When you drop-kick a tee shot, it means the driver is crashing into the ground and ricocheting into the ball, which costs you serious clubhead speed. It usually happens when you start with too much weight on your left foot, or your weight is pitched too far onto your toes. Your right leg will tend to straighten on the backswing, and the club will move on too much of an up-and-down plane. When the club moves that steeply, you usually end up hanging back to try to lift the ball--and that leads to the drop-kick.
To fix it, center your weight at address. Your left shoulder and hip should be set slightly higher, but your weight should be evenly distributed. Keep an athletic flex in your right knee from the start (above), which will let you turn into your right side and avoid the chain reaction that leads to the drop-kick.
RANDY SMITH, ranked 13th on Golf Digest's 50 Greatest Teachers, is the head professional at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas.
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