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why do my golf drives stay low

by Callie Kohler Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Causes of a Low Drive in Golf

  • Overview. Among the most desirable shots to many golfers is a quality drive. However, achieving a quality drive is no...
  • Weight Distribution. When a golfer places too much weight on their front foot, it increases the chances of a golfer...
  • Tee Placement. Often times, a low drive is caused simply by teeing the ball up too low. A number of...

A low drive in golf can be caused by several factors, including stance, swing plane and placing the tee too low. Among the most desirable shots to many golfers is a quality drive. However, achieving a quality drive is no easy feat.

Full Answer

What causes a low drive in golf swing?

Backswing One of the primary causes for a low drive is hitches in a golfer's swing. For instance, a short backswing usually causes a low drive, as this type of swing limits the actions of the wrist, which help sustain a high, arcing drive. In cases where the wind is low and driving, this is an optimal swing.

What are the causes of a low drive?

One of the primary causes for a low drive is hitches in a golfer's swing. For instance, a short backswing usually causes a low drive, as this type of swing limits the actions of the wrist, which help sustain a high, arcing drive. In cases where the wind is low and driving, this is an optimal swing.

What causes low trajectory in golf?

Causes and Cures: Drives are Too Low – Golf Tip. Low trajectory is a common affliction among golfers who lack clubhead speed, but even powerful players sometimes hit the ball lower than they’d like. Let’s tackle some causes and cures for both groups. Cause: Insufficient clubhead speed – If you swing the driver at 90 mph or less,...

What causes a low drive off the tee box?

There are numerous causes for this type of low drive off the tee box. When a golfer places too much weight on their front foot, it increases the chances of a golfer getting out front of and "stabbing" at the ball, which is likely to yield a low trajectory off the drive.

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How do I fix my low golf drive?

6:467:56Golf Tee Shots Too Low Fix - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo are you dragging a handle first or are you able to actually put a little bit of that wrist boomMoreSo are you dragging a handle first or are you able to actually put a little bit of that wrist boom way it moves forwards.

Why am I hitting my drives so low?

First, hitting low drives will always mean that you are falling short of your distance potential off the tee. Getting the ball higher into the air should mean more yardage on your drives, which will lead to shorter approach shots – and hopefully lower scores.

How do I make my drive trajectory higher?

1:546:09HOW TO HIT HIGHER, LONGER DRIVES - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou want to take a second typically you're going to place that just less than a foot behind the golfMoreYou want to take a second typically you're going to place that just less than a foot behind the golf ball pop it right the way down into the ground so it's pretty. Low.

Why do my drives stay on the ground?

Specifically, players who hit ground balls are leaving too much weight on their right foot as they come down into the ball. When your weight gets stuck on your foot in the downswing, the club will bottom out before the ball – meaning it will be on the way back up when it actually arrives at impact.

Why does my golf ball not go high?

The most common adjustment to having the ball too far back in the stance is to hang back on the right side too long on the downswing and flip the hands. The result would be a high, weak shot. Sometimes golfers will attempt to hit down on the ball by moving the entire body towards the ball on the downswing.

How do I stop hitting driver low and left?

Look down at your left hand; you should see only two knuckles. Place more weight on your right foot. Hitting the ball too low can be caused by shifting your weight to your left side. By consciously planting your right foot and keeping your weight on it, you will prevent shifting your weight to the right.

Why can't I hit my irons high?

4:335:50How To Hit Your Irons HIGHER… - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo you want to be ideally. Six inches behind the club. Head that's the perfect movement. So you'reMoreSo you want to be ideally. Six inches behind the club. Head that's the perfect movement. So you're not going to be dragging it inside you're not going to be taking the club on the outside.

Why am I losing distance with my driver?

Distance Killers #1: Hitting Down on the Ball When using your driver, Kolb says the most common cause of power loss is hitting down on the ball. “We know without a doubt that in order to maximize your distance when hitting the driver, based on whatever your club head speed is, that you want to hit up on the driver.”

Why am I hitting low hooks with my driver?

Your snap hook driver could be caused by swinging too quickly and too hard. You don't need to hit every shot with 100% power. Most of the time 85% is all you need. Remove tension from your swing.

Why am I hitting the ground before the ball with my driver?

