Stop Hitting Your Driver on the Heel

driverOne of the most frustrating things I encounter during a fitting is a golfer that hits their driver low with a lot of spin.  These two factors are notorious distance killers.  When I look at the face impact of the golf ball, the golfer is typically hitting below the center of the club (see the little white dot in the picture) and towards the heel.  Hitting the ball a half inch below the center can turn a 10.5 degree driver into an 8 degree driver – a distance killer on uphill or wet fairways.  Hitting a half inch towards the heel can add as much as 500 rpm spin, another distance killer.  During a fitting, we look at a number of things that could be causing heel shots.  Is the shaft weight correct for the persons tempo?  If the golfer’s tempo is fast, a heavier shaft or heavier weighted head will help reduce the amount of extension away from the body during the swing which causes a heel shot.  The club may be too long as well.  Most stock drivers for amateurs are 45.5″ to 46″ in length because the manufacturer’s do not want you to lose distance.  We always fit for shorter drivers, say 44.5″ to 45″ to create better contact on the clubface for straighter and longer shots!  So take a look at the ball marks on your driver face.  In a perfect world, they would be about a quarter inch towards the toe and a quarter inch above center…higher loft, lower spin happens here.  If they are not, give us a call or email and we will set you up for a driver fitting that we guarantee will bring you more distance and accuracy!