If you’re tired of poor strikes, ballooning shots, and hearing about forward shaft lean and compression without ever truly achieving them, you’re not alone. Over the years, I’ve seen countless golfers face this frustration. The truth is, the difference between poor ball strikers and elite players is almost always impact. Elite golfers move their weight into the front leg, get the shaft leaning forward, open the body, and compress the ball with a powerful strike.

Most club golfers, on the other hand, return to impact with almost the same position as address—little to no shaft lean, weight back, and often an open clubface. This leads to thins, tops, and weak strikes. If this sounds familiar, let’s change it.

Why Closing the Clubface Is Essential

Here’s the key: if you want forward shaft lean at impact, you must close the clubface through impact. This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s absolutely crucial. Most golfers have an open clubface in the downswing and the only way they can square it up is by releasing the club early—resulting in those frustrating flicks and inconsistent contact.

Once you learn to close the clubface, you’ll find it far easier to achieve forward shaft lean and compress the golf ball. This is where the magic happens for distance, accuracy, and pure strikes.

The Drill: Cheat Forward Shaft Lean and Learn the Feel

Let’s make this dead simple to start with. Set up as normal, but deliberately close your clubface a few degrees at address. It’ll look odd when you look down, but trust the process. Make your normal swing. You’ll find the ball goes left and feels powerful, with the low point after the ball. Yes, you may still hang back or release early at first, but you’re starting to feel the difference.

Now, add the next step: from that closed clubface position, move your body as far towards the target as you can during your swing. Your goal is to keep closing that clubface and move your weight forward until the ball doesn’t go left anymore. It might feel like you’re sliding toward the target, but this is what the best players in the world do. Hips move forward, shaft leans, and the strike is transformed.

Remember, you may need to exaggerate this move at first. Most golfers never push the change far enough to feel or see real results. If the ball starts flying lower, straighter, and further, you’re on the right track.

From Drill to Real Swing

Once you’ve got the hang of it with a closed clubface, return to a square clubface at address. Now focus on moving your body towards the target through impact, getting the low point ahead and the shaft leaning forward. This will make your strikes feel completely different—crisper, more solid, and with that elusive compression.

If you’re struggling to square the face from a normal set up, focus on the feeling in your downswing: twist the club so the back of your lead hand faces more up to the sky, keeping the knuckles down, and keep moving your hands forward. Keep rehearsing this until it becomes second nature. It might feel odd at first, but it’s only because you’re not used to it.

Why Exaggeration Works

Every golfer I’ve coached who struggles to make a change simply doesn’t exaggerate the new move enough. It’s natural to want to stay in your comfort zone, but sometimes you need to push the boundaries to create a new habit. Once you’ve felt the exaggerated move, you can always dial it back to what you need.

Make This Work for You

If you find you strike it great with a closed clubface and moving forward, you could even stick with this technique for now. But if you want to go back to a square clubface, focus on moving your body correctly and twisting the club through impact. I promise you, this will improve your ball striking with every club, especially irons and hybrids played from the ground.

If you want to develop your game further or need more personalised help, I offer online lessons through Skillest. No matter where you are in the world, we can work together to improve your ball striking and consistency.

Watch the Full YouTube Video

For a full walkthrough and more demonstration, watch the original YouTube video here.

The post Unlock Forward Shaft Lean for Pure Strikes and Power appeared first on Ali Taylor Golf.

As a PGA professional, I know how frustrating this can be. But with the right set-up and a simple focus on strike, these clubs can become your new favourites. Here’s how you can make that happen.

Get Ball Position Right for Consistent Contact

The biggest mistake I see is ball position. Most golfers set the ball far too forward in their stance. This causes the club to bottom out behind the ball, leading to fat, thin or topped shots. Occasionally, you might catch one perfectly, but it’s not reliable.

The club travels in a circular motion around your body, and the lowest point of your swing should be just after the ball, ideally opposite your lead armpit. If the ball is too far forward, your low point is behind it, and you’re asking for trouble.