As your hips move too much side to side, this can often cause the club to hit the ground before the ball if you do not recenter yourself exactly the same amount. Also, when you stance is too wide, the potential locations the club has to hit the ground increases, which results in more inconsistent strikes.

Does increasing loft close the face?

When you adjust a hosel to increase loft, you are actually closing the face fractionally. Conversely when you reduce loft you are open the face slightly. Some clubs counter this visual change by allowing you to also change the face angle by using balance points on the sole.

What causes a low drive in golf?

Causes of a Low Drive in Golf. A low drive in golf can be caused by several factors, including stance, swing plane and placing the tee too low. Among the most desirable shots to many golfers is a quality drive. However, achieving a quality drive is no easy feat.

What is a poor golf drive?

Often times, the result of a poor drive is a low, line drive type of shot that doesn't travel an optimum distance. There are numerous causes for this type of low drive off the tee box.

Why is my golf ball low?

Often times, a low drive is caused simply by teeing the ball up too low. A number of golfers, worried about teeing the ball up too high and hitting a high, looping drive, tee the ball up just off the ground. This, however, can yield a low drive, as it can cause a golfer to "top" the ball, thereby lining it off the tee and not getting much air time.

Why is weight distributed in golf?

When a golfer places too much weight on their front foot, it increases the chances of a golfer getting out front of and "stabbing" at the ball, which is likely to yield a low trajectory off the drive. However, by keeping one's weight back and leaving it there until impact position, the weight is more evenly distributed ...

How does weight affect impact on a golf swing?

However, by keeping one's weight back and leaving it there until impact position, the weight is more evenly distributed across the swing, which will help make impact with the ball on the way down, therefore increasing the chances of a longer, higher drive.

Is a short backswing good for golf?

In cases where the wind is low and driving, this is an optimal swing. However, in picturesque weather conditions, a short backswing can deter a golfer from striking a long, arcing tee shot off the tee box.

Why is my drive so short?

Another common cause of low and short drives is an incorrect angle of attack . Specifically, players who hit down steeply on the ball when swinging the driver may struggle to get the ball up into the air. The combination of low swing speed and a downward angle of attack is particularly troublesome. Without much speed to work with, you'll struggle ...

Why are older golfers driving the ball past you?

So why are older, smaller golfers always driving the ball past you? Part of golf's great beauty is that size and strength aren't necessary to hit the ball long distances. Sound, efficient swing mechanics are much more important. That said, a solid swing paired with good physical tools can be a powerful combo.

How to do a downswing in golf?

Begin downswing with the lower body: A proper downswing starts with the left foot presing into the ground. This initiates the sequence in which the hips, torso, shoulders, arms and finally, the club, follow in order, and the clubhead accelerates into the ball. For more information on Thomas Golf drivers click here.

How to get better at hitting?

Here are a few ways to boost your swing speed and hit higher, longer drives: 1 Make a full shoulder turn: Standing before a mirror, test your flexibility by placing arms across chest in the form of an “X,” then rotating your shoulders to the right as far as possible. If you can turn until they're perpendicular to the mirror, you should strive for a backswing where the shoulders reach a 90° angle to the target line. 2 Transfer weight properly: At address with the driver, about 55-60 percent of your weight should be on your right foot. At the top of the backswing, you'll feel most of your weight on the right side. Swinging down and through, you must transfer weight to the left side to get the full force of your body's unwinding action into the ball. Try this drill to improve your weight shift.

How to learn lag?

The best way to learn lag is to start small. Use small swings with your wedges to get comfortable with this type of swing, and then build your way up into bigger and bigger swings . Eventually, you will be comfortable swinging like this with the driver, and you'll hit the ball farther than ever before.

How to improve your swing speed?

Perhaps the single best thing you can do for your swing speed is to make a better turn in the backswing. If you are able to turn back farther, you will have more room between the club and the ball to work with. That means you'll have more time to accelerate the club, and in the end, you'll be able to hit longer drives.

What is the best way to take the challenge out of a golf course?

Blasting your driver right down the middle of a par four or par five is going to put you in great position for the rest of the hole. Hitting long drives is one of the best ways to take the challenge out of a golf course, as many golf courses use length as one of their primary defenses.

Why do golfers struggle with low drives?

One of the reasons that so many golfers struggle to solve their low drive problems is the fact that there are many potential causes to consider. It can be hard to get to the bottom of the problem, so many golfers never manage to raise their drives to a healthy height.

