7 Must-Try Driver Drills for Hitting the Fairway Every Time

HackMotion

Apr 22, 2024 . 6 mins read

Like this post

61,536 subscribers

Share Post

Getting your drive in the fairway is the first step toward making a par.

However, most golfers struggle to get the golf ball in the fairway. Once the golf balls is in the fairway, distance can often be the problem. If you want to get a better distance from the tee and a straight drive down the middle, it’s good to have some go-to drills you can work on.

Even some of the best players in the game, like Rory McIlroy, work on golf drills to help keep their swing in check.

Here are a few of the best golf drills for drivers that you will find.

The 7 Best Drills for Straighter, Better Drives

Split-Handed Driver Drill – Rory McIlroy

It’s no secret that Rory McIlroy is one of the best golf drivers of the ball. Anytime he offers advice on how he has gotten to this position in his game we all should listen.

The split-handed driver drill really helps you feel the position of the trailing arm on the backswing and then again on the downswing. This positioning of the right arm makes it easier to approach the ball with a square clubface and hit straighter drives.

Rory uses this drill a few times and then hits one to try and replicate the feeling. It’s a good routine for any player trying to improve.

The 3 Fives Drill – Top Speed Golf

Clay Ballard with Top Speed Golf has a great drill that helps you get yourself set up in the right place to hit powerful drives. Once you are set up and in this position, it’s then possible to attack the ball with full speed and the correct plane.

The 3 Fives Drill lets you:

• Get behind the golf ball,
• Shallow the swing,
• Keep the right forearm under the left forearm.

Let’s face it, hitting the driver straight is a good thing but if you want power you have to be able to attack the ball with full speed. This drill will get it done.

Maintain the Spine Angle – Mr. Short Game

If you struggle with inconsistency in your drives, it could have a lot to do with incorrect spine angle through impact.

Great players keep their head behind the ball and stay very centered through impact. There is no sliding and the spine angle does not increase through impact.

Luckily, this is something you can practice quite easily from home. You won’t have to take more than a half swing, and you can hit these shots into a net.

Palm to the Ground Drill – Danny Maude

So many amateur golfers struggle with what they think the right move is in the driver’s swing.

Sometimes, it can feel like a turn when it’s really more of a pivot or a spiral. Sometimes it can feel like the clubface is closed when it’s really square.

This drill from Danny Maude has you focus on the position of the trail hand and ensuring that you get your driver started on the proper path.

Once it’s started on this path, your ability to make solid contact with the ball (and gain extra distance) is greatly improved.

Pull The Shoulder Blade Back – Mark Crossfield

It’s always interesting to see how different golf professionals approach the same topic. Mark Crossfield has noticed that one of the major issues golfers have is their ability to turn their shoulders properly on the backswing.

As players swing back, they tend to forget to open the shoulder blades in the back and allow for the extra rotation.

What happens?

You get stuck, can’t generate enough speed, and often make compensations that leave the club wide open to the target. This can all be fixed by simply changing your mindset and working on this effective drill.

Alignment Stick Drag – JChown Golf

Feel like you aren’t maximizing power on your drives? This is a great drill from JChown Golf that will help you feel the resistance you need to maximize power.

It’s a rather simple drill and works well when practicing on the mats. You use the ground to feel a little pull in the alignment stick and then the proper acceleration through impact. The drill can be done 5-10 times, and then you can switch back to your regular driver shot.

However, the concept of this drill and how it impacts your golf game will make a big difference in the results and overall consistency you get in your golf drives.

Path to Face Drill – Athletic Motion Golf

There is a relationship in every one of your drives between the face of the club and the path that the club is on. This relationship will have a major impact on where your golf shot ends up. This drill from Athletic Motion Golf requires an alignment stick (and a pool noodle if you have one).

With this drill you’ll be able to narrow down if the path or the face is your issue with your drive.

Once you have that information in place you can work the drill accordingly to make real changes in the way you approach the golf ball. Having an alignment stick and a pool noodle around for driver drills will help you accomplish a lot.

Final Thoughts

With these drills in mind, it’s time to head out to the course and start working on your driver. If you can get off the tee correctly, it will build your confidence from tee to green.

Take this one drill at a time because you may have unique issues in your game and only benefit from certain golf drills. No drill is a one size fits all situation, but using drills to improve your driving is an effective way to lower your scores.