1 huge mistake beginner golfers make with their drivers – and how to fix it

Welcome to Play Smart, GOLF.com’s regular game improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.

If you’re new to golf, you might be surprised to learn that you need different swings for different clubs. Of course, you might infer that some professional lenses require unique techniques, but even some the most basic Shooting in the game requires completely different skills.

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Case in point: the driver swing versus the iron swing. While it’s true that there’s a lot of overlap between the two, if you want to become a capable golfer, it’s important to tweak your technique a little when hitting the driver versus hitting the irons. If you don’t, your ability to hit driver effectively will be ruined.

Golf Watch teacher James Hong explains more in the video below.

The difference between a driver and an iron

To hit the ball flush with your driver and irons, you’ll need to make some adjustments to your swing. While there is some overlap between the two swing techniques, there are also some key differences that can have a huge impact.

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“A lot of people may have heard the saying, ‘All club swings are the same,'” Hong said. “But that’s not the case.”

One of the main differences occurs in the settings. With irons, the ball is usually in the center (or close to it) of your stance. However, with a driver, the ball will be positioned further forward.

But when a beginner moves the ball forward, it can lead to unintentional positioning errors.

“What happens with a lot of guys is they’re so used to seeing the ball in the middle that when they’re getting ready to serve, all of a sudden their whole upper body moves forward,” Hong said. “This will lead you down a path to disaster.”

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Everyone knows that as a driver, what you want is a shot that catches the ball on the backswing. But when you move the ball forward in a standing position and then Turn your shoulders to match it and you’ll put yourself in the actual position knock down On the ball. This may be a good thing for irons, but it spells disaster for drivers.

To prevent this from happening, Hong recommends placing the ball on the inside of your front foot and placing the clubhead in the center of your stance. From here, you can slide the clubhead forward (rather than turning your shoulders) to the ball on the tee.

“You’ll notice that this naturally tilts my shoulders,” Hong said. “This will help you set up the driver.”

When your shoulders are tilted back, you’ll be in a great position to swing up and bomb off the tee.

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