How To Hit Your Driver Straight 

Thanks Clay, I've been playing a little over a year. I have begun really struggling with my driver. Truthfully all of the clubs! It's getting cold here in Indiana, so my season is about over for a couple of months. I hoping the break will help me - along with working thru some of your videos.

Hi all.Clay TALKS & DOES a good job.I am a low Handicapper but still do the Oc'l SLICE ! One HUMBLE TIP if I may.When set up with club sitting behind and SQUARE to the ball - (for me) to AVOID a FADE/Slice - CLOSE the tip of the Club Face 2 mm (for our American friends that HALF of 1/8th Inch apx !) - square stance and do the usual swing - either it goes STRAIGHT or a very slight DRAW -works for me !

Clay I am 63 and still hit it decently. I have a Mevo and can generally carry it about 215 ish with range balls. I am pretty fit for my age but am not a strong guy. I have been working on your thumbs pointing directly away from me with my driver parallel on the way back and then making sure I don't cast it starting on the way down. Tonight I carried several drives 233 which is an amazing improvement for me. I have a Ping G 410, and a buddy of mine sent me their chart which says for someone with a ball speed of 140 my lauch angle needs to be around 17 and the Mevo showed my best drives to, incredibly, a 17 degree launch angle. I am hoping I can start taking this to the course as I have found that real balls carry about 20 yards farther. Thanks for all your help.

Amazing lesson man. Can't get any clearer than this. Thank you, Clay. You are being very helpful with these RU-vid lessons.

1 hour, there’s no way I’m watching the whole thing…. Ends up watching the entire video. Great video and explains everything perfectly. I now know driver

Been around golf a lot of years, this is by far the best training video I've ever watched. No unnecessary frills, just solid golf training. Thank you Clay.

Clay does such a great job explaining and demonstrating the complexities of the golf swing, thanks Clay!

Awesome lesson and great examples for practice! Gives everyone an option to chipping!

This video helped me a lot with the slice I had. The slice is completely gone now. Thanks. I also saw your video about chipping and bunkerplay. You make it simple. I like that.

I like these techniques and it improved me alot

The pointing of the right elbow down at setup is a huge game changer. I never realized how much different my driver setup was vs other clubs.

Excellent video and explanation. I was told everyone the golf swing is a 50/50 motion for the most part. Whatever you do in back swing make sure you do it in the forward swing and if you want to do something in the forward swing swing make sure you do it in the back. A lot of good tips. Thanks Clay!

I hit Save three times for this video and emailed it to myself too. Great video, Clay.

So well spoken, and not cheesy. Thank you very much.

Thank you Clay I appreciate your tips I am hitting straighter and with a little more distance. So this really worked for me Thank you again.

I think the best drill I’ve seen and use for my driver swing, is one you posted about not letting the shoulder (right handed golf swing) get ahead of the left foot. This almost forces me to swing from the inside and release. Thanks.

This is one of the best videos I have ever seen!!! Thank you so much Clay. This help me a lot! Much appreciated!🎉❤❤❤

I have a huge pasture across from my house. My slice is terrible; went out and implemented these tips in the front yard and hit it almost straight 4 times with a 1980s era “ tiny face” driver.. Can’t wait to go try this tomorrow at the range with my Regular driver. Thank you very much Clay!!

As a long time golfer that hovers around a 13 handicap due to inconsistent driving with the occasional snap hook or the loss of distance weak fade. When I connect with one I’m still 260-275 distance. I’ve been working on these tips along with a new fitted driver and it has really helped. Now it’s the mind to trust that closed feeling with the body. Great lesson Clay. Third time watching it and Encouraged me to subscribe.

This is the best tips ever I have seen in the video, thanks Clay you are really good coach

Great instructor! !! Clear and concise... Should be playing on the tour!

After watching this video, I wonder why I even look at other people's vids. Your comments about what I'm actually thinking is spot on.

Clay i love your videos keep them coming. I had a massive problem with my driver slicing every shot about 40/50 yards right. I looked through at least 80 videos to find a cure and i came across one of yours. The video was about slicing and it was one simple thing that changed my golf game, i am right handed player and bringing the RIGHT FOOT back a little bit at address was a game changer. I have been playing 1 year now and shot my best score of 84 , i am forever grateful :) :) :)

It can't be taught any better! Excellent!!! I am sure I will hit more draws and more fairways next spring.

