Why Can't I Hit My Driver? Common Causes and Fixes

Start with setup

• Ball position: just inside your lead heel, so you hit it on a slightly upward strike.
• Tee height: about half of the ball above the top of the driver face.
• Stance: wider than for irons, at about shoulder width or a little more.
• Spine tilt: your trail shoulder slightly lower than your lead shoulder, with your head behind the ball.
• Aim: the face aimed at the target first, then your body parallel to that line.

Then check tempo

Most golfers swing the driver harder than any other club and lose control of the sequence. Swinging at about 80 percent usually gives better contact and more total distance, because the center of the face is hit more often.

Then the path and the face

• Slices and pulls mean the path is out-to-in. See our guide to stopping a slice.
• Hooks mean the face is closed. See our guide to fixing a hook.
• Topped shots and weak contact mean the posture is rising. See our guide to topping.

80 percent swings

1. Hit ten drives at about 80 percent of your normal effort.
2. Hit ten at full effort.
3. Compare how many finished in play and how far they went.

What you should feel: A smoother swing with a clean sound and a balanced finish.

Tee-height check

1. Hit five balls teed low, five teed at half the ball above the face, and five teed high.
2. Note which ones have the best contact and flight.
3. Use the best tee height as your standard.

What you should feel: You find the height that lets you sweep the ball without hitting down on it.