Zephyr Melton
Rob Lowe says this drill from Rod Pampling transformed his ability to hit the driver.
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Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.
Golf is a great game because it can be enjoyed by just about everyone. Go to a golf course and you’re sure to find people of all demographics. There aren’t too many sports that can accommodate everyone quite like golf.
The game also has a way of humbling just about everyone who plays it. It’s impossible to achieve perfection, and everyone from the weekend hacks to the best in the world are reminded of that fact every day. The golf ball doesn’t care who you are when you’re swinging the club. The only thing that matters is how the clubface impacts the ball.
Watching celebs, politicians and athletes play golf reminds us of this fact each time we see them tee it up. While in their day-to-day life they are titans of industry, on the golf course they have just as tough a time at hitting the ball straight as you or me. But just like you or me, most of them are obsessed with finding that one swing thought that helps them hit it better.
Actor Rob Lowe recently gave us a great example of just that. And while playing in a Champions Tour pro-am, he got some advice from Rod Pampling that transformed his driving. Check it out below.
Rob Lowe’s game-changing lesson
Getting the ball off the tee safely is crucial if you want to lower your handicap. Most of the time, that’s easier said than done.
To hit a driver efficiently, you need to make sure your lead shoulder is higher than your trail shoulder at impact. This increases the angle of attack and helps you hit up on the ball, which helps get the ball in the air and further down the fairway.
Lots of amateurs struggle to get the proper tilt away from the target and instead keep their shoulders level throughout the swing. Lowe is one such example.
To help fix this issue, Pampling gave the actor a simple drill.
All you need to do is stand in your golf posture with your driver. But instead of standing like you’re addressing the ball, hold the head of the driver on the ground with shaft pointing straight up. Then extend your lead arm and place your hand on the butt of the grip.
From this position, swing your right arm back while focusing on keeping the lead shoulder in it’s place. When you do it correctly, you’ll feel your lead shoulder staying higher than your trail shoulder throughout the swing.
“What I like is that you don’t even have to be on the range to do it,” Lowe says. “Frankly the best place to do it — and I say this as a vain, narcissistic actor — is in front of the mirror.”
If you struggle to hit up on the ball with the driver, give this drill a try. Once you ingrain the feel, it’ll be easier than ever to get in the proper position to hit up on the ball and bomb it down the fairway.
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Zephyr Melton
Golf.com Editor
Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.
