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The Three Drives You Really Need Good news – you don’t have to change your swing to execute them BY TODD ANDERSON
N ot every tee shot calls for max distance. On some holes, it’s best just to keep the ball in play. On others, where you’re not particularly oozing with confidence, you might want to use your normal drive. The
point is, the more shots you have in your arsenal, the better equipped you’ll be to handle any situation off the tee. There are three types of tee shots I teach my players – a high bomb, a stock draw and a fairway finder. The good news is, you can put all three into play
during your next round. All you need to do is alter spin rate and trajectory by making tweaks in ball position and tee height. No other changes are necessary. For the high bomb, play the ball opposite your front instep, ahead of your left shoulder, and tee it so that three-quarters of the ball is above the topline of the club (the far-right golf ball, below) . This will allow you to catch the ball high on the face and on the upswing, maximising launch and dis- tance. One thing to note: Because of the forward ball position, aim more right (for righties) as the club won’t catch the ball until later in the swing arc. As a result, the clubface will be slightly closed relative to the path, causing the ball to draw more than usual. For a stock draw, set up one ball- width back from where you play the high bomb, opposite your front shoul- der. Tee it slightly lower so that only half the ball is above the crown of the clubhead (middle ball) . This will still al-
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low you to catch it on the upswing, but the launch and the flight should be a touch lower than the bomb. For the fairway finder, position the ball even further
ONE SWING, THREE SHOTS Adjust tee height and
PERFORM, LOOK AND LIVE LIKE A CHAMPION.
ball position to vary your drives.
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back, behind your front shoulder, and tee it down so it’s about even with the crown (far left) . This creeps the handle forward so that you’ll catch the ball slightly on the downswing with less loft. Be sure to aim more left, because contact will occur further back on the swing arc with a slightly open club- face, likely causing the ball to fade. – WITH DAVE ALLEN
TODD ANDERSON is one of Golf Digest’s Legends of Golf Instruction.
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MARCH/APRIL 2026
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