Ross Fisher's Total Driving

The Beauty of Modern Technology

When I first came out on Tour, if you wanted to tweak a driver, you had to tell the guys in the truck what you specifically needed, and they’d go and find a head, find a shaft, glue it and put a grip on. Interchangeable shafts, and being able to tweak the loft at the drop of a hat have made driver testing a lot easier for us. I hit two drives with Nike’s new Vapor at the Dunhill last year and put it straight in the bag. I feel like my numbers have gone up from the old Covert 2.0. My clubhead speed was probably around 114-115mph at my best, whereas with the new Vapor I’ve had a few in the high 116s to 117mph. Every mile an hour would be two to four yards, so I would say I’m now carrying it close to ten yards further if I get a good one.

Helped By the Grooves

I know the groove changes were brought in to make us think twice about hitting driver everywhere, but I’ve always been an aggressive player and like to hit driver whenever I can. I probably hit driver more often than other players because driving is one of my strengths. I’m probably straighter with my driver than I am with my 3-wood, which sounds a bit crazy, but when I’m on, my driving is very, very solid. So for me the groove change hasn’t really altered my game plan off the tee. In fact, because I spin the ball more than enough, the groove changes have almost helped me around the greens.

Back to Basics

I wouldn’t say I have any specific drills for accuracy, but the most important thing you can do if you’re struggling for accuracy is to make sure you’re lined up correctly. I always carry a couple of canes in my golf bag, and put those down on the ground to make sure I’m set up correctly to my target. I try not to get too flicky with the hands on the takeaway, or take it too much inside or outside the line. But the biggest thing [my coach] Denis Pugh is trying to get me to do with my driving is to go back on a good path, but then make sure I carry the speed I generate, and hit through the ball and release, rather than hold back on it. If I hold back on it through impact, I’m going to come in either with a shut face so it starts left and goes left, or with an open face, which will start right and go right.