Dealing with

By Top 25 Coach Paul Foston

The main focus here is hitting the fairway, rather than how far you can hit it. That may mean taking a little bit off it to give you more control. Concentrate on tempo, rhythm and balance.

Most difficult drives are tight, so you really need to focus on taking dead aim. A good idea is to pick out an immediate target 18-24 inches ahead of you on the line you want to hit over.

1

Spend time finding something like an old divot close to you on the ground to line up to, rather than a distant target. Do this well and you can then just look at your immediate target as you prepare to hit, rather than at your distant target again.

2

If the hole is really tight and not too long, definitely consider dropping down to a 3-wood or hybrid to give yourself a little bit more chance of hitting the target. On holes like this, you’ve just got to try and get it in the fairway.

3

If you consistently hit bad drives on a certain hole, it’s easy to hold on to those memories. You need to visualise a good shot. Imagine hitting your ball over your immediate target straight towards your distant target. Never play a shot you can’t see.