Golferpros is supported by its readers, buying through our links may cause us to earn a commission.

man in pink socks playing golf

What a Golfer Aims for When Driving

Updated On June 24, 2022

What do you aim for when driving your golf club? Think of how and where you aim your shots. Do you aim somewhere around the left of the center to achieve your slice? Do you point your club face casually to the middle of the fairway?

Do you select a particular target and then align your body and club before you swing? Aiming for the fairway is a big target and it is not something you can achieve without the right strategy.

In this post, we will provide a couple of tips to improve your game and learn what a golfer aims for when driving. Let’s get started!

In general, the fairway is the aim of every golfer when driving. Aiming for the fairway is a big target and it is not something you can achieve without the right strategy.

This post offers tips and tricks you can use to improve your game and achieve your aim.

man playing golf

Getting Started – What does a Golfer Aim for When Driving?

The Fairway! Yes, that is what every golfer aims for when driving. Many beginners in the game of golf assume that any shot that could find the short grass is good enough to hit the fairway target. Unfortunately, this is not the right way to drive your ball accurately.

If you do not hit the fairway, you leave yourself with nothing but tougher shots to get to the greens. When you aim for somewhere to the left of the center to attain a slice or casually point your golf club face to the middle of the fairway, you hurt your game.

First, your clubface and body are mismatched, and this can cause your shots to excessively curve. Also, it is unlikely that you will swing with the right focus when aiming when you have a wide berth of a target.

If you are lucky to hit the fairway, even with the flaws in your driving range, your next shot is likely to be positioned poorly to hit the green. Instead of lining up casually and nonchalantly, it is best to learn some tips to achieve more accurate drives.

Getting Better – Aiming a Golf Driver

The first thing to establish here is that precision aiming offers you more margin for error for your ball position. Not only that; but it also puts you in an easy position for easier shots. While hitting the fairway may not be very important to professional golfers, it is an integral part of the game.

a clear golf course

Of course, you may not bother if you have the strength to score the ball right from the rough and regularly pound high-figure drives while practicing or playing. If this is not you, then you should get the hang of how to aim a golf driver to hit fairways. So, how do you do this? Here are the top tips to help in your golf driving.

Identify the Perfect Spot for an Approach Shot

Having the right strategy for driving range golf clubs is crucial. Having a good strategy means you are always thinking a shot ahead. Most greens on par 4 and 5 holes are designed to be more accessible from a side of the fairway.

That means you may need to rough it or carry hazards from the other side of the fairway where the approach from a good side is free of trouble. For a good aim, first, determine the perfect approach angle. If you are sure you can attain it with your drive, then aim straight at it.

Select an Accurate Target

First, you must know the specific position where you want your drive to end. Mark a tree in the distance, an out-of-reach landmark, or a lane in the fairway and align it with your target. The goal is to hit your golf drive at your spot directly. With this, even if you miss the target by a couple of yards, you will still be within the fairway. (1)

Put Shot Roll and Shape into Consideration

Every golfer has a shot they depend on regularly or a natural shot shape. For instance, if your drives often fade, it means they hit the ground while moving to the right with a rightward sidespin touch.

Your drives would always roll in the same direction. If you want to finish in the center with the golf driving range in the fairway, you should select a target that is slightly left to the center and set up your drive accordingly.

Precision aiming is critical as it offers you more error margin than a wide berth aiming. Aiming for a precise location will align you for easier approach shots with your golf club.

old man in a golf course

Getting Better, Deep Dive Into Playing Golf at a Driving Range

Playing golf at a driving range requires proper alignment of your body and a good swing motion. When there is a flaw in any of these elements of your game, you will have significantly worse shots.

It is quite tempting to want to swing the club face as hard as you can with the belief that it is the best way to achieve a long shot. While you may achieve a long shot, it may be a route to trouble. So, here are tips on how to hit a golf ball at a driving range.

Address the Ball Appropriately

It is crucial to understand the best way to handle the ball as this can offer a new perspective on the best way to achieve a good aim. Position your clubface in the right direction toward your target.

Make sure your feet and shoulders are aligned with the target and use the golf club to enable your feet to line up behind the ball. If you are a new golfer, spend time practicing this posture to get comfortable with it before you swing and take your shot. (2)

Picture the Shot before You Take It

Stand behind the golf ball and visualize the shot as you pick a spot ahead of where you want the ball to stop. You should get as realistic as possible while doing this to avoid spending a long time visualizing instead of swinging. When you visualize your shot, you have a good idea of what you should do to achieve your result.

mid-aged man playing golf

Correct Your Swing Motion

Ensure that the weight shift happens before going into the downswing. This will ensure better control of the club head and avoid hooking. You may need some practice and adjusting to do to achieve this. We recommend that you take a couple of practice swings before taking a shot. You can also practice at home.

Wrapping Up

The fairway is the aim of every golfer when driving. While you may not hit your shot at the beginning of your game as a beginner, the more you practice and use the tips highlighted in this post, the better you will become. With time, you will have the competence to play golf at a driving range like a pro.

Take a look at some of our related articles below.




References
(1) landmark – https://travel.usnews.com/gallery/the-30-most-famous-landmarks-in-the-world
(2) posture – https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/4485-back-health-and-posture

About the author 

Bobby Hurst

Bobby Hurst Is the founder of golferpros.com. He has been an avid golfer and instructor for over 20 years. He has always been passionate about the sport for as long as he can remember and considers the GolferPros.com site as a passion project where he gets to share his love of golf with other avid golfers. He considers golf to be a sport that exercises both the mind and body; which is why you will constantly find him out on the course at least once a week. On his games, he enjoys trying out new techniques, and equipment. You can find his golfing tips, and reviews on some of the best golfing equipment on the site.