Golf Tip

Presented by Jeff Ritter, Nike Golf Camp National Director

How to Hit Consistent Drives Off the Tee

The key to a consistent tee shot is making sure you are hitting a little bit up on the ball when you make contact. Here is a tip that will make sure you can pull this off.

What I want you to do is take a box of a sleeve of golf balls and put it about a foot ahead of your tee shot, then tee your golf ball up nice and high. Take your setup and go ahead and practice swings where you try and get that club head from low to high. You want your club close to the ground before the ball and ascending upwards right before you make contact.

When you are swinging for your follow through try to bring that club just above that golf ball sleeve and focus on that upward swing. Once you get a feel for it, make a swing and see how you do. If you miss the box, it means your swing is on track. If you hit the box, it simply means you got some work to do.

A simple exercise like this will improve your driving distance and consistency. This exercise also provides immediate feedback for developing your game.

Developing good balance is also crucial for your consistency at the tee box. Your finish position is very important for the overall balance in your shot, and how well you will swing.

A good exercise to practice your finish position is swinging and focusing that all your weight is on your front foot at the end of your swing. You want to keep your knees together, and your back foot pointing down. Make sure your belt bucket is pushing outward and up, also while pulling your shoulders back. Practicing your finishing position can help your muscle memory, and help your body and the consistency in your swing.