Improve your scores by finding more fairways

• By Ed Oldham, SwingFix Instructor
• Mar 22, 2013 7:00 AM ET

Everyone wants to enjoy their days and have success on the golf course, and hitting more fairways off the tee is one key to shooting lower scores.

Here are three tips to help you hit more fairways:

• Grip down on your driver. If you choke down on your driver, this will tend to give you more control and allow you to hit the ball in the center of the clubface more often. Due to the gear effect, off-center hits tend to curve off line more than center hits do. The effective shorter length when you choke down on your driver will give you more control.

• Switch to a fairway wood. Loft is forgiving. A 3-wood or 5-wood is shorter than your driver, which will add control, plus the added loft on your fairway wood will allow you to hit straighter shots off the tee. This can be a great strategy on shorter, tighter par 4s and 5s.

• Play your curve. If you tend to hit the ball left to right, tee the ball on the right side of the tee box and then aim down the left side of the fairway. Your natural curve will bring the ball back to the middle more often. If you tend to draw or hook the ball, tee it up on the left side of the tee and aim down the right side.

Try these tips out the next time you play. You’ll put the ball in the fairway more often and that will lead to better scores.

Take an online lesson with Ed Oldham.