As modern driver head sizes have increased and tees have become longer, the golf ball starts higher off the ground than ever before. To hit the ball in the sweet spot consistently, the clubhead must come well off the ground at impact. A traditional start with the club on the ground at address and the ball in the center of the face doesn’t allow for the extra tee height and can easily cause poor contact toward the heel. There are two ways to combat this; if you like to rest the clubhead on the ground at address, place the ball in line with the toe of the club. If you hover the clubhead off the ground at address, position the ball in the middle of the clubhead.

Today’s huge titanium driver heads require a much higher tee height To optimize launch angle and distance. 

Take It Away
Like the setup, a proper takeaway is absolutely critical to making solid swings that produce consistently good contact. The mistake I’m making here (to the left) is taking the club too far to the inside, which typically leads to a steep move at the top and an over-the-top downswing. To fix this, place a water bottle directly behind the ball at address and try to take the clubhead straight over it as you make your move away from the ball. When you get the club moving in the right direction at the start of the swing, it’s much easier to keep it on plane on a consistent basis. Try this drill, and you’ll soon see what I mean.

A proper takeaway has the clubhead moving straight down the target line. Don’t let it get too far inside at the outset.

Get Creative
When your ball settles down in greenside rough, it takes just the right touch to pull off a successful shot. In this case, yourstandard chipping stroke (played with anything from a 7-iron to a lob wedge) might not be the best play. Rather, consider this cool and slightly unorthodox option: chipping the ball with the toe of your putter. By turning your club sideways, and using a normal putting stroke, the putter blade can easily glide through the turf. When the toe makes contact with the ball, it will pop safely onto the green. WARNING: Since precise contact is key, make sure you practice this one a couple times on the chipping green before you take it to the course.

A cool and slightly unorthodox way to escape greenside grass is to chip with the toe of your putter. When you turn your putter sideways, the blade will easily glide through the turf and make solid contact with the ball.

This looks tough, but it’s actually really easy. Here I’ve found myself against a tree with seemingly no way to hit toward the flag. What’s the solution? I’ve turned my back to the target and am hitting it backward. I’ve chosen to use my sand wedge, so I can stand close to the ball and hold it at a length that I feel gives me control. The big key is to rehearse impact a couple of times, much like a pool player rehearses prior to his shot. Once I feel like I’ve got it, I swing away.

Hold the club at a length that gives you control. Then rehearse your impact position a few times.

A great way to eliminate blocks and hooks and develop a slight, controllable fade with the driver is to use one of Vijay Singh’s favorite drills. To begin, place a water bottle a couple of inches in front of the ball and slightly outside the target line. A proper placement of the bottle should have a profound effect on your swing path, provided you’re able to swing through to impact without making contact with the bottle. To avoid hitting the bottle, the clubhead must be moving slightly inside, immediately after impact. This eliminates an excessively inside-out attack and slows down the rotation of the clubface during contact, producing a slight left-to-right ballflight.

Swinging the club left through impact avoids hitting the bottle and produces a slight left-to-right shot.  An excessively inside-out attack makes missing the bottle impossible. This path leads to hooks and blocks.