Hitting the Driver

[northern33]

I have been having problems staying consistent and straight with my driver. I just got fit for a new shaft so hopefully that should help, but I don't think it will cure my constant slice/fade. I find it wierd because I hit my irons dead straight with a bit of a fade sometimes. I am a great ball striker with my irons but can't hit my woods consistently at all. I would rather hit a 4 iron than a hybrid...I just have confidence over my irons and none over any type of wood. I know people will suggest to take lessons but I dont have the time, money, or motivation to do so. So, can anyone suggest any type of cure for my brutal wood play considering that I hit my irons well and I am not a terrible golfer( 11 handicap). I would classify myself as a feel player, so any tips that could help me feel what I am doing wrong when hitting my woods would be much appreciated, rather than technical advice. Thanks.

[jvincent]

One obvious one, try moving the ball back in your stance and inch or so with the driver.

If you want to get really wacky try the following which worked really well for me. No comments from the peanut gallery that has played with me, because you know it works really well.

Try setting up with the toe of the driver one ball width INSIDE the ball when it is teed up. Then just take the club back and swing at the ball. Don't think about trying to hit it in the middle of the clubface. In fact don't think about anything. Note that the not thinking part works for any setup.

This will pretty much guarantee that you are coming at the ball from the inside and you will need to trust your swing for it to work.

[BC MIST]

I would classify myself as a feel player, so any tips that could help me feel what I am doing wrong when hitting my woods would be much appreciated, rather than technical advice. Thanks.

So you really don't want help. If you slice you need your mechanics changed. That's technical. When you understand what you are doing(technical) and what you then need to do(technical) then you can find your own feels. The cart comes before the horse.

[Started2k3]

I had a similar problem when I started playing. In my case it was all mental. To break my paradigm, so as part of my pre-shot routine I would actually tell my wood (out loud and mean it) - "You are just a really big iron" - address the ball and then hit. It worked for me.

[northern33]

So you really don't want help. If you slice you need your mechanics changed. That's technical. When you understand what you are doing(technical) and what you then need to do(technical) then you can find your own feels. The cart comes before the horse.

Ok...maybe I worded it poorly but I want some help but I know as soon as I mention my problem I would get a ton of highly technical( elbow here, lined up there make sure this blah, blah, blah). If I had enough time time to re-consctuct my swing and wanted to take golf super-seriously I would appreciate the highly technical advice and would make a conscious effort to get lessons and work on my swing. Obviously I need some technical help but the idea behind what I was saying was that I don't want my swing picked apart because I am comfortable and pretty satisfied with it overall. Because I know when I start tweeking with my swing for my driver, my iron play will go to hell or it will take me 3 months to get accustomed to my "new" swing. I have read some of your previous posts and it sounds like you know what you are talking about( not that I would know because I don't know right from wrong when it comes to golf advice etc.). So basically what I want is some advice...the less technical the better just to help me straighten out my driver and regain confidence in it.( I was hitting it pretty straight last year and I had the utmost confidence in it and want to get back to that with the least amount of swing re-construction). If any of that made any sense at all...I would definitely appreciate any advice you have. Thanks

[Wknd_Warrior]

It does sound like you've got it too far forward. Try capturing some of that driving though feeling you've probably got going with your irons. You may hit sme pop flies, but I'm thinking it might capture the feel of a better swing path.

[dbleber]

It's hard to say "move the ball back" when he makes no mention of ball position. For all we know he has it in the middle of his stance right now (which is too far back for driver) and moving it back further would be even worse.

I feel youpain. I am hitting my long irons great right now, but my driver has a mind of its own. I can get on a streak and hit some good drives but on average I am cutting the ball all the time. Some of it is timing, just not there yet. But I think the mental pressure we put on ourselves to hit the big stick is the bigger problem. Basically, we try to hard which makes your muscle tense and you get jumpy. Only thing to do is try and find away to relax and just swing the club on your tempo. Easier said then done adn I'm hoping that this works for me as well.

[BC MIST]

Before any suggestions can be given we need to know you ball flight patterns. "Slice/fade" narrows it down to two as a fade is a shot that starts slightly left of your target line and gently curves back to your target line. This is a good shot and played by many Tour professionals. However, my description of a fade may not be an accurate description of your ball flight. So, tell us where your ball starts relative to the target line and where it ends up. If it starts left and ends up right, you have some work to do. If it starts on or to the right of the target line, the problem can be solved easily.

You hit your irons straight and this indicates a good swing path and club face position. The same obviously does not hold true for your longer clubs. Ironically, it is easier to develop a good inside swing path with the woods as the longer club provides a flatter plane angle. If you are going to outside-in slice, you are more likely to do it with the shorter clubs with their more upright plane angle.

This suggests to me that with the driver, the length of your swing MAY be too long where your lead arm breaks down a little OR where you may loosen your grip without feeling it happen and when you regrip it you come over the top. If there a conscious or subconscious desire to pound the snot out of the ball, or, hit anxiety, the shoulders too laterally, the arms come out and a slice results. It also could be that your weight is not shifting forward with the longer clubs, and you hang back, arms come and the slice occurs. This is also easily cured.

So tell us where the ball starts and ends up and then an appropriate suggestion can be given.

[leftylucas]

I, like you have always had a natural fade and naturally my swingpath was always slightly out to in but within very acceptable limits. I can tell you a "feel" cue that helped me straighten the slice to a fade to a draw with my driver (prior to changing my swing). I was told to feel the club slightly behind me on the end of the backswing and to aim for the inside quadrant of the ball. This promoted a downswing that was more on an inside aproach and voila after a couple of range buckets I saw a difference in my ball flight, straighter even a draw.

The best advice though would be to take lessons and have a pro look at your swing. He or she could then assess the cause of the driving woes. There are pros who teach more a "feel" style but dress like you want it will still require a mechanical alteration. I changed my swing this past winter with the help of a very good teacher on a tip from BC Mist and it has turned my game around. I am only 5 games into the year and still getting used to the swing but already I am shooting scores close to my best and I feel that I can so so much better.

Hope this helps

[Thimble]

could you not switch to a driver with a slight draw bias or an offset?

it could also be that the shaft on your driver is too stiff.

the other possibility is that your swing is too steep for woods which need more of a "sweeping" flat swing plane. make sure that the club head gets a full rotation at the end of your follow through.

driver is the toughest club to hit and it'll exagerrate any weak spots in your swing. it's not uncommon for it to be the worst club in one's bag...