hit up on it instead of hitting down on the ball.”

Drivers aren’t like irons: You don’t want to come down with that same steep angle of attack that you would with an 8-iron. To get the most out of your driver, you need to perfect this sweeping motion. Hitting up on the ball is going to help you launch your drives long and straight.