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TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT B Y D A N PA S Q U A R I E L L O A N D L A I R D S M A L L 96 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 6 Driving with Confidence ere's a thought: Let's look at a tee shot as either offensive or defensive. How would you describe your approach to a tee shot? Most players look at the driver as an offensive club or play, and they take an aggressive swing. The reality, though, is that a tee shot is really a defensive play – getting the ball in the fairway! If we swing for the fences with our tee shots and hit them in the rough or out of play, then we are in trouble and our game will potentially suffer. Compared to the other clubs in your bag, the driver is the only one that doesn't have a maxi- mum distance to it. A good player can hit his 7- iron around 160-165 yards, but he's not stretching it much farther. If he has to, he'll reach for the next longest club in his bag. But with the driver, there is not a longer or more powerful club in the bag. That's why golfers and manufacturers are always trying to figure out ways to get more dis- tance out of the driver, whether it be through better technique, a longer club shaft, a higher COR (Coefficient of Restitution, or spring-like effect) or more club head speed. Think about it: When was the last time you were satisfied with the distance you hit one of your drives? If you blasted one 240 yards, you would want to hit your next one 260 yards, then 270 yards, and so on. Because the driver has no top end to it, golfers are always swinging for the fences. This can lead to all sorts of trouble, because while the driver may be the longest club in your bag, it's also the hardest to control. With the exception of the putter, the driver has the least amount of loft of any club in your bag, which makes it very unforgiving. You might hit it 250 yards, but what good is that if it's 40 yards offline? Here are a few principles to help you drive it in play: • Learn to Be a Player, Not a Golfer: Golfers stand in the tee box and hope they don't slice it this time. Players accept that they usually slice their drives and plan for the likely outcome. • Swing All Clubs the Same Tempo: Swing within yourself – the goal is to swing the club at the rate of speed that allows you to deliver the club to the ball to place the ball in the target area! Tempo is the rate of speed at which your hands, arms, torso, and club move together. It's how these parts move in relationship to one another. Most amateurs try to over- power the ball with their arms and shoulders because they associate the driver with distance. What they don't realize is that the driver, while being the longest club in the bag, is also the lightest. It doesn't have to be swung that hard to hit the ball far. The key is to keep your club and body moving together so you do hit the sweet spot on the club, because any mishit with a driver is going a to be magnified due to the lack of its loft. • Choose a target: Time after time, the average golfer stands on the tee and tries to hit his or her driver dead straight. Not even the best play- ers in the world try to hit the ball perfectly straight, because they're trying to curve it. Most amateurs don't realize this and don't allow for their own natural curve of the ball. They have a starting line in mind when they take aim at the fairway, but don't have a finish line. That's why so often the ball starts on line, or just where the player aimed, and much to their dismay fin- ishes 30 or 40 yards off that line. They're hoping this one goes straight! First and foremost, find a driver that you're friends with – one that is easy to hit and control. A friendly driver is a predictable driver: it keeps you in play even when you fail to make your best swing. Resist the temptation to buy a new driver that promises 20 more yards and stay with what works for you. It might not be the driver you hit the farthest – it might be the one you hit consistently with the same shape and trajectory. If you can find a driver that's easy to hit, and long, then you truly have a magic club! Come visit us at the Pebble Beach Golf Academy for lessons, golf tips and more — including custom golf club fittings at the TaylorMade Fitting Center. Contact us at 831/622-8650 or visit pebblebeach.com for more information. First and foremost, find a driver that you're friends with— one that is easy to hit and control. H