Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s series, Timeless Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. This week, we look back at our October 2014 issue where Rory McIlroy shared his secrets for hitting the driver long and straight.
Rory McIlroy is a great all-around golfer, but his superpower is his driving ability off the tee. Perhaps no golfer in history has driven the ball as long and straight as McIlroy for as long as he has, and it’s become his calling card as he’s put together a career that includes six major titles.
You might not be able to hit it exactly like McIlroy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from the way he swings it. Back in October of 2014 — fresh off major titles three and four the previous summer — McIlroy joined GOLF Magazine to share some of his secrets to bombing the driver. Check them out below.
Michael Bannon is the only coach I’’ve ever had. It’s scary — he knows my swing better than | do. So when things started sliding south 18 months ago, he knew exactly what to do: Get backt o the basics that rocketed me to No. l in the first place, using checkpoints and feels that Michael taught me when | was a little kid. Now my driver, iron and wedge swings are again on autopilot. My performance stats are about the same as last year, but | can sense a difference. Every shot feels flush. Copy my fixes and you, too, can rediscover your best swing.
You’d think I’d be able to get into a solid address position without thinking, considering the tens of thousands of swings I’ve made in my lifetime. The truth is that it’s as easy to fall into bad habits here as it is in any other part of your swing. Sol work on my address every time | practice.
The Key: Settle in so that your arms hang freely and are far enough in front of you to whip the club through the impact zone without your body getting in the way.
Flat back: Bend forward from your hips without slouching or creating a “hump” in your back. It should feel as though your back is completely flat, from the top of your rear end to the middle of your neck. Be careful not to over-arch and create a reverse curve at the bottom of your spine. That’ll limit your ability to turn.
Wide base: I spread my feet slightly wider than shoulder width, which is a little wider than most guys. It gives me extra stability, especially when I really go after one. If you’re a fast swinger like me, err on the side of spreading your feet too far apart, rather than setting them too close together.
Free arm hang: I like to flex my knees slightly, then tilt my upper body toward the ball about 30 degrees. This places me in a strong, activated position, like a soccer goalie guarding the net-I’m set but ready to move in any direction. What does 30 degrees of tilt feel like? You’ve gotten it right when, as you set up to hit driver, your left hand dangles just in front of your toes (and about even with your toes for an iron).
The first two feet of my swing are critical. If I start the club back on plane, | won’t have to reroute it on the way down, so I can just rip it without fearing a mis-hit. Granted, my takeaway isn’t perfect. | occasionally yank the club too far inside (then come over the top in the downswing), or “lift” it up and out (which gets me “trapped” coming down). But | can fix those flaws.
The Key: “Push” the club straight back. Picture a wall running parallel to your toe line and straight up through your hands. As you start your swing, keep your hands and the clubhead on the wall.
Left shoulder active: As you push the club straight back, let this action pull your left shoulder away from the target. This stops you from swinging the club too far to the outside. When you hear players talk about a “one-piece” takeaway, this is it!
Hips still: Keep your lower body still at the start. Overactive hips in your takeaway tend to whip the club inside the ideal plane, forcing you to change direction coming down. That makes it tough to achieve solid contact, even for Tour players.
Hands in front of toes: I address the ball with my left hand just in front of my toes, so if I do nothing but push the club straight back, it will still be slightly in front of my toes at the end of my takeaway. You know you’ve pushed back correctly if the shaft points in the direction of your toe line and lies flat just before you start folding your right elbow.
I’m flexible enough to turn as far back as I want without discomfort. In fact, I often turn too much. | can rotate my shoulders past 90 degrees without thinking, which makes it difficult to get everything back to where it needs to be at impact. I’m not doing that as much this season.
The Key: | stop my swing when my left shoulder hits my chin. If that’s plenty of turn for me, then it’s plenty for you. If | stop my shoulder turn at 90 degrees while keeping my right knee flexed — which lets me load a lot of energy — there’s not a par 5 on earth I can’t reach in two. Your swing will feel tighter, not shorter — a great feeling to have.
Left arm straight: Most skilled golfers keep their left arm straight and fold the right. For me, a straight left arm stops me from over-rotating, my No. 1 backswing error.
Hip behind: I don’t buy the theory of keeping the lower body still during the entire backswing, because you can’t make a full, 90-degree shoulder turn without rotating your hips. The trick is to turn your lower body (after you complete your takeaway) while maintaining the flex in your right knee. Doit right and you’ll actually feel your weight “load” into your right side. That load is swing power!
Stop at the shoulder: As soon as you feel your left shoulder swing under your chin, stop. That’s the end of your backswing. | also use this point as a trigger to start my downswing. Once my left shoulder is under my chin, | pause, then unwind. If i turn more than this, there’s | no telling where the ball will end up.
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