Ernie Els is a good man to take swing advice from and luckily for us he’s been giving out some tips on how to hit one of the hardest shots for amateurs, the driver off the deck.
Seeing a professional rip the driver off the fairway is one of the best sights in golf.
If done correctly, it can have massive results and on the longest par fives or when trying to play under a stiff breeze, the driver off the deck can be a great weapon.
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Of course, many tour pros have demonstrated it over the years with players like Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and others more than adept at pulling it off.
However, a player like Ernie Els, known for his smooth swing, is a good man to watch as well and he’s been giving out some fresh tips.
Ernie Els explains how to hit driver off the deck
We can never get enough advice from the best golfers in the world and Ernie Els is always worth a listen.
Hitting driver off the deck is one of the riskiest shots an amateur golfer can attempt.
However, Els has been speaking this week on just how to do it and revealed the little ‘trick’ people seem to miss.
“So here on the fairway, I’ve got the driver out at the par five, just like at the Dominion Charity Classic. I like to use this club every now and again,” Els explained.
“I’ve got nine degrees on my driver. The trick here is to keep the face from closing down on you. Keep that face nice and square and almost open and want to absolutely hit down on it but sweep through it so you get a bit of a fade. But with the nine degrees, the ball is going to come out a little bit lower.
“So there’ll be a lot of velocity on the ball and you should have it come out a little left to right. So, normal stance, grip down half an inch, make a normal swing and keep that club face nice and square.”
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How Ernie Els hits driver straighter off the tee
It’s all well and good being able to hit the driver off the deck, but the main objective of the driver is to get the ball off the tee box and down the fairway as far as possible.
Key to getting that right is being able to hit the ball straight.
Thankfully for us, Els also has a tip on how to keep the ball straight with the big stick.
“So try and get your normal set up, a good ball position on the driver, just inside your heel, and a nice wide stance almost the width of your shoulders,” Els explains.
“And then, you want to bend from the front and the middle area, don’t get too straight cos you’ll get stiff.
“Your left hand is really neutral on the club, and then in the handshake position get your right hand on it and then…have a couple of good waggles. You know, you’re hitting a stationary ball and then make sure you have a nice soft grip on the golf club and then, just make a nice, big shoulder turn.”
With a bit of practice, then, and some advice like this from Els, it does seem there is a way to improve with the driver.
Still, doing it consistently and like Els does, is another matter entirely.
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