In this video, I’ll show you two simple tricks I use to help me with my driver consistency.
The first is to make sure the golf ball is tee up at exactly the same height every time. The second is to rotate the golf ball so I have a readily-identifiable mark or logo at the back of the ball to concentrate on during the swing.
Consistency in the Little Details
Every golfer I have ever worked with wants to be more consistent. I always remind them that the first key to consistency is to be consistent in everything they do.
It’s amazing how little details like these can have such a large impact on your ball striking – particularly giving your eyes a consistent spot to concentrate on.
A little thing like making sure your ball is teed the same height every time will help you hit the ball in the middle of the club face more often. That will translate to more fairways and more distance off the tee. Hit it farther and hit more fairways and you’ll see a big impact on your scores.
Eyes On Ball At Impact
I’ve also observed that about 50% of students don’t actually have their eyes on the back of the ball at impact. In the video I showed a very subtle move that happens to them just before impact.
As the body rotates into and through the impact zone there is a tendency to allow the body rotation to cause the head to rotate forward. This extra head rotation takes your eyes off the ball and causes a spine angle change.
The change in spine angle in turn causes the club face to impact the ball at an angle. The most common result is an open club face at impact which produces a slice.
Misdiagnosing A Slice
The danger is that the slice can be attributed to other swing issues and sometimes golfers wind up trying to change the wrong thing.
Keeping your eyes on the back of the ball is the simplest way to maintain a consistent spine angle. That helps with consistent ball-striking and consistent ball flight.
Under pressure and in competition, the more familiar things are the more settled the mind becomes. When everything looks normal and feels normal you’ll be a more consistent ball-striker.
The key is to do everything the same way every time in your pre-shot routine and then to practice your routine until it becomes second nature.
TAKE AWAYS
1. Pay attention to the little details and develop a routine that ensures you do them the same way every time.
2. Keep your eyes on a specific spot on the back of the ball through impact on every shot.
I’ve been viewing your videos with great interest and find them very enlightening. Please keep them coming and please don’t leave out the minute details that lead to longer and straighter drives. One thing that I did pick up on right from the get go was that your club goes well beyond parallel at the top and I see guys doing this on the course in an attempt to get longer drives but their shots are all over the place. Granted, they certainly don’t practice like you do but anyone I’ve seen in this “beyond parallel” position lacks the control, timing, and body movements to send the drive down the fairway straight and true. You might want to explain to your viewers about this. Just a suggestion. Thanks again and keep the videos coming.
Post author
Hi Gil,
Great observation about the club position at the top. No doubt the long drivers have a longer swing than the average golfer. On the other hand, accuracy is not the premium – we only have to get one ball out of six in the grid. Nevertheless, I have found that getting more balls in the grid in a 6-ball set dramatically improves the odds for a really long ball. So I am one of the few guys who focuses on consistency. And it shows up in my record of success. Yes, the swings are longer. So is mine, compared to the swing that I use when I am on the golf course. But there are too many factors to go into in long drive. The shoulder turn is bigger, the extension is wider, the speed is substantially faster, and the load at the top is much greater. So is the lag position, as well as the wrist hinge. The main thing to keep in mind is that the average golfer doesn’t have to go to extreme lengths to hit the ball farther. It’s really about building good, solid mechanics and then adding speed on top of that.
Keep your observations and questions coming!