Thanks for the videos Clay!

I fixed my slice with a simple roll over of the hands on the club during swing. Thanks for the video. Helped me tremendously.

Yes great training video. May I add that anybody that watches training videos like this should always be reminded of the correct grip! If you have too strong a grip you restrict the hinging action of your wrists.

Appreciate your videos Mr. Ballard. I genuinely see improvements in my game after watching your videos. Keep it goin! You’re what I call a good teacher!

excellent. turning elbow down and point to hip made a huge improvement. I will play tomorrow, but i was a pro on the range.

As a senior professional longdrive competitor I practiced six times a week for 2.75 hours each session (simply driving) plus of course gymnasium work. The longer the golf club the more demanding it is to use, and the more time one needs to put in . Amateur golfers these days largely don't practice properly or at all, and many would drive better using say a 4-iron. Use the longest club you are reasonably competent with as your driver . To use a conventional driver well one needs to seriously and properly practice, practice, practice. It is that simple and that difficult and there are absolutely no shortcuts. But golfers love tips - it gives them hope without going to church.

Clay, we appreciate your videos and the way you break things down into simple concepts. While most mid- to high-handicaps struggle with a slice, some of us play a draw with our irons and the miss with a driver is a hook. Would love to see a video that starts with this (driver hook) as the problem we are trying to solve for.

Brilliant. Have not caught it all but you explain it well. Shared

enjoyed this clay thanks

Great tips.

I am a 12 handicap player will add this drill into my practice routine. Thanks Clay.

Very good video, thanks for sharing!

Another great video. Really helping me with my game!

You have the best drills. Better than any Dentist! Love your vids

Well done. I think some get confused on straight drive concepts, you explained it well. If people want a draw, you simply grip the club a hair to the inside, or for a fade, go the opposite way.

Hey! This guy taught me how to play tennis 🎾 now I got a bag of clubs, time to learn some golf 🏌️‍♀️

There is so much good information here. Thank you.

Great lesson!

Fixing slice and hitting draw 1. 12:09 Stance: Open the right foot to the right (line up feet to the right and open the feet to the right) will force the hit and arm to face more to the right. 2. 14:29 Close hips to the right, which will close the shoulder to the right a little bit. Make sure to turn shoulder to the right together with hips. Have the feel that right arm is much more under the club 3. 16:52 Tuck the right elbow under. Right arm lower than the left arm. To have club head turn on over on release like the pros (has to do with right hand), want a feel that my right hand and knuckle is down the club 4. if those don't work, feel like club face is wrapping around the golf ball. 19:06 shot exaggerated to make a big draw Nothing really happens exactly as he mentions, but I guess it is more about the feel. ** Tightening up to fix the shots will hurt even more. Don't guide the shot. Let the subconscious do the swing. Tips on breaking this cycle 23:00 1. Release through the golf ball (don't try to steer the club on impact, just release it). On contact, hip about 30 degree open, shoulder about 15 degree open, and keep it until straight line release. 45 degree in front position. Don't have the feel that I am guiding the club, but have the feel that club is getting released to the golf ball Practice hitting fade and draw to hit straight 26:35 left hand only -> practicing releasing without feeling out guiding the club. Let the momentum of the club make the swing. Get the feel of effortless draw. right arm only -> 5 swings each Fade -> on straight line, club face will stay open Draw -> on straight line, club face rolls over Draw shot 28:53 Fade shot 31:32

The tip you had with keeping a closed body and the elbow down really helped me! Thanks so much!

Thanks for help

Being new to golf, you are taking the guess work out of the swing where live there are 3 exc coarse thank you some of the things I’m doing wrong

The wt shift drill worked thks

WOW ! The sky so open now and everything seems so clear ! And now I’m excited about taking this 2 the range ! LOL! Thank you so much 4 the info ! I’m starting 2 play again after another a 15 year hiatus! LOL! And yeah my game was pretty bad 15 years ago 2 ! LOL!

Tried turning back foot out and rotating rear beltloop towards fairway to fix slice. I was able to dial in a slice or a draw or straight by rotating in this manner. I've been slicing since the '90s.

Hi Clay, its been a while since i last wrote you. This time to say thanks for the ‘Sh.... ks’help!. Put yellow powdered chalk dust on my ball and there it was, the yellow transfer on part of the hosel!!!! Marked club sweet spot with same chalk and concentrated getting the transfer on the ball. Sound more complicated than it was, but worked! Don’t think Comp Sec would like it tho”! Cheers from lock down England, it dont swing like a pendulum do, any more, seems more like a dead weight!!

