Approximately 10% of the population is left-handed. In a world dominated by right-handed, left-handed golf drivers can have a lot of downsides. In this article, you will learn about the left handed golf tips for driving. These tips can help you excel as a left-handed golfer!
Left Handed Golf Tips For Driving: What’s The Difference Between Right And Left-hand Golf Clubs?
Rule 14-1 of Golf’s Rules states that the ball “must be fairly hit with the head of the club.” Golfers cannot effectively swing a club the way you could swing a croquet mallet or use a pool cue. They must stand either on the right side or on the ball’s left side relative to the target, which means that the clubhead must be shaped either by a right-handed or a left-handed player.
1. Club Components
The only difference between right-handed and left-handed golf clubs—other than putters—lies in the clubhead. Neither shafts nor grips are designed specifically for right-handed or left-handed players. In other words, a right-handed club head can be attached to any shaft to create a right-handed club. Putters are exceptions to this rule because putter shafts can be bent.
2. Club Heads
If you place a right-handed club head on a flat surface, with the bottom of the clubhead lying flat on the surface and the clubface facing you, the hose (the part of the club head attached to the shaft) will be angled to the right.
In the left-handed club, the hosel will be angled to the left. To hit the ball with the clubface, the player using the right-handed club stands to the right of the ball from the point of view of the target, just as the right-handed baseball player stands to the right of the home board from the point of view of the pitcher.
3. Respect Of The Lefties
Just as the majority of the population is right-handed, most golfers are also right-handed. However, major manufacturers produce left-handed versions of many golf clubs.
Most of the published golf courses are written for the right-handers, so the left-handers have to reverse the directions. On the other hand, the left-handed golfers have their national organization, the National Association of Left-handed Golfers, which holds a championship tournament every year.
4. Swinging Upside Down
Occasionally, an errant shot may leave your ball against an obstruction, such as a tree, that prevents you from taking your normal right-handed or left-handed swing. PGA Tour pro-Jerry Pate, a right-handed man, says that when faced with a situation where he can’t take a right-handed swing, he uses a 5-or 6-iron and essentially swings it upside-down.
Instead of the clubhead touching the ground at the address, the club head’s toe will touch the ground. Pate takes a left-handed stance, chokes up on the club, then uses a long stroke to get the ball out of trouble.
Left Handed Golf Tips For Driving: Player’s Guide To Left-handed Golf
Golf can be as simple as using a club to sink a golf ball into its respective hole! For left-wingers, however, it can be a challenge. Of golfers, only 5 to 7 percent are left-handed. Thus, most of the teaching materials in golf are right-wing; and golf instructors mostly teach the right-handed way of playing.
Which, in turn, makes people think that this is the only correct way to play. Since drivers are typically used at the start of the game to strike a golf ball off the tee, you need to sharpen your skills using your dominant hand. Assuming you already know the basics of golf, here are some useful tips for left-handed golfers that can make you enjoy and succeed in this sporadic game.
A. The Right Equipment Purchase
Custom-made golf clubs for left-handed players are challenging to acquire and are priced higher. Techniques can be learned and mastered, but specific golf equipment made explicitly for left-handed players is hard to get hold of. Although it’s not easy to acquire, left-handed golf clubs make it easier for you to perfect your swing.
If you want to improve your game, consider ordering custom clubs that fit well with your physical stats and playing strategy. It’s important to note that only 25% of all golf clubs come with a left-handed option for buyers. Some stores offer special clubs, such as left-handed golfers and putters.
However, if you have a budget, second-hand left-hand equipment can be purchased from legitimate online vendors or specialty stores.
Think About It And Play It Like A Leftie
To play golf properly, left-handed players should try to avoid playing like right-handed. Some people find it hard to readjust their swing’s direction because they are naturally left-handed, yet they still adhere to the right-handed way of playing golf.
Practice swinging your golf club in the way that is most comfortable and natural to you. It is also necessary for you to learn the right grip to avoid a slice (a dramatic curve in the flight of a golf ball). Always use your dominant hand to keep your grip steady.
B. Practice Slow Motion Gold Swing Driver
It’s pretty hard for drivers to hit with accuracy, even for righties. To improve performance, using left-hand golf drivers is a must. Moreover, focusing on accuracy rather than distance is vital, so you should keep your swing slow.
Swinging too fast can result in a hook that causes your ball to curve from left to right in flight. It is highly recommended that these swings be perfected in the practice range so that you can focus more on your precision in a controlled environment.
