Regardless of what anyone says, everyone wants to drive their golf ball deeper than the next guy. The reason guys like John Daly or Tiger Woods are stars is not because of their awesome short game: it is because we like watching them send that ball strait down the green. Every golfer watching is wishing they could do the same thing when they hit the links with the guys. After all, nobody ever brags about their putting.

Maybe you never will be a John Daly, but you can still have powerful drives that make others sit up and take notice. In addition, you can lower your score, have more confidence and enjoy the game more.

Driving is a matter of basic mechanics, with six key steps to increasing your drive and having more power from the tee.

• You want a wide stance for balance.
• For right handed players, point your left foot more toward the target
• Be calm. Hurry will not help, and will probably hurt.
• Take the head of the club as far back as possible in the backswing.
• Swing hard, and focus on the right hand
• Use the wind whenever possible.

There is no substitute: good techniques beget good drives. Yes, that is self-evident, but seldom taken to heart. Practice is a huge part of driving deeper. Whenever possible, practice your technique at the driving range, focusing on the fundamentals as described above. Remember, practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. If you keep practicing the way you have been, you will continue to get the same results you have been getting.

Good technique starts when you decide to hit the ball. You find the target you want and decide the way the ball should go, and then get into a stance designed to give you every advantage. Make your stance as wide as possible without being awkward. This will give you power and stability and the strong base it gives you will help for a more powerful swing. It is a good idea to shift approximately 60-65% of your weight to the left foot, to develop a more powerful coil action.

Have you ever watched Greg Norman drive? He always makes certain his toe is pointed where he wants the ball to go; that is good advice to follow. He also waves the driver over the ball, loosening up to improve his rhythm. Will that help? Well, it can't hurt.

At the top of the backswing, try to get a full 90 degree turn to your shoulders. Actually, your back should be facing the direction you want the ball to go. For an example, watch John Daly drive; his exaggerated shoulder turn is incredible. While he is often asked how he drives so deep, his answer always revolves around his shoulder turn and his strong technique. In addition, he has a great rhythm to his swing and is nearly always in sync.

After your backswing has reached the top, it is time to downswing. This is no place to hurry; be patient. By hurrying, you will swing straight to the ball and lose all the power from your swing. In all actuality, you will probably miss the ball. If you want an example of one of the best downswings out there, look at Fred Couples. That man's downswing is near perfect.

One thing you want to focus on is making sure your left arm is strait when you swing. Keeping the arm straight will keep the head of the club oriented the right way so you will hit the ball squarely. The last thing you want is a hesitant or jerky swing; fight to keep your swing clean and smooth. Always drive through the ball, not merely to the ball. Bring the right hand in and hit hard.

On last thing; playing with the wind is not cheating. There is nothing wrong with using the wind to push the ball further and to give you more distance. If the wind is behind you, tee up a bit higher than you normally would to get a higher flight and more carry on your ball. The result? More distance. Likewise, if you are driving into the wind, tee down more than you normally would.

By diligently practicing these techniques, you will begin to see serious improvements in your game and more distance and power in your drives. Maybe we can't all be Tiger Woods, but we can all drive better and further.