My advice: If you’re going to get it wrong, have the ball a touch too far back rather than forward. Start by playing the ball opposite your sternum, shifting your weight towards your lead side just like you would with an iron. If you tend to swing fast, you might get away with this. For slower swingers, moving the ball just forward of centre gives you a better launch without sacrificing strike quality.

Play around with ball position anywhere between centre and just inside your lead armpit. See what helps you deliver a solid strike and a launch that gives you both distance and stopping power.

Focus on Strike, Not Just Swing Positions

Another issue is the temptation to sweep these clubs away, trying to help the ball up. This leads to contacting the ground behind the ball or even topping it. Instead, your goal is to brush the ground just after the ball. Shift your weight onto your lead side, and feel for that crisp, ball-then-turf contact.

A drill I love is simply making swings where you focus on gently brushing the ground. You don’t need to take a big divot. On grass, you’ll take the blades and maybe a thin sliver of turf. On a mat, it’s a gentle brush. This encourages the club to land like an aeroplane—neither too steep nor too shallow, just landing beautifully for the perfect strike.

The ‘Aeroplane Landing’ Feel

A helpful visualisation is to imagine the sole of your club as the wheels of an aeroplane. You don’t want to come in too steep, nor do you want to miss the runway altogether. Aim for a smooth, shallow descent so the club just lands and brushes through.

This small downward strike with the low point just after the ball ensures solid contact, a better launch, and more consistent distance. It works for fairway woods, hybrids, and long irons alike.

Set Yourself a Simple Task

Rather than obsessing over every technical position, set yourself a simple task: after tweaking your ball position, just focus on landing the club gently on the ground in the right place. You’ll be surprised how naturally your body figures out the movement you need for a great strike.

Whether you’re hitting a fairway wood, a hybrid, or a long iron, this simple approach will help you hit your best shots from the ground. You’ll start to love these clubs and see your scores drop.

If you want a more personalised plan for your swing, I offer online lessons through Skillest. Together, we can tackle your specific challenges and get you striking the ball better than ever.

See It in Action

To see these concepts in action and pick up even more tips, watch the full YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD9gvjNrKts

The post Mastering Fairway Woods, Hybrids and Long Irons: My Proven Approach appeared first on Ali Taylor Golf.

If you’re looking to hit the ball longer and straighter, there’s a simple fundamental you’re probably not working on enough. Most golfers I coach—whether face to face or through my online lessons—share the same frustrations: inconsistent club path, unpredictable face angles at impact, and erratic contact. The good news is, there’s one area that, if you get right, can transform all of this.

Understanding the Circle of Your Swing

Think of your golf swing as a circle that moves around your body. Because we stand to the side of the ball, that circle sits on an angle. As the club comes into impact, the direction it’s moving—your swing path—can only be straight down the target line, out to in, or from the inside. The clubface can only be square, open, or closed to that path.

But here’s the crucial bit: where you hit the ball within that swing arc changes everything. The low point of your swing—the very bottom of the arc—should ideally be just after the ball. When you’re consistent with your low point, you set yourself up for solid contact and the best chance to square the clubface. If your low point moves about wildly, your contact and club delivery will be all over the place.

Why Most Golfers Struggle with Consistency

I see so many golfers whose low point shifts dramatically from shot to shot—even up to a foot! The best players in the world only see their low point move by about an inch with every club. That’s why their contact is so reliable. The further your low point moves around, the harder it becomes to control your path and face at impact, which leads to inconsistency and frustration.

The Drill: Nail Your Low Point for Better Strikes

Here’s a simple yet powerful drill I use with my clients:

1. Set up to the ball and imagine (or mark) a line on the ground, about 3 to 4 inches ahead of the ball.
2. Take some practice swings, focusing on landing the club at or just after that line. The goal is to consistently strike the ground after the ball, not before.
3. If you find yourself striking behind the ball, shift your weight forward onto your lead side and try again. This simple move can make a world of difference.