I was hitting a good baby draw two years ago, started hitting the ball straight last year with occasional fades and couldn’t understand why. I was setting up the same but my right foot I had turned a little inwards. Now it makes sense, I knew it was something simple too, I just never changed my footing, just thought it was in my grip. I’ll have to insert what I learned here next time I go out.

Give it a whirl! Great video.

This video is amazing. I plan on hitting the range tomorrow to start the drills. Are these videos in order of how you would like them practiced or does it matter?

Wow. Great teaching and amazing equipment. Thank you for sharing video.

Great video Clay, definitely going to give this a try. Struggling to hit a draw. I also need a big hat like yours - got some skin cancer issues. Please share with me how/where to get one. Thanks

Hi Clay, really enjoy your passion for golf. I have a question for you: what sort of stretching and gym work do you focus on to remain injury free?

Wow Clay you make it look so easy! But I will try this because I'm not getting the distance with my drives, I tend to pull it to the left, I'm right handed. So thanks for your amazing practice drills. Kind Regards from Marilyn NZ golfer 🏌️‍♀️

I like all of your videos. Very helpful. How do I get the analytics on the iPad like you have? Thank you!

Many thanks

Great video, thank you for up loading, loads of stuff here that I will be using in my practice. You say you lose distance with your go to shot the fade, I thought launch monitors had proven that a draw going further than a fade to be a myth? Or have I misunderstood?

I did just start to golf a few weeks ago. First attempt with the driver ended in big slices which made me a bit scared to use it. But I tried a few tips from you and today I hit through the ball much better than before, so now it goes much straighter and further! Thanks a lot for your awesome videos!

Thanks Clay...great video. My question is: When you say that 3 degrees is the goal, is that 3 degrees the difference between the path and face ...for example- 1 degree path to the left and 2 degrees face to the right?)

Best lesson

thank you :)

Hi Clay, great lesson. QQ, should I keep my current driver (anti slice) settings when following this drill or should I reset all to neutral factory settings? tks

Regarding the first segment: I have done a lot of studies with biomechanically-accurate simulations of the human skeleton and they agree with your conclusions. Setup determines motion. Bones do not bend and joints move through limited paths and ranges. Your brain tries very hard to keep you from falling down or hurting yourself, automatically choosing a motion that protects you. From any given setup, there are only a few possible safe motions, so setup is crucial. If the setup is right, a good motion follows effortlessly. From a bad setup, a good motion is virtually impossible. I would add one setup factor that might help some people to get into the posture you suggest - the position of the left arm and shoulder. You talk about getting the right arm under the club but you don't say much about the other arm. In conjunction with that right arm external rotation, it can be very helpful to do the opposite with the left arm - start with some internal rotation. The way I learn to feel this is by windmilling the left arm "up and over" so the left shoulder moves up and forward, the left elbow moves away from the rib cage, and the left hand comes down on top of the grip into a strong left hand grip - so the left and right palms are facing each other when the right hand is underneath the club in the position you suggest. This has numerous benefits. It gives the left arm space to move across the body so the shoulders can turn relative to the hips. Conversely, if the left shoulder is low and back, during the backswing the rib cage rotation drags the left hip making you sway instead of wind up. The high/forward shoulder and high elbow puts the left arm above the right arm, preventing left-side collapse before impact and promoting straight-line release instead of the dreaded "spin out". If you get this position dialed in, you can swing as hard as you want without directional problems. Finally, it is less stressful on the body due to the freer motion of the rib cage with respect to the hips.

Clay, thanks for the video. i was a student on line of yours for a couple of years. the last video turning the elbows in and down helped a great deal. what i noticed on this video was that in your set up you did not turnt your back belt loop canted toward target, and you shoulders were square, which is different than you recommended in last video. ultimately your swing is magnificent, Im just trying to figure out how to be more like you- my hero. hope you can answer

Clay thank you very much. I went to the range and 5 buckets later I fixed my swing problem. The half swing really helped me.

First video I’ve seen where someone actually explains how that dang flight scope/trackman works. The content you put out is unmatched.

