I am amazed when I watch or read new driver reviews that manufacturers are still “indicating” that the sweet spot is both getting larger and is still in the centre of the clubface.

If we take a look at the way a golf club is designed, the modern day driver is geared towards “forgiveness”.

Changing the position of the clubs COG (Centre of gravity) and increasing the MOI (Moment of inertia) manufacturers are able to change the way the ball reacts when hit.

Lowering the centre of gravity allows for a higher launching club, paramount in increasing distance.

The more energy that can be transferred through the club face in to the ball will also help create more distance.

Add in a few other “tech” things that most golfers don´t understand and certainly don´t need to understand and you have a modern driver that will almost certainly outperform your old persimmon club.

Include into the mix the development in the shaft and you have a real recipe for success.

With all the hype and advertising that surrounds the latest models and the almost unprecedented affect they will have on the distance that you can achieve, it is no wonder so many golfers are left a little disappointed with their new purchases, especially when they were custom fit at a demo day.

But behind all the technology and the promises to make your off-centre hits straighter and longer there is an important piece of information that they are failing to pass on the to the end user.

I want you to think back to the demo day;

Were you hitting balls of a predetermined tee (plastic range tee) or were you hitting from grass?

If you were hitting from grass you were probably given a tee and I would almost guarantee that the tee was taller than the tee you normally use.

There is a reason behind this and that is to get the ball higher up on the clubface.

Why would you want to hit the ball higher than the centre of the face?

Simple, because that is where the “sweet spot” is located.

If you have hit the ball from the bottom of the club (centre or below centre) I am sure that you have felt how “dull” the club felt, a heavy contact that resulted in a loss of distance.

Do you want to hit the ball longer? Then tee the ball high and watch it fly. At least 2/3 of the ball should be visible from behind the driver.

Get rid of your plastic tees and buy a packet of the longest wooden tees you can find.

Head to the range and experiment with the height and see which yields the most positive results.