Watch how the best players move their hips closer to the target on the downswing, often by several inches. Even if you exaggerate this move in practice, you’ll quickly learn how to control your low point and deliver better contact. My advice: overdo it in your practice swings at first to really feel the difference.

The Connection Between Low Point and Club Path

Many golfers get steep or come over the top in the downswing, moving their weight back and striking the ground behind the ball. If this sounds like you, try this: from the top of your swing, don’t rush with the upper body. Instead, move down and towards the target with your lower body, letting your hands drop behind you. This helps you touch the ground after the ball, leading to more solid strikes and a more neutral club path.

If you struggle with an out-to-in swing, there’s nothing wrong with adjusting your setup to encourage a better path. Aligning your body slightly to the right can shift your swing circle naturally, making it easier to deliver the club from a better angle without forcing major changes in your motion.

Physical Limitations? There’s Still Hope

Some golfers struggle to separate hip and shoulder movement, which can make it tough to change club path. Even then, focusing on your low point will get you striking the ball in the same part of the swing every time. Once you’re consistent, you can start fine-tuning club path and face with confidence, knowing your contact won’t let you down.

Why Low Point Control is the Fastest Route to Better Golf

If you want to be a consistent ball striker and shape your shots the way you intend, controlling your low point is key. Once you start striking the ball after the low point every time, you’ll see more consistency in distance, flight and direction.

If you’d like personal feedback on your swing and drills tailored to your game, I offer online lessons wherever you are in the world.

Watch the Full Lesson

To see this concept in action and get even more detail, watch the full YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0kuGhMtt50

The post Unlock Longer, Straighter Shots with One Simple Key appeared first on Ali Taylor Golf.

So many golfers set up well with the driver, make their swing, and watch helplessly as the ball slices way out to the right. The result? Frustratingly short drives and dreadful accuracy. Yet when you watch the best players in the world, their drives are a different story entirely – longer, straighter and hit with confidence.

If you’re tired of losing distance and constantly battling a slice, imagine what it would be like to add 20, 30 or even 40 yards to your drives, all while hitting more fairways. That’s not a pipe dream. With the right understanding and a couple of simple drills, it’s well within your reach.

The Real Secret: What Happens at Impact

A lot is made of the downswing, but not enough focus is put on what’s really happening as the club comes into impact. Many golfers I coach believe they simply need to turn their body more through the ball. Unfortunately, relentless turning without proper sequencing leaves the clubface wide open, sending your shots right and robbing you of distance.

Generating speed and squaring the clubface is all about sequencing your movements correctly. The power starts from the ground, transfers through your body, into the club, and finally into the ball. If you get this right, you’ll see dramatic improvements.

The Whip Drill: Feel the Difference

Think about how you’d whip a towel. You move your hand quickly towards the target, but then stop it sharply to create that cracking sound. If you just keep moving your hand forward, you never get that snap. This is the same principle we want to bring into your driver swing – it’s about learning how to put the brakes on at the right moments so the club can whip past you and square up at impact.

Step Drill for Better Sequencing

Here’s a powerful drill to help you feel the right weight shift and sequencing:

1. Set up to the ball as normal with your driver.
2. Move your front foot back to join your trail foot.
3. Start your backswing, and as your hands reach chest height, step your front foot back into position and swing down through impact.

The key is not to fall forward or lurch towards the target, but to finish balanced. This stepping action helps you transfer your weight correctly, push down into your lead foot, and get your hip turning out of the way. The correct sequence is weight shift, followed by hip turn and slowing down, then chest turn and slowing down, and finally the club handle moving and slowing down – known as the kinematic sequence.

The step drill is a fantastic way to get used to feeling pressure into your lead foot. You want to feel as though you’re stamping your lead foot into the ground as you swing. This pressure helps you whip the club through impact, squaring the face and adding yards.

Add Power: The Jump Drill

If you’re ready for the next level, try this more advanced move:

1. As you shift into your lead side, feel like you’re going to jump back and away from the target as you swing through.

You might notice many long drive competitors using this technique. It’s a great way to feel explosive power, but it can take some practice. If you try it, do plenty of repetitions without the ball before bringing it into your game.

