Driving · Drill
Check Your Driver Loft by Watching How Drives Land
Part of our driving programs. Build a program with it
Good drives come from hitting slightly up on the ball. So test that first. Set a light, soft object on the ground in front of your tee, on your target line. Swing and try to miss it. If you clip it, your club is still moving down. Fix that by letting your trail shoulder sit a little lower than your lead shoulder at address. Once you swing up, watch the ball come down. If it falls almost straight down, you may have too much loft. If it lands at a gentle angle and keeps rolling, your loft is probably fine.
The drill
- Put a soft object a grip length past your tee, on line.
- Swing up and over it.
- Drop your trail shoulder slightly if you keep hitting it.
- Watch the landing angle of your drives.
- Try less loft if the ball drops steeply.
Why it works
A driver is built to launch the ball high with low spin, and that works best when the club is moving slightly upward at impact. A downward strike adds spin and takes away launch, so the ball can balloon or fall short whatever the loft says. Once your strike is level or upward, the landing angle tells you more honestly whether the loft suits your swing speed.
Common mistakes
- You test loft before fixing a downward strike, so the landing angle misleads you.Do the soft object part first and only judge the landing angle once you clear it.
- You lean your upper body toward the target at address, which keeps the club moving down.Set your trail shoulder slightly lower than your lead shoulder and keep your chest a little behind the ball.
- You judge loft from one or two shots.Hit at least ten drives that start on line and look at the typical landing angle, not the best or worst one.
How you'll know it's working
- You swing over the soft object without touching it on most swings.
- The ball starts on your target line and lands at a gentle angle, then keeps rolling.
- Contact feels high on the face and the tee is clipped or left clean, with no ground contact.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Place the soft object closer to the tee and use a slightly higher tee so it is easier to sweep the ball off the top.
Harder: Move the object further past the tee and hit with your eyes on a smaller target, trying to land the ball at the same angle on every swing.
Common questions
How do I know if my driver has too much loft?
If you already hit slightly up on the ball and your drives drop almost straight down with little roll, the loft may be too high. Try a lower loft setting and compare the landing angle and distance.
Should I hit up or down on a driver?
Hit slightly up on it. The ball sits on a tee, and an upward strike gives a higher launch with less spin than a downward one.
