When you’re standing on the tee box, ready to unleash your driver, you likely have high hopes for a powerful shot. But when you end up hitting a pop-up, it can be incredibly frustrating. Not only does this shot lack the desired distance, but it also leaves you with a more difficult approach to your next shot. Fortunately, there are several adjustments you can make to avoid this mishit and improve your driver performance.
Here are five things you can do to stop popping up your driver.
The key to a consistent driver swing begins with proper posture. It’s important to maintain a similar posture with your driver as you do with all your other clubs. Don’t use the length of the driver as an excuse to stand taller. Instead, focus on bending forward from your hips so that your hands hang directly below your shoulders. This balanced posture will allow you to make a more controlled swing and stay in balance. Standing too tall can lead to a steep backswing, making it difficult to rotate and generate proper depth in your swing.
Once you’re in the right posture, check your ball position. It should be forward in your stance, so your shoulders can tilt away from the target and allow you to hit the ball on the upswing. The tee helps here by providing an efficient angle of approach for your driver. By catching the ball with a direct strike (instead of a glancing blow), you’ll send the energy forward, not upward, which will help prevent that frustrating pop-up.
A good backswing involves allowing your shoulders to rotate fully and your club to move around behind you. This helps create a flatter swing path, which will lead to better contact. Avoid a straight-back or overly steep backswing, as this can cause the club to come down too steep, resulting in a high, short shot. Focus on creating depth and a flatter swing for more solid contact and greater distance.
A common myth is that teeing the ball too high causes pop-ups. In reality, this is rarely the issue. If you tee the ball too low, you’ll have to swing more steeply, which could lead to hitting the ground, resulting in either a pop-up or a drop-kick. To avoid this, tee the ball high enough that you don’t have to make contact with the ground to strike the sweet spot of the driver. Ideally, you should have about three-quarters of the ball visible above the top of the driver’s face when the club is resting on the ground.
Why a properly fit shaft can help your game more than you might realize
Additionally, make sure you’re not breaking your tee during your swing. If your tee breaks, it could be due to improper setup or a lack of swing speed. Ensure your driver is properly fitted to your swing, as using a club that’s too heavy or has the wrong shaft for you can make it harder to generate the necessary clubhead speed. For custom fitting, I recommend True Spec Golf for myself, my family, and my students to ensure we’re maximizing the performance of our drivers.
Once your setup is solid, speed becomes your friend. The driver allows for greater speed because, unlike with other clubs, precision is a bit less important. However, it’s essential to avoid a slow, controlled swing. Your practice swings should produce a swooshing sound, which indicates the speed and power you need to maximize distance with your driver.
The faster and higher-pitched the swoosh, the better your chances of generating the necessary speed to avoid hitting the ground with your club. If you’re committed to increasing your swing speed, I recommend TheStack System for speed training. It’s a tool I use myself, although I could always use more training!
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By adjusting your posture, ball position, swing path, tee height and speed, you’ll be better equipped to avoid pop-ups and maximize the power and distance of your driver shots. Keep these tips in mind during your practice and you’ll see improvement in no time!
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