Be aware, if you finish on your back foot without applying pressure into the lead foot, you’ll likely leave the clubface open and the ball will shoot right. The key is to get that pressure into the lead foot before using the jump to unleash your speed.

Putting It All Together

Most golfers will see immediate gains in both distance and accuracy simply by focusing on shifting and stamping that lead foot. The whipping sensation you create gets the clubface squaring up and adds serious speed. For those looking for even more power, the jump drill is a great progression.

This approach is all about understanding the right body movements and timing them so your club whips through the ball just like the best players in the world. Master these feels, and you’ll unlock a new level of performance off the tee.

If you’d like a more personalised approach or want to take your driver swing to the next level, you can always book an online lesson with me through Skillest. I’m here to help you play your best golf and enjoy every round that little bit more.

Watch the Full YouTube Video

For a full demonstration and more detailed explanation, watch the full YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtbzjZ4W92c

The post Unlock Distance and Accuracy with Your Driver appeared first on Ali Taylor Golf.

Early extension is one of the biggest killers of consistency and solid strikes in the golf swing. If you suffer with it, you know the frustration: you set up beautifully at address, but as you start the downswing, your hips move closer to the ball, you get cramped for room, and your posture is lost. The result? Thin shots, tops, toe strikes, and a real battle to control the clubface and the path.

I know this struggle myself and have seen it countless times with clients. But I’ve found an incredibly effective drill, inspired by how some tour pros approach their setup, that transforms both how you move through the ball and the quality of your strike. If you want to see this in action, have a look at Taylor Dixon’s recent Cornferry Tour win – it’s an eye-opener.

The Drill: Club Head Outside the Ball

Here’s what you do. Set up to the ball as normal, but deliberately place the club head well outside the golf ball at address – almost as if you’d miss the ball completely if you made your usual swing. It feels extreme at first, but that’s the point. This forces your body to find a way to deliver the club back to the ball, creating space through impact rather than losing it.

When you swing from this position, your brain and body have to figure out how to move the hips back and get the chest down, so you can actually strike the ball. It’s a fantastic exercise to break the habit of moving towards the ball – the root of early extension.

Why This Drill Works

By exaggerating the setup, your body learns to push into the ground and move away from the ball during the downswing. Imagine you’re about to jump backwards – that’s the sensation you want in your feet and hips as you start down. This movement keeps your posture intact, your hips back, and your chest down, giving you the room to deliver the club consistently to the ball.

Even if you don’t hit it perfectly every time at first, you’ll quickly notice more solid strikes, better face control, and a more consistent low point. For some, the improvement is immediate. For others, it takes a few swings to get that feeling. Stick with it – the benefits are well worth it.

Don’t Worry About Looking Textbook

One of the biggest lessons from watching top players is that they care about what works, not what looks perfect. Taylor Dixon himself has said if he set up “properly”, he wouldn’t be anywhere near as good. This drill started as a practice exercise for many tour pros, but some now use it in competition because it simply works.

So, don’t obsess over textbook positions. If setting up with the club outside the ball helps you move correctly and strike it better, why not use it? It’s your results that count.

How to Progress With the Drill

Start by exaggerating the setup – club head way outside the ball. As you gain confidence and see the improvement, you can dial it back, perhaps addressing the ball off the heel but maintaining that feeling of moving the hips back and chest down through impact.

If you’re still struggling to get the hang of it, focus on pushing your feet into the ground as you start the downswing, as though you’re jumping backwards. This will help you keep the hips away from the ball and maintain your posture.

Make It Work for You

I’ve used this drill myself and with many clients, including junior golfers. The transformation in strike and control is fantastic. Try it with your irons to start, but once you’re comfortable, there’s no reason you can’t use it with every club in the bag, just like the pros.

If you want step-by-step personalised guidance on this or any other part of your swing, I offer online lessons through Skillest where we can work together on your game, no matter where you’re based.