Doing slow motion golf swing driver practices can help improve accuracy, so be sure to let your driver do most of the work for you at his or her own moderate pace.
Left Handed Golf Tips For Driving: Learn The Left-handed Golf Drivers Basics
Apart from using a left-handed golf driver and practicing slow motion golf swing driver, there is also a need to learn more about tee height, golf ball position, player posture, and movement. Before practicing how to deal with a golf ball with a driver, you should learn the following basic knowledge.
1. Tee Height And Gold Ball Position
Start by using a large tee (over two inches) and set your tee ball high. Place the golf ball closer to your right leg, which should be about two lengths closer to the front of your right foot.
2. Player Posture
You should stand in an optimal position with your right shoulder facing the target and your right foot with your shoulder blade.
3. Movement
Fully rotating your body and hips as you hit the ball can help you achieve successful shots, as this movement dramatically improves the power of your swing.
The rotation should be led by your right hip, followed by your arms and hands. Your dominant hand, and then your dominant side, should give your driver enough power when you hit the ball.
In this case, the right-hand side leads the swing, and the left-hand side comes to an end. Stop your swing by landing on the balls of your feet. You should always practice this to avoid landing on your heels, which would reduce the power of your swing.
Left Handed Golf Tips For Driving: Hit Driver Shots For Left-handed Golfers
Few things get the golfer as pumped up as hitting the driver off the tee. It’s also a task that’s loaded with opportunities for the golfer to make mistakes. This is especially true of the left-handed golfers, who have to process instructions and teachings designed for right-handed golfers and turn them around.
Step 1
Tee the ball up high. One of the big problems most golfers face is getting shots hit by the driver in the air. Use an extra-long tee—over 2 inches—when you’re getting ready to hit your left-handed driver. Teeing a low driver is an invitation to hook the ball into the trees and get your round off to a frustrating start.
Step 2
Line up with your right shoulder facing the target. Look down, and you should see your right foot directly below your right shoulder. It’ll square your body to the green or the spot in the fairway you’re aiming for.
Step 3
Play the ball about two ball lengths closer to your front foot than your back foot. With most shots, you want to play the ball squarely in the middle of your position. With the driver and his heavy, flathead, you want to give yourself a chance to get the ball in the air. Play the ball closer to your right leg to get it to fly high.
Step 4
Slow down your swing. With a driver, all golfers are hoping to rip that 300 yards drive right down the middle. As a result, they tend to swing as hard as they can. It’s a mistake, and it leads to errant shots. Let the driver do the work. A smooth, slow swing will work better than a hard swing.
Step 5
Go to the driving range and work on your driver—not necessarily because of distance, but because of accuracy. You’ll be much happier, and you’ll score better if you can hit the driver precisely and get your hole off to a good start. Practicing with the driver at the range will help train your muscles to swing the right way when you’re on the tee.
Left Handed Golf Tips For Driving: Why You’re Supposed To Swing Up With Your Driver
For left-handed golfers to hit long drives, they need to develop a swing arc understanding. The swing arc is the circular path around the body taken by the club’s head during the swing. With each club, this arc is slightly different, and each shot has a particular arc that will best suit the player’s needs.
For example, the driver is best used with a swing arc that goes down just before the ball. This means that the ball is hit with an upward blow, maximizing the loft and the launch being transferred to the ball.
Swing Arc: Iron Vs. Woods
The best ball strikers with lofty irons understand that a slightly downward blow produces the right amount of power and backspin. This slightly descending blow occurs when the swing arc comes down just after the ball. That’s why the best players in the world, like Phil Mickelson, are taking divots after hitting an iron shot. The main difference between a swing of iron and wood is where the arc’s swing goes down.
The swing arc depends on several factors, including the club’s length and the ball’s position. The wedges are the shortest clubs in the bag, and they have a swing arc that goes down just after the center point of the position; that’s why the ball position with the wedges on the full swing is at the center of the position so that the players can strike down and through the ball producing a divot.
Drivers are the longest club in the bag and therefore have the widest, shallowest swing arc. The driver swings the arc down to the front of the position before he starts to get up when he passes the right heel. That’s why the players want the ball to be in front of the position, so they can hit the ball with an upward blow.
Final Words
Each club has a slightly different arc that needs to be taken into account when set up or during the swing. With the driver, left-handed golfers should try to ensure an upward strike to achieve the correct amount of start and distance.
