Are you standing too far away from the golf ball? Try this

It can be hard to know how far away from the ball you should be standing, especially with the driver. If you find yourself getting too far away, try this.  

The driver is the longest club in the bag, but it’s also one that we’re going to be using a lot throughout a round, so it’s important we set up correctly to the ball. If you don’t get your stance correct, then you’re fighting a losing battle.

This is a drill I like to do to perfect my driver set up.

I’ll set up to the ball as if I’m going to hit a normal drive. Then, I take my right hand off the grip and relax my arm.

• Master the high soft chip

• Remove tension from your putting

From there, when you swing your hand towards the target, you should hit the top of the grip. If you find that your arm is going between you and the top of your club, you’re a little too far from the ball. 

A lot of players might find that they get too far from the ball, as they feel this will give them more power. In reality, it’s going to do the opposite. From here, you’ll struggle to generate power, and are more likely to mishit the ball.

If you get too far away from the ball, you’ll see this happen.

If you do want to get a little extra out of the drive, then try widening your stance slightly to give a wider base. That will make it easier to create speed.   

Remember, you’ll hit your best drives when your arms are relaxed.  

Ailsa Murphy is the PGA Professional at Peebles. You can follow her on TikTok, see her in person at Peebles Golf Club, or book a virtual lesson via Skillest.