Watch the Drill in Action

Ready to see this in action and take your ball striking to the next level? Watch the full YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZCtkGzNYYE

The post Stop Early Extension and Strike the Ball Pure Every Time appeared first on Ali Taylor Golf.

If you’ve ever marvelled at the crisp, penetrating shots of top professionals, you’ll notice one thing they all do exceptionally well: create shaft lean at impact. This is the difference between a glancing, weak strike and that satisfying ball-then-turf contact we all chase. When you master shaft lean, you not only compress the ball better, but you start squaring the clubface and finding the centre of the club more regularly.

The Common Mistake: Hands Forward at Address

A lot of golfers think creating shaft lean is as simple as setting up with the hands forward. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works during a real swing. You can’t just preset your hands and expect to recreate that position at impact—especially at full speed. Worse still, if you simply shove your hands forward at address, you’re likely to leave the clubface wide open, sending shots high, weak, and right.

The Real Way to Create Shaft Lean

Shaft lean is built from the top of the swing as you shift your body mass towards the target. The best players move their hips and pressure forward, which gets the handle ahead of the ball at impact. But here’s the crucial detail: when your hands move forward, the clubface tends to open. If you don’t manage the clubface correctly, you’ll simply swap one problem for another.

The secret is to match the amount of forward shaft lean with an equal degree of clubface closure. This ensures the face is square at impact, even as your hands and body move ahead of the ball.

Drill: Train Your Body and Clubface Together

Here’s a simple yet powerful drill to get the feeling:

1. Lift the club in front of you and close the clubface about 20 degrees.
2. Place your hands on the grip, so you can clearly see the face pointing left.
3. Set up to the ball—yes, the face will look closed, but stick with it.
4. As you swing, focus on pushing your hips forward towards the target, feeling your weight shift and your body moving laterally, not just rotating.

At first, shots may go left, but this is part of the process. As you get used to the feeling, dial back the exaggeration until the ball starts flying straighter.

Find Your Preferred Way to Close the Clubface

There’s no single solution that fits everyone. Here are three different feels you can experiment with:

1. Closing the Face Early in the Takeaway
Some golfers benefit from keeping the clubface looking at the ball for longer during the takeaway. This can help you maintain a strong clubface angle as you swing down, naturally producing more shaft lean and a powerful, low ball flight.

2. Twisting the Shaft from the Top
Another feel is to twist the shaft as you start the downswing. By letting your trail wrist (right hand for right-handers) work underneath and actively twisting the shaft, you create a stronger, more closed clubface through impact.

3. Turning the Knuckles Down Through Impact
This classic move involves actively turning your knuckles down and letting the forearms rotate as you approach impact. While it’s not the most fashionable method these days, it can be very effective for many golfers.

Experiment with all three and see which gives you the best results. There’s no magic fix, but with practice, you’ll find the feel that works for you. If you’d like personalised guidance, my online lessons on Skillest are perfect for drilling down into what suits your swing best.

Grip Matters: Strong vs Weak

Your grip has a huge influence on how easy it is to square the clubface. A strong grip (with the hands more to the side of the club) makes it far easier to close the face and create shaft lean. Modern tour players often favour a stronger grip paired with dynamic shaft lean—think Dustin Johnson.

If you use a weaker grip, you’ll find it much harder to close the clubface as your hands move forward. This means you’ll have to work even harder to manage the face, or you risk adding loft and losing power. Whichever grip you use, remember: shaft lean is created by moving your body towards the target and by squaring the clubface at the same time.

The Path to Pure Striking

If you want to strike the ball like the best, focus on combining forward shaft lean with clubface control. It’s not about presetting your hands or trying to manipulate impact in the last split second. It’s about building the right movements from the top of your swing through to impact. Stick with the drills, find your preferred approach, and you’ll see real improvements in your ball striking.

If you’d like a more in-depth look at these drills and concepts, I invite you to watch the full YouTube video here. And if you want tailored feedback on your swing, you can always book an online lesson with me.

The post Mastering Shaft Lean for Pure Ball Striking appeared first on Ali Taylor Golf.

