How to Drive a Golf Ball Straight

Golf is a game of accuracy. Driving the ball straight off of the tee can be the difference between a birdie and a bogey. With the right technique and some practice, your golf game will only get better.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:
Driving the Ball Straight and Far

  1. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 1
    1
    Tee the ball high. Put your golf tee in the ground only slightly. Place your golf ball on your golf tee.[1]
    • A high tee will allow you to strike the ball on the upswing.
    • Get the most distance from your swing by using a high tee.
  2. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 2
    2
    Put the ball high in your stance. Stand so that the ball is aligned with your left toe. Swinging from this stance will allow the largest swing.
    • Make sure the ball isn't beyond your left foot.
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  3. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 3
    3
    Take a wide stance. The further your feet are apart from one another the more range of motion you will have. This large range of motion will translate into power behind your swing.[2]
    • Keep your weight equally on both feet.
    • Keep your head behind the ball.
  4. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 4
    4
    Grip the club high. Use leverage to put more power behind your shot. Hold the club higher up, towards the end of the grip, to maximize this leverage.[3]
    • Gripping the club up high allows for power at the cost of accuracy.
    • Make adjustments to your own body and club size to find the best grip.
  5. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 5
    5
    Draw the club up and back. Shift your weight onto your right foot. Keep your eye on the ball.[4]
    • Don't use too much back-swing.[5]
    • Bring your head further behind the ball.
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    6
    Swing! Bring the club down and hit the ball. Strike the ball from beneath, on the upswing of your club.
    • Make sure the club face is striking the ball directly in the center.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:
Driving with Control and Accuracy

  1. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 7
    1
    Tee the ball halfway. Place your golf tee in the ground with some depth. Put your golf ball on the tee.
    • Use about half of the tees length.
    • Teeing too high or low will alter your drive.
  2. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 8
    2
    Put the ball low in your stance. Stand so that your golf ball is only a few inches behind your left toe. Placing the ball here will result in less swing range and more control.
    • Setting the ball back further in your stance will diminish power.
    • Putting the ball further ahead in your stance will reduce accuracy.
  3. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 9
    3
    Take a narrow stance. Stand just wider than shoulder width. Taking a narrow stance will constrict your range of motion and grant more control.[6]
    • Don't take too short a stance as this will drastically alter your swing.
  4. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 10
    4
    Grip lower on the club. Place your hands a bit lower down on the grip area of your club, away from the clubs end. Gripping down further on the club will give you more control over its movement as you swing.[7]
    • Low grips will trade power for accuracy.
    • Keep your hands and wrists as straight as you can.
  5. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 11
    5
    Pull the club up and back. Keep your weight distributed evenly, shifting only slightly to your right foot. Keep your head and torso straight and centered with the ball.
    • Bring the club back at a moderate speed.
  6. Image titled Drive a Golf Ball Straight Step 12
    6
    Swing! Send the club down, swinging towards your ball. Strike the ball slightly under its center and with the midpoint of your swing.
    • Make sure you strike the ball with the club face flat.[8]
    • Swing strongly, but don't overdo it.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I drive a golf ball from right to left?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Shift your grip counterclockwise about a finger width. If too much hook, cut it back slightly; turn it more if not enough.
  • Question
    How far away from the ball should I stand?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Take a practice swing on the side and see where the club whiffs through the grass, then go back to the ball with the same amount of bend and arm extension.
  • Question
    How do I push off the ground when driving a golf ball straight?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Begin your downswing with a push of your right foot sideways toward the ball. This foot motion will start your hips turning around to the left and drop your right elbow into the slot before your shoulders begin their powerful turn.
  • Question
    Why does my ball always hook to the left and won’t go straight? (I’m a lefty.)
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Try turning the club to the right so it will go straight you it could work. If not, try taking lessons with a coach.
  • Question
    My ball mostly goes left. How can I prevent this?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You must be hooking the ball, to prevent that. When you go down to hit the ball, you have to angle the face straight so the ball will go straight.

Warnings

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.golfguideforbeginners.com/how-to-hit-a-driver-straight/
  2. ↑ https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rickie-fowlers-keys-to-great-driving
  3. ↑ https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rickie-fowlers-keys-to-great-driving
  4. ↑ https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rickie-fowlers-keys-to-great-driving
  5. ↑ http://www.golfinstruction.com/golf-instruction/driving/hit-longer-straighter-drives-10569.htm
  6. ↑ https://www.golfdigest.com/story/improve-your-timing-for-better-tee-shots
  7. ↑ http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2011-05/rickie-fowlers-keys-to-great-driving
  8. ↑ http://golf.duke.edu/hitting-driver-straight/

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 12 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 203,719 times.
67 votes - 83%
Co-authors: 12
Updated: April 15, 2021
Views: 203,719
Categories: Golf Swing Instructions
Article SummaryX

If you want to drive a golf ball straight, try adjusting how you tee the ball and how wide your stance is. If you want to get some distance with your swing, tee your ball high in the ground and stand so that the ball is aligned with your left toe. You should also keep your stance wide to get more power in your swing. If you are going for accuracy on a shorter drive, narrow your stance and tee the ball about halfway into the ground for more control. Either way, you should draw the club up and back before swinging. To learn how to grip the golf club for different shots, read on!

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