Point the grip at the ball

Stay connected to the tee. One of the best ways to become a straight hitter is to learn how the club should swing through the ball and not at the ball in a smooth, centered motion. To do that, the body ought to rotate all the way through the shot, and the arms should extend into the finish. Without thinking too much about your body, try this simple tip. Take a few slow swings and clip a tee in the process. As your hands reach about chest high (as you see in the photo), see if the butt of the club is pointing directly at (or close to) the tee. If your arms collapse, or if you sway and slide during your swing, you won’t be able to point at the tee in the way I am. Practice this tip daily until you can point the grip at the tee without thinking about it, and you’ll likely see fast improvements in your ballstriking. Remember, the better your ballstriking, the straighter your shots.

X marks the spot. When your arms reach waist high, not only should the grip point at the tee, but the arms should cross and form an X, as I’m doing here. It’s proof of a solid extension through impact as well as full upper body turn. Speaking of which, if you don’t turn fully on the downswing, you can’t extend the arms properly. Notice how my arms are in front of my chest, even though it’s well after I’ve made contact with the ball. This is how you want to look at this point in the swing.

Correct Position

InCorrect Position

Not for drivers. There are some shots in golf where this follow through works—bump-and-runs, maybe even some bunker hits. But with the driver, if I don’t release my hands, I’ll lose a ton of consistency, not to mention power. See how I’m leaning away from the ball? That’s not a good sign either, both for my back and for producing solid tee shots. Allow your hands to release through the swing and keep your weight forward to improve your tee hits.