One thing I hear time and again from golfers is that their backswing feels too long, leading to a loss of control and poor strikes. If you’ve ever felt like you’re losing consistency or not quite getting that solid contact, you’re far from alone. But here’s the good news: you can actually shorten your backswing, hit the ball more solidly, and even gain distance.

The Real Problem: Arms Versus Body

Most golfers focus heavily on what the club is doing, but the real issue often lies in how your arms work relative to your body. I see a lot of golfers letting their trail arm get stuck behind their body early in the backswing, or sometimes even throwing their arms out, making everything feel disjointed. I used to do this myself when I was younger, so I completely understand the frustration.

The Key: Keep Arms in Front, Turn the Body

The movement that changes everything is keeping your arms in front of your body as you turn your chest away from the ball. When you focus on a big shoulder turn, your arm swing naturally becomes shorter, but your body is doing more of the work. This creates a lovely width in your swing, with your lead arm staying comfortably straight and your trail arm well away from your body, rather than folding behind you.

Why This Works

When your arms and body work together, there’s less need for compensations on the downswing. This means more consistent strikes, a better low point ahead of the ball, increased shaft lean, and a much crisper strike. You might even find you’re gaining yardage without swinging any harder — it’s all about efficiency.

A Simple Drill to Feel the Change

Start by swinging back only to waist height, but do it by turning your body rather than using your arms. Shift your weight and turn through. Focus on letting the big muscles do the work. Even with this shorter swing, you’ll be surprised at the club head speed and solid contact you can achieve. As you get comfortable, gradually add a bit more length to your backswing, always making sure your arms stay in front as you turn your chest.

Building Up to the Full Swing

As you lengthen your swing, let the club start to hinge naturally, but keep your focus on body turn rather than letting the arms drift behind. You’ll find that the swing feels simpler and more repeatable. The more you trust the body turn, the less you’ll need to manipulate things with your hands and arms, leading to much more consistent results.

Why Simpler is Better

When my own swing feels simple with fewer moving parts, my strikes are always more consistent. If you feel like you’re having to do too much in your downswing to recover from a long or disconnected backswing, it’s time to break that cycle. Turn your body, keep the arms in front, and enjoy the benefits of a more solid, repeatable strike.

Need More Personalised Help?

If you’d like tailored advice on simplifying your backswing and improving your ball striking, I offer online lessons through Skillest. Whether you’re just starting or looking to take your game to the next level, I’m here to help you build a swing that works.

Watch the Full YouTube Video

For a step-by-step guide and more detailed demonstrations, watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KW5vXk-8jU

The post Shorten Your Backswing for Longer, More Solid Strikes appeared first on Ali Taylor Golf.

If you’re fed up with slicing your drives, losing distance, or watching your playing partners outdrive you time and again, you’re not alone. For many golfers, the driver becomes more of a frustration than a weapon, especially when the ball barely gets airborne or curves wildly out of bounds. But what if I told you there’s a two second tweak that could genuinely add 20, 30, or even more yards to your drives—and get them flying straighter than ever?

The Common Driver Setup Mistake

Most golfers have heard the classic advice: “Play the ball opposite your lead foot and hit up on it.” While that’s a solid starting point, there’s a subtle mistake I see all the time. When players move the ball forward in their stance, they often bring the club up to the ball and end up with very level shoulders. This sets the shoulders pointing well left of the target. The more left your shoulders point, the more your swing path moves left, pushing the lowest point of your swing further ahead of the ball. That encourages a downward strike and takes the loft off the club—making it almost impossible to launch the ball high or straight.

The Two Second Setup Fix

Here’s the game-changing tip: Once you’ve set up with the ball forward in your stance, move your driver head back by two driver head lengths behind the ball. Instantly, you’ll notice your left shoulder sits higher than your right, and your shoulders square up to the target rather than aiming left. This small adjustment changes everything for your launch and distance.

