Attack the Par 4s! Get more aggressive with your driver using these keys

For many amateur golfers, the difference between a good and a bad round often comes down to how they play the par 4s. Data from millions of rounds collected by Arccos Golf shows that the average driving distance for amateur men is about 225 yards each year, and it’s about 178 yards for amateur women. Those numbers should tell you how important it is to put the ball in the fairway off the tee on a par 4. (On a par 5, it’s important, too, but you’ve got an extra shot to bail yourself out of trouble.)

If your driver has been squirrely lately, give your swing a check-up with the following keys you can use to your advantage on four-shot holes.

Address

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Lower your trail shoulder slightly (right shoulder for righties), and feel a bit more pressure through your trail foot. Widen your stance so your heels are just outside shoulder width. These adjustments create a foundation to support speed and the proper upward angle of attack. Oh, and tee it high.

Backswing

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Focus on winding your torso so that your lead shoulder (left for righties) turns behind the ball, allowing your lead heel to lift slightly off the ground. This move is common among many great drivers. It puts the club in position to swing down from inside the target line and catch the ball on the upswing.

Downswing

Instead of trying to shift toward the target as you reach the top, focus on rotating your lead hip, getting it turning behind you (meaning away from the target, above). If you minimize a forward shift while increasing rotation of your pelvis, you ensure an upward blow that optimizes launch conditions. Your ball will fly higher with less spin, putting you in position to attack par 4s, instead of playing them defensively.

ROBIN SYMES is a master instructor at the Golfzon Leadbetter HQ Academy at the Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Fla.