The saying that golfers “drive for show and putt for dough” discounts the importance of driving accuracy. Amateurs sacrifice far too many strokes on balls hit into the rough, bunkers, trees, water or out of bounds. 

If you struggle to find the fairway, try these simple fixes: 

• Widen your stance: A lack of stability makes it difficult to turn and transfer weight properly. With the driver, the insides of both feet should be directly beneath the outsides of the shoulders. This will keep your lower body solidly in place, improving your clubhead path and contact. 

• Check your alignment: Sloppy aim assures one of two results: You’ll hit the ball where you’re lined up (i.e. off-target), or your body will subconsciously compensate by swinging toward the target, causing a swing path that doesn’t match your alignment and produces a hook or slice. Always pick an object directly between your ball and the target, then line up your clubface and body accordingly. 

Use a shorter driver: As clubmakers seek to satisfy a distance-obsessed public, they’ve upped the standard driver length to 45 inches. This is simply too long for many golfers, who are either too short or lack the mechanics to square the clubface with a shaft that long. If you’re using a 45” (or longer) driver and can’t hit it straight, consider cutting off an inch or two – or swapping it for a shorter one.