And up it goes!
They hit a Balloon Ball.
It starts low and then rises into the wind, which is like hitting a wall.
The wind knocks it down.
Or, they pop it up for a really short, nowhere drive.
Teeing it low, especially in these days of monster-size driver heads (way over 400cc's), is a recipe for failure.
Many of these big heads actually have the sweet spot high up on the clubface.
Why?
Because higher handicap golfers swing outside in and swing down and across the ball.
With a higher sweet spot, they have a better chance of hitting it solid and getting that better feeling hit.
But the big issue of what we are discussing here is that teeing it low with these huge heads makes hitting a solid, penetrating low shot off a low tee almost impossible.
Teeing it high is the answer.
The key to hitting it low and long is hitting the ball in the equator, it's center, and, with a longer more level approach to and after impact.
This levelness before and after impact is the key to getting that low penetrating ball flight needed to cut through the wind and most importantly, hold it's line for maximum distance and direction.
We need a change in our setup to hit this sort of knockdown driver.
The one and only way is to level off your shoulders more at address. (Note: chocking down a little on the grip may help.)
I do not widen my stance or change my ball position, as I want to make sure I hit the ball at my normal timing.
Moving the ball back, as many do, invites hitting down on the ball or catching it high on the face.
You'll get too much launch height and, more than likely, a lot of spin for a pop up or balloon ball.
Conversely, if you move it forward, you hit it later than normal. With trying to keep your approach path more level, the club is likely to be moving upward at impact, causing you to hit it thin, too low or even top it.
I do make a grip adjustment.
I tighten, almost lock down, my right hand and forearm.
This tighter than normal right hand and forearm is the way I create and control that longer, more level approach, to impact to hit the ball on the equator, and stay level longer through impact to get that low penetrating ball flight.
Naturally, you will need to practice and experiment to find the exact amount of lockdown tightness you need to hit this knockdown driver.
Too tight will eventually swing the club too slow for descent distance, and will make topping it highly likely.
So, for hitting a low, penetrating driver into the wind, teeing it high is the key to hitting it low.
For more “counter intuitive” golf strategies I teach my PGA Pro students — you will never see on the Golf TV shows or in the magazines — check out my Peak Performance Golf Swing system.
It costs a small fraction of what I charge to my in-person students.
And you can try it for an entire year without any risk (I even pay your shipping).
Frankly, each day you don't know this swing you are hurting your game and causing severe damage to your body.
I see it ALL the time.
And my friend Dr. Ned Armstrong (who helped me develop this swing) can tell you all kinds of horror stories about golfers mangling their knees, shoulders and backs.
Many of who can never play golf again.
You can learn our “body-friendly” swing, based on the laws of physics and body mechanics, at:
Here's to blue skies and low scores,
The Surge!