The clubface might look a little open at address, but don’t worry. As the club moves around its arc, it will naturally square up by impact. With this setup, your low point moves behind the ball, encouraging an upward strike and giving you more time to square the clubface.

Getting the Body in the Right Position

By moving the driver head back, you’re also positioning your body slightly more behind the ball. As you make your backswing and start your downswing, feel that your sternum stays behind the golf ball while your lower body drives forward. This helps the club travel up through impact, squares the face, and delivers those long, accurate tee shots you’ve been craving.

Results You Can Feel Immediately

When you make this two second change, you’ll notice the difference straight away. The low point of your swing will move behind the golf ball, the club will be travelling upwards through impact, and you’ll gain valuable extra distance without feeling like you’re swinging harder. Even slight mishits off the toe or heel will still fly long and straight, making this one of the most forgiving changes you can make to your driver setup.

If you’re hungry for even more distance, keep the same setup but try swinging a little faster. As long as you maintain that upward strike and square face, the ball will just keep going further without sacrificing control. Remember, speed does not mean you lose accuracy—as long as your delivery is solid.

Why This Works

The mistake most golfers make is catching the ball too early in the downswing, when the clubface has less time to square up. With this new setup, you’ll catch the ball later in your swing arc, giving the clubface more time to close and dramatically improving your chances of finding the fairway with a powerful, high launch.

Make the Change and See the Difference

If you’re ready for longer and straighter drives, all it takes is this simple setup adjustment. Move your driver head back two heads behind the ball at address, keep your sternum behind the ball, and enjoy the results. I guarantee you’ll see a big difference in both distance and accuracy off the tee.

If you’d like personal feedback on your swing or more tailored advice, I offer online lessons through Skillest. Whether you’re near or far, I’d love to help you take your driver game to the next level.

Watch the Full YouTube Video

Want to see this tip in action and hear more about how it works? Watch the full lesson on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s77bBaAy1YI

The post Add 30 Yards to Your Drives with This Simple Tip appeared first on Ali Taylor Golf.

Let’s be honest: the driver can be the most frustrating club in the bag. You want to hit it a mile, but you also want to find the fairway. Most golfers get stuck between these two goals, trying to hit the ball hard but steering it at the same time. This often leads to poor contact and that dreaded slice out to the right, even if you occasionally pull off one of those seemingly effortless bombs down the middle.

The Real Key: Low to High, Not High to Low

The most common mistake I see is hitting down on the driver, which leads to a steep out-to-in path and an open club face. This combination robs you of both distance and accuracy. Instead, the key is to get the clubhead travelling up through impact, not down. Imagine your swing moving from low to high through the ball, rather than the other way around. This simple change instantly helps the club path move more out to the right, encouraging a better launch and straighter shots.

The Setup That Sets You Up for Success

To make this work, a small tweak at address makes a massive difference:

• Move the ball forward in your stance (but make sure it really is forward)
• Let your right hand run down your leg towards your knee as you take your grip
• This automatically sets your left shoulder higher than your right and gives you a bit of spine tilt away from the target
• Pull your right foot back slightly so your whole body is aligned a little to the right

This setup encourages that low-to-high swing and promotes a much more positive attack angle through impact.

The Swing Thought: Throw the Club Low to High

Once you’re in this new setup, make a few practice swings focusing on keeping the clubhead low in the backswing and then swinging up through the ball. It should feel like you’re trying to ‘throw’ the clubhead from low to high, out to the right. This isn’t about hitting harder, it’s about swinging more freely and letting the club release properly.

Don’t worry if the first few strikes aren’t perfect. Even on a less-than-ideal strike, you’ll notice improved launch, more carry, and a straighter flight. The magic is in delivering the club more efficiently—not necessarily swinging faster.

Let Go of Tension for Real Gains

A big trap is trying to hit the driver as hard as possible. When you tighten up at impact, you actually stop the clubhead from releasing and often leave the face open. Instead, keep your swing relaxed and think about throwing the clubhead up and out through the ball. You’ll gain speed, hit it longer, and keep the ball in play more often.