Have you considered making a video about how to utilize a launch monitor on the driving range for practice? I’ve been thinking about getting one and am not sure what features would truly be useful on the range. Are the ones that track the ball good, or is it necessary to have one that records your swing too?

thank you

Hey Clay, having the same problem with my 3wood in terms of cutting across it causing a bad slice. Any suggestions?

Great, but when he was talking about closing the shoulders and turning the loop at the back of your trousers to the target and close your stance.... I was reminded of Bob Hope getting tips on how to win his gunfight scene... "the wind is coming from the west so lean to the right" lol

Love your videos Clay! Have a question. I'm 59 years old and have only golfed for 4 years. Recently developed a mild pain on interior of right elbow ( around area you put 2 fingers on to take a pulse). This happened right after a golf outing when 2 or 3 times I drove a 3 wood into the ground before hitting the ball. Do you recommend arm compression sleeves? Will this minimize chances of arm injury?

I have taken up golf again after a layoff for about 5 years. Had been on a 6 handicap. Went for my first game since getting back to it again. What a shocker. Never mind, enjoyed the day and it can only get better.This is a very good video. Will try out some of the hints. One thing I must say that annoys me and I have heard it in other videos. The use of the term handle when referring to the grip or top of the shaft. When did this ugly term come into use?.

Does the face also remain open to the interim target in the straight release or do you recommend turning over the hands after impact please?

I'm telling you . this is the best draw tutorial I've ever seen....

when you tell people to go more to the right does this apply for golfers with a left handed swing? Or should I still rotate more to the right?

Hey Clay, what is a good drill to do at the home to help find the middle of the driver face more consistently?

Great lesson Clay. Hey, the radar is a great way to see what your shots look like. Problem is, although you took all that time lining up the camera almost perfectly behind the radar you failed to line up your tee in the same line as your camera and radar. From a viewers perspective every time you say that shot went straight out it looks like it took off either way way out to the left or way way out to the right. On top of that again as a viewers perspective when you swing your club it always looks like your swinging 10.98534 degrees (joke) across the center line of the camera and viewers line of sight. When I go out with golf friends and they say " can you spot my ball in case I lose it" I always stand directly in line with his ball square to the intended target which is the middle of the fairway. Here's a visual hint you could do to help us as viewers. Take your talc foot powder and lay a line from the radar in the same center line as the camera and radar and take it out PAST the point where you tee up. Then set your tee up ON the line and let us all see what your ball path really looks like and where it's headed. As an add on, we'll also be able to see what your body is actually doing from start to finish. Also, when you address the ball your body appears to be pointing anywhere but the direction you say it's headed to. Thanks for reading.

120 mph swing speed my ass... lol! but i love your vids. very informative and helpful. keep them coming!

Does your machine measure rate of acceleration/deceleration through impact?

Great video! My drives were straight all day yesterday after lining up the ball left-center on the club face at dress and then visualizing hitting the far side of ball! Thanks! I tried this on my irons but didn’t work to well, any suggestions there?

Just took Clay's driver setup to the range with excellent results. Long, high draw

I needed this. I hit right every. single. time. And it’s getting annoying. Thank you!!!

Great tips. Saved.

Clay, in the first of the three driver videos you said to lift your left heel slightly on the back swing, but watching the last two videos your left heel stayed on the ground. I am assuming you should always be lifting the left heel on the backswing. Am I correct?

Does flightscope calculate face angle? It cant see the face from behind

How much angle should you close your hip and shoulder to hit a draw?

Clay....My diriver always slice at the end. Why it happen and how me to avoid it ?

If you don't have 18 rack lying around. Everybody's Golf VR on PSVR does similar imaging.

I hit that same fade 240 yards!

Great video, but all driver videos seem to work on slicers. My issue is the opposite...hooks. I can reverse out this lesson, but a video on hookers would be great!

if the shaft is more flexible for your swing speed. at impact will this leave the club face open?

can we take a rule from professional base ball, the designated batter rule for off the tee?

clay what prevents you from duck hooking it ?

Guy is casually dropping 290+yd bombs!!! Awesome video

Speed and timing together = perfection in length.... but what is better in golf ... less speed with perfect timing or massive speed with off timing... which one produces more distance? Is a bit heaver club with slower swing and more accurate timing better in some/many/never cases than lighter club with speed and timing all over the place = which one is easier/better to master?!!

Clean shaven makes the drives go farther 😬👍

Vote on who all thinks Clay MUST lose the beard and gain his youthful look again? 1 vote here haha. Great video Clay! Thank you sir!