How To Max Out Your Driver - Improve Your Angle Of Attack

Submitted by Matt Walter PGA

A common misconception about the golf swing is that the same swing will work for all of your clubs. Each club has its own swing required to be successful. This is due to changing lengths, lofts, and lie angles as you go through the bag. If you swing your driver in the manner that I am about to explain and the club is properly fit, you will see a dramatic change in your distance.
When talking about hitting drivers, an important statistic to know is your Angle of Attack. This number represents the downward or upward strike on the golf ball at impact. The reason why this is important is because unlike when you hit an iron which is sitting on the ground, the driver is teed up an inch or two above the playing surface. This alone should change the way in which you hit the shot. Since the ball is on a tee it no longer requires a downward strike to the ball.

With the ball too far back in your stance, your shoulders will be open.
Shoulders Open Ball Too Far Back

The same set up from displayed from a different angle.

Typically when we talk about Angle of Attack with a driver we are looking for a certain window + or - from 0 degrees. So when you hit say your 7 iron that Angle of Attack should be in the ballpark of -5 degrees. Meaning you are hitting 5 degrees into the ground at the moment of impact. A driver is best played from an Angle of Attack closer to 0. PGA Tour Average is -1 ( 1 degree down on the ball), keep in mind there are many different golf swings on the PGA Tour and that is taking all of them into consideration.

Players who swing at 100 mph with optimal launch and spin rate conditions can expect to see the following changes in distance. If they swing with an Angle of Attack that is -5 degrees the most they can carry their driver is 222 yards, 0 degrees will carry their driver 235, and +5 degrees will carry their driver 247 yards. That is an average of 2.5 yards more carry per positive angle of change! If you can move your Angle of Attack 5 degrees more positive you stand to hit at least one club less into the green! Here’s how you can do it!

The most important thing a player can do is create a setup position that will allow them to hit more up or level. The shoulders need to be tilted with the left shoulder higher than the right (right handed player), but square to the target line. A lot of players open their shoulders and are level causing shots resulting in a slice. The next thing is to make sure the ball is positioned just inside your left toe or left heel (for a right handed player). These two changes in your setup will help you get into a position to hit more up or level on the tee box.

Positioning the ball by your left heel with promoted tilting your shoulders on the target line.
Shoulders Tilted and Ball By Left Heel