Advice needed: Grip adjustment with driver.

[TripleH68]

Background: I am a 7 handicap. Strength is in my short game/keeping the ball in play. I am not a long hitter with irons. 9-iron = 125. 7-iron = 155. 5-iron = 175.

I have been struggling a little with the driver the last few rounds. (Cleveland HiBore 8