Why is my golf ball flying low?

For some golfers, it’s hard to maintain confidence when swinging through the hitting area. If you struggle for confidence at the bottom of the swing, you may find that your swing fails to produce the kind of speed it could create otherwise – and your ball may fly low as a result.

Why do you hit down on the golf ball when playing tee shots?

When you are playing iron shots from the fairway, you want to hit down on the ball in order to impart backspin on the shot and cause it to rise up into the sky. This is not the plan you will want to use when playing tee shots with your driver.

What happens if your golf swing is too flat?

Now if your golf swing gets too flat, you get too far away from the golf ball, you swing it very flat around you as you come back down into the impact area, there might not be enough loft on the club, you might be a little bit too far on the inside approach into the ball, that could take all the loft out of it as well.

Why is the ball so far back in the middle of my stance?

If you line up with the ball roughly in the middle of your stance, it is much too far back to achieve a quality ball flight with the driver.

Why is club selection important in golf?

Club selection is crucial. As always in golf, club selection is going to be crucial when trying to get the most out of your game off the tee. Just because you can now launch your driver high in the air doesn’t mean you should be doing so on each and every tee shot.

What do golf fans take away from attending a tournament?

One of the specific things that many golf fans take away from attending a tournament is just how high the top players are able to hit their drives. This is particularly true of the longest hitters, who hit drives which seem to hang up in the air forever before falling down in the middle of the fairway.

newgolfkid

I have no clue why my drives go so low. (10 degree too) I must be delofting the club but I can't see how. I moved the ball just inside my left foot and try to hit it on the upswing and tee it up pretty high but still goes pretty low and fade/ slices most of the time.

Powerpro

Check the face of the club to see where exactly you are striking the ball. It may be that you are making contact below the equator of the curved club face, rather than at the center or slightly above.

newgolfkid

I think I sometimes do make contact below the equator but today I was looking at the marks on it and there were two right in the middle and one just above middle and all my drives were still going low.

dpark

Your angle of attack much be downward at impact and not upward. I know you probably feel like you are swinging "up" at the ball, but with a 10* driver and a low ballflight, you are most likely hitting down on the ball.

scotto69

Video your swing and see if you are swing on a flat plane or laying it off and trapping it through is my suggestion.

tigerfan23

I bet you are hitting your irons great. You are coming down on the ball. I bet you have a small cut to your swing as well. Let me know if I'm right and I'll fix your driver. Wow 1000 posts in 7 months, I love golf!

newgolfkid

I'll videotape my swing and I must be hitting down on it but it definitely doesn't feel that way.

How to improve footwork in golf?

A good drill to help improve your footwork is to make practice swings with your toes slightly raised (below). What you want to feel is that your body isn’t lurching toward the ball in the downswing. Then set your toes back down and transfer that feel into your real swings.

Should you keep your grip pressure light?

If you keep your grip pressure light—and that’s something you should never ignore—the arms almost always fully extend and the wrists and forearms release just like they should if you were swinging at a ball on a tee. Remember how that feels when it’s time to hit a drive.

What happens if your golf club is too low?

If your shots are too low, there must be a flaw in your impact position. At impact, the shaft of the club must not lean too far forward (toward the target) or too far back (away from the target). Every degree that the shaft leans toward the target reduces the loft by the same amount. In other words, if the loft on the club is 42 degrees and ...

Why do golfers shoot low shots?

Low shots are the result of a faulty impact position (the position of the clubface as it strikes the ball) that de-lofts the clubface . Impact is the moment of truth in golf. Ben Hogan said, "The ultimate judge of your swing is the flight of the ball," and impact determines ball flight.

What is a weaker grip?

A weaker grip (thumb and forefinger "V's" more towards the middle of your body) will encourage a square or slightly open clubface. For more, see The Golf Grip.

How to play a drive in tennis?

Play your drives off the inside front heel. Moving the ball back of center in your stance encourages a low hook or push. Tilt your spine slightly away from the target so that your head is behind the ball.

Why is it important to keep your head behind the ball?

It is imperative that your head stay behind the ball for a powerful impact. Jack Nicklaus always said, "I hit (make contact with the ball) past my chin.". If your chin is behind the ball at impact, your shots will be higher and more powerful. For more, check out our guide to a great golf setup position, which covers posture ...

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