The Driver... A fairweather friend...

The Driver is most likely for you, as most other players, the most troublesome club in the bag.

Commonly, people have huge issues with hitting the driver, much like the problems people have hitting their wedges. The one small change in grip, stance, swing, or ball position can havbe dramatic effects on the golfer's ability to hit a clean straight driver shot.

Many golfers will resign to blame the driver itself rather than their own inconsistancies. This driver has had it, or I need a new driver, or this driver is garbage, are often uttered by the struggling golfer.

The problem with the driver always stems from the golfer.

Don't be afraid of your clubs! One of the worst things you can do in golf is to have a firm belief that you cannot hit a particular club, or that there is a consistant problem with your shot. If you train yourself to believe you cannot hit your driver properly, you will inevitably have problems with your driver.

Earlier on in my golfing days I held a firm belief that my fairway woods were a huge problem. Because I believed so firmly that I could not hit a wood out of the fairway (or the rough for that matter) each time I found myself with a long fairway shot I would naturally pull or top my shot. This only served to reenforce my belief that I was unable to hit a wood without a tee.

Get over it... Get it out of your head.

Every club is the same, essentially. The firmer you believe that you can hit the shot, the better results you will have. Focus on your shot, take a practice swing, and line it up. You would not say to yourself that there is no way you can hit this 7 iron shot, so why would you do it with any other club?

Because on any normal course you will hit about 14 driver shots, it is an important facet of your game. That being said, it is not the most important. If your driver is giving you a hard time, and you cannot shake that feeling at the tee that your driver is your enemy, try your 3 wood.

I have often started a round hitting my 3 wood or 5 wood rather than playing my driver. Opening your round with a nice solid shot in the fairway will often get the wheels in motion, and improve your confidence. Try it if you are having problems with your driver; a couple of holes into the round, switch back to your driver and you may find that a good start will improve your confidence in your swing, and in turn prevent you from mentally cancelling your driver out of your game.

Keep on whackin!