A vital component to improving to achieving those all-important hole-in-ones is ensuring you drive the ball straight. So to help you dominate the course, here are our top tips on how you can drive your ball in a straight line.

1. Make contact with the middle of the driver’s head

First, you must have good contact in the middle of the driver's head. One of the best ways to practice this and give yourself continuous feedback is by using chalk spray on the head of the club before hitting the ball, this will leave a spot on the club head giving the exact position of the contact with the ball.

One of the main reasons for bad contact with the ball is the downswing stage of hitting the ball, and that’s just the problem; it's called a downswing for a reason. However, many beginners and intermediate golfers try to hit straight at the ball rather than developing a clean downward curved action on the swing and hitting the ball square on.

2. Make adjustments to your swing path and direction

Next, adjust your swing path and direction. Most right-handed players tend to cut across the ball to the left, due to the natural rotation of the hips. You can compensate for this in a limited way by a very slight adjustment of the feet. But the best way to correct this is to think differently when hitting the ball, and instead of using hip rotation think of the hips pushing forward in the direction of the target.

Top tip: A simple exercise to practice is hold a bucket with something like a tennis ball or even a small amount of water in it and take up a drive stance holding the bottom of the bucket with one hand and the top with the other and swing it as if you were throwing a bucket of water in a fire in the direction you want the ball to go in. Your hips will naturally go in the direction of the target. To fire the contents of the bucket in the direction you want it to go in, you will minimise hip rotation and be forced to thrust the hips in a forward motion. In other words, you are pushing all your energy forward in the direction of the target.

3. Warm up your swing

It’s vital to warm up your swing and get the blood circulating and muscles warm. Don’t go out on the driving range and smash a load of balls without warming up. Start off with half swings or quarter swings using a short iron and get a feel for the ball before going for full power drives.

When you have finished 7-10 short pitches, start to lengthen your shots. Then go to a 7 iron and do the same, until you have worked through your bag. Just work on getting a smooth unhurried swing before the game.

4. Improve flexibility

When you look at the movement for a powerful drive, it requires a lot of flexibility. Golf requires a wide range of back and hip flexibility, so take getting flexible for improving your game seriously. Plus as you get older flexibility is essential if you don’t want to pick up injuries that will limit your time on the golf course. Fitness and flexibility can make a huge difference in being able to achieve a strong accurate straight drive.