Hitting my driver
 

I am going to go to the range in a bit, Im in a tourney saturday (scramble), and need to figure out some quick tricks to get some consistency with my driver, or should I just use my 3 wood? Any tips I can work on to get some better consistency? I have a bad slice, and try to mimic ben hogans 5 fundamentals, but with a interlocking grip becuase w/ my driver, interlocking makes the ball go straighter (I use overlapping with irons etc)

Re: Hitting my driver
 

There's nothing wrong with changing to a diff grip just for the driver...nothing at all.

Do you hit your 3-wood with consistency? If so, just stick with it for the tourny and get back to working on the driver after.

Otherwise, is your slice consistent? Can you aim sufficiently left for it to go in the fairway, or all you all over the place with it? Are you transferring your weight to your left side as you come through, or hanging back on your right? (That's a common cause of a wicked slice). Do you have enough width in your swing? (Take the club back low and slow, almost on the ground for the first foot...it will 'feel' like you're taking it outside, but you're not).

Re: Hitting my driver
 

[ QUOTE ]
There's nothing wrong with changing to a diff grip just for the driver...nothing at all.

Do you hit your 3-wood with consistency? If so, just stick with it for the tourny and get back to working on the driver after.

Otherwise, is your slice consistent? Can you aim sufficiently left for it to go in the fairway, or all you all over the place with it? Are you transferring your weight to your left side as you come through, or hanging back on your right? (That's a common cause of a wicked slice). Do you have enough width in your swing? (Take the club back low and slow, almost on the ground for the first foot...it will 'feel' like you're taking it outside, but you're not).

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I use to be able to hit my 3 wood more consistently, but since Ive been working on my irons and short game so much, my driver/woods are pretty sucky. And ya, Im pretty much all over the place nowadays becuase I cant get 1 single routine down to hit consistently, and then work on that routine because i havent been working on it.


so far things I will work on:

1. taking the driver back 1 foot, very close to the ground

2. transfering weight to my front foot before I begin the downswing.

Re: Hitting my driver
 

When I was a terrible slicer - this tip worked as an emergency fix/band-aid. I think I read about it in article by Judy Rankin.

Take a couple dozen balls and your favorite iron. Maybe 7-iron. After taking your normal stance, drop your back foot back about 12 inches. So your stance is very closed. Now swing and as you hit the ball try your best to hook it off the range. It can be fun when you are able to start hitting really big hooks.

After a number of these shots move back to a normal stance and go about your business. Now pull out the driver and see how it goes.

Others can weigh in here, but this is a fun drill that will help you learn how to stop cutting across the ball. And how to stay behind the ball into impact.

Good luck!

Re: Hitting my driver
 

Don't transfer your weight BEFORE your downswing...do it AS you're making your downswing into your followthrough.

Re: Hitting my driver
 

[ QUOTE ]
Don't transfer your weight BEFORE your downswing...do it AS you're making your downswing into your followthrough.

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wrong

The first move "down" is to transfer teh weight back to your left side. That is what "starts" the downswing for any good player.

Re: Hitting my driver
 

I just got back, I sucked it up hard again, but its about 100 degrees and sticky as the booth in a porno shop, plus my back is a little sore from working out. I did get into a nice groove though for about 10 balls. When I made an effort to slow my downswing and really really slow my upswing (even so much as to pause for a few seconds at the top), I was hitting it pretty straight and about 270ish, but than I lost the groove. I think Ill go back tonight when the sun sets and try to find that grooove and stick with it through a whole bucket.

Re: Hitting my driver
 

Quick fixes?

1. Check your alignment.
2. Check your grip (is it too weak?)
3. Take a shorter backswing (for more control)
4. Put the ball more forward in your stance. (I have a wide stance with my diver, toes pointed out, and I put the ball on the heel of my front foot at address).

One drill I like to do with a 5 iron that helps me get the feeling of turning my hands over at impact (and not keeping the club face open too long) is this:

Address the ball in the middle of your stance just as if you were going to hit a regular shot. Imagine that you are standing infront of a large clock and the ball is resting at 6 O'clock. Take the club back to 9 O'clock like you would on your normal backswing. Then accelerate through the ball and end your swing at 3 O'clock.

You should be able to feel your hands and wrists "turning over" at impact and you should be able to hit the ball straight. If you're not turning your hands over you should see a lot of shots "blocked" out to the right (if you're a righty).

Re: Hitting my driver
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Don't transfer your weight BEFORE your downswing...do it AS you're making your downswing into your followthrough.

[/ QUOTE ]

wrong

The first move "down" is to transfer teh weight back to your left side. That is what "starts" the downswing for any good player.

[/ QUOTE ]

The problem is that a lot of weekend golfers will take this advice and start sliding their hips towards the target to "begin" their downswing. Then everything is all out of whack and by the time they get to impact their arms are way behind everything else.

Re: Hitting my driver
 

[ QUOTE ]
When I made an effort to slow my downswing and really really slow my upswing (even so much as to pause for a few seconds at the top),

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Slow your downswing? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]