Angle of attack

A simple sleeve of balls can help you rip it off the tee

The average male amateur has a driver club head speed of approximately 93.5 miles per hour - about 20 miles per hour less than the average speed on the PGA Tour.

If amateur golfers are going to maximise their achievable distance, regardless of club head speed, one of the impact conditions that is very important is angle of attack. Put simply, when you strike the golf ball, is the club swinging down, is it moving horizontally, or is the club head swinging upwards?

A PGA professional will be able to use technology like Trackman to determine exactly what is happening at impact. If we are to maximise driver distance, we should be attempting to control the angle of attack and have a slight upward strike on the ball. Two things I would look for in the set-up before trying the below drill is that you have a level pelvis at address and a very slight tilt in the spine away from the target - no more than 10 degrees.

A way to check and work towards the correct angle of attack of attack with a driver is to tee a ball up so that 30 to 50 percent of the ball is above the club face’s top edge. Then take an empty golf ball sleeve and peg it into position two club head widths in front of the ball.

As you hit the shot you should be able to brush the tee, make centred contact with the ball and have the club head swing above the ball sleeve without touching it. If you can do this, your club head is moving gently up as it swings through the ball, helping to achieve optimum impact conditions for maximum distance.

Mike Kinloch is Head Professional at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s Peter Cowen Academy Dubai. For more information, visit dubaigolf.com

“To maximise driver distance you need a slight upward strike on the ball.”