Put It All Together: Your Routine for Success

Here’s a quick step-by-step to embed these changes:

1. Set up with the ball forward, right hand down, left shoulder high
2. Right foot pulled back, body aimed to the right
3. Feel that spine tilt away from the target
4. Focus on swinging the clubhead from low to high, out to the right
5. Let the club release naturally for effortless power

With these tweaks, you’ll see a real difference in both distance and accuracy off the tee. The best part? You don’t have to swing harder—just smarter.

If you need tailored advice or want to work on your swing in more detail, I offer online lessons on Skillest. I’d love to help you find your best driver swing, wherever you are in the world.

Watch the Full YouTube Video

For a full walk-through, watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwX3F5DWp1o

The post Unlock Effortless Power and Accuracy With Your Driver appeared first on Ali Taylor Golf.

If I was starting golf again, or even if I was just struggling with poor ball striking, there’s one drill I would work on more than any other. This simple yet highly effective exercise is the key to striking the ball solidly, hitting it accurately, and unlocking great distance. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, there’s nothing quite like the feel of a perfectly struck shot—where the ball rockets off the face, soars towards the target, and lands with purpose.

Why Most Golfers Struggle with Ball Striking

Too often, I see golfers hitting fat shots—where the club hits the ground before the ball—or well-struck shots that veer wildly off line. Both rob you of distance and consistency, and both come down to two main fundamentals: where your club bottoms out and how you control the club face through impact.

Two Fundamentals for Consistent Ball Striking

1. Ball Then Turf Contact

   The bottom of your swing should always be just after the ball, on the target side. This ensures you get that crisp “ball then turf” strike that feels so good and launches the ball with power. If your low point is behind the ball, you’ll fat it. If it's too far ahead, you risk thinning the shot. Learning to control this low point is essential.

2. Closing the Club Face Through Impact

   As you work on shifting your low point forwards, you’ll naturally create more shaft lean at impact. The challenge is that more forward shaft lean can leave the club face open, sending shots out to the right. To combat this, you need to develop the ability to close the club face through impact to keep your shots straight and powerful.

The Drill: Short Swing, Down and Towards the Target

Here’s how I like to coach this drill:

• Take a shorter backswing than usual, only to about waist or chest high.
• As you start down, focus on shifting your weight down and towards the target—before you let your upper body turn out of the way.
• The goal is to create that low point after the ball, so you strike ball then turf.

Many golfers make the mistake of turning the upper and lower body too quickly from the top, which throws the club out and forces you to back away to find the strike. Instead, make that initial move down and forwards.

Once you’re comfortable with the shift, add the feeling of rotating the club face through impact. Let your wrists unhinge and uncock earlier than you might think. Avoid trying to “hold the angle” in your wrists too long, as this keeps the club face open.

What to Look For

If you’re doing this right, you’ll notice the following:

• The low point of your swing is after the ball, creating ball-first contact.
• The club is travelling down into the ball.
• The club face is closing through impact, helping the ball start left or even draw.

A great sign you’re nailing the drill is seeing the ball go left of target with this shorter swing. That shows you’re releasing and closing the face, which is exactly what’s needed to counteract the shaft lean.

Why This Drill Works

Solid contact out of the middle of the club transfers energy efficiently, giving you more distance. More forward shaft lean delofts the club, helping you compress the ball and maximise power. Most importantly, if you consistently control your low point, your strike, shot shape, and distance will all improve.

As you lengthen your swing, keep the same fundamentals: shift down and towards the target, then release the club face. This will help your full swings become more powerful and accurate. If you can master this drill, you’re on your way to the best ball striking of your life.

Online Lessons for Personalised Feedback

If you’re struggling to implement this on your own, or want tailored feedback, I offer online lessons through Skillest. A few personalised sessions can make a huge difference to your ball striking and overall confidence on the course.

Watch the Full YouTube Video

For a full demonstration and more detailed explanation, watch the complete video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA0nMxdYOzY

The post The Best Drill for Pure Ball Striking appeared first on Ali Taylor Golf.