Driving · Lesson
Match Your Driver Ball Position to Your Low Point
Part of our driving programs for slice, hook, push or pull. Build a program with it
Plenty of good swings hit crooked drives because the ball is in the wrong spot. It's all about where the bottom of your swing falls. Get the ball in the right place and your path and strike tend to straighten out. Too far back, you hit down and push or hook it. Too far forward, you get fades, pulls and slices. Make rehearsal swings and notice where the club brushes the ground. Then set the ball ahead of that, inside your lead heel.
Step by step
- Find where your swing bottoms out.
- Set the ball ahead of that, inside your lead heel.
- Rehearse and watch where the club brushes.
- Adjust if you're pushing or pulling.
- Recheck when your driver goes crooked.
Why it works
The driver should meet the ball as the club moves level or slightly upward, which happens just after the low point of your swing arc. If the ball is behind that point, the club is still descending and the face and path point more to the right. If the ball is too far ahead, the club is moving up and across, which adds left-to-right spin or a pull. Matching the ball to your low point lets the club arrive on a path and face that stay close together.
Common mistakes
- You set the ball by habit and never check where the club brushes the ground.Make a few rehearsal swings first and mark where the grass or turf is brushed, then place the ball ahead of that spot.
- You place the ball too far back, so you hit down and push or hook it.Move the ball forward in small steps toward your lead heel until the strike feels level or slightly upward.
- You move the ball so far forward that you reach for it, which produces pulls and slices.Keep the ball just inside your lead heel and hold your head and chest steady behind it instead of lunging.
How you'll know it's working
- Your rehearsal brush mark sits clearly behind the ball position.
- Your drives start on or near your target line instead of to the right.
- You strike the ball on the middle of the face, with the tee left in place or knocked only slightly forward.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Use a tee in the ground as a marker for your brush spot, then place the ball one ball-width ahead of it.
Harder: Hit a short sequence of drives where you change the ball position by small amounts and note how the start line and curve change each time.
Common questions
Where should the ball be for a driver?
Start with the ball just inside your lead heel. Then adjust slightly based on where your swing bottoms out and which way your drives miss.
Why do I push my driver to the right?
A common cause is the ball sitting too far back, so the club is still moving down and out to the right at impact. Move the ball forward in small steps and check where the club brushes the ground.
