No.1 Tip all Golfers Should use with Driver!

Are you struggling with slicing your drives or not getting the distance you expect from your driver? The setup could be the issue. If your body is twisted or improperly aligned at address, it can lead to poor swing mechanics, resulting in weak shots, high spin, and a lack of distance. In this post, we’ll break down how to adjust your body position and tilt for a more effective angle of attack, helping you improve your driver delivery and hit more fairways.

The Importance of Proper Body Tilt at Setup

When you set up to hit a driver, the goal is to create an upward angle of attack—essentially, you want to hit up on the ball to maximize launch and minimize spin. A lot of golfers, however, unknowingly set up in a position that makes it difficult to achieve this. For example, many players have their upper body tilted towards the target and their lower body leaning away, which doesn’t support a positive angle of attack and can cause slices, cuts, or even loss of distance.

At address, your body should have a slight tilt, with your upper body angled away from the target. This helps create the proper launch conditions and encourages an upward swing path, particularly with the driver. If you’re not getting this body tilt, you're setting yourself up for strike issues and less-than-optimal ball flight.

The Key Adjustment: Rotating Your Chest Back

One simple adjustment can make a significant difference. Instead of focusing on just the ball position, think about rotating your chest away from the target at setup. If your chest is too far forward, you're more likely to make a down-and-across swing path, which leads to a slice. By rotating your chest back (and keeping the clubhead slightly behind the ball), you'll put your body in a more favorable position to create an ascending angle of attack.

Why Does This Work?

Rotating your chest backwards and ensuring the clubhead starts behind the ball helps maintain the correct tilt, which influences your swing path. This adjustment sets you up to strike the ball on an upward trajectory, which is key for high launch and low spin with your driver. It also mimics the setup position that long drive professionals use, who often start with the clubhead well behind the ball to maximize their attack angle.

Drills to Improve Your Driver Setup

The Chest Rotation Drill

 • Setup: Position the ball towards the front of your stance, just inside your lead armpit (not too far forward). Begin by rotating your chest slightly away from the target, and start with the clubhead behind the ball.

 • Execution: Focus on keeping your chest tilted away from the target throughout your swing, ensuring your swing path stays on the correct upward angle.

 • Tip: Try exaggerating the chest rotation at first to feel the difference. The more you practice this tilt, the more natural it will become in your setup.

The Tee Height Drill

 • Setup: Position the ball on a higher tee (around the height of your lead armpit) to promote a more upward attack angle.

 • Execution: With the ball teed up, practice the chest-tilt setup. You should feel your weight slightly forward on your front foot, but with your chest tilted back.

 • Tip: If you’re struggling to make a clean strike, exaggerate the tilt by moving your clubhead even further back behind the ball to ensure you’re hitting up on it.

How to Maintain Your Setup Throughout the Swing

Once you're in the correct setup position, it’s important to maintain that angle of tilt throughout your swing. A lot of golfers make the mistake of coming out of this tilted posture as they swing, which causes an inefficient downswing and poor contact. To help maintain the correct angle:

 • Keep your body tilted slightly back towards the target during the downswing.

 • Avoid over-rotating your upper body forward, which can lead to hitting down on the ball and generating unwanted spin.

 • By maintaining this body position through impact, you'll ensure your attack angle stays positive and your launch conditions remain optimal.

Final Thoughts on the Setup Adjustment

Adjusting your body tilt at setup and ensuring that your chest rotates away from the target can make a huge difference in your ability to strike the ball with the driver. This small tweak can lead to:

 • A more efficient angle of attack (hitting up on the ball)

 • Improved ball flight with a higher launch and lower spin

 • A more consistent swing path that leads to straighter, more accurate drives

Remember, the key takeaway here is to focus on your body tilt and chest rotation before you even take the club back. By ensuring your chest is angled away from the target, you set yourself up for a better, more powerful strike.

Conclusion

If your driver setup feels off and you’re struggling with slices or poor ball flight, it might be time to adjust your body position. By rotating your chest back and tilting your upper body slightly away from the target, you’ll create a more favorable attack angle and improve your ball striking. Practice these drills, and soon you’ll be hitting more fairways and maximizing your driving distance.

Want more tips on improving your driver? Check out this video [insert link], where we dive even deeper into common setup mistakes and how to fix them.

Happy golfing!