– Guest Contribution by Susie Meyers, PGA
“Tee it high and let it fly!”
Most golfers have heard this statement before and it really is a good one!
The driver is the club that you can create the most speed with. Some players can actually get the clubhead moving 130 miles per hour. At that speed, when the clubface meets the ball there are 1600 pounds of force going into the ball. The ball can almost turn into a pancake! The ball is in contact with the clubface for 0.0004 seconds, that is 800 times faster than the blink of an eye.
As the club moves quickly, the stroke actually expands and the club raises. Think of the swing ride at a carnival or fair in which the swings are suspended from the rotating tip of the carousel. When the ride starts and the carousel starts rotating with speed, the seats rise and move outward. This same concept happens with your driver, if you allow it to.
As the club rises, the ball is swept off the tee. Many times the tee is left right in the ground. It doesn’t move. You will want to stand far enough away to allow the club to rise. Set the ball more toward the toe of the club face at address. As the club rises, the center of the face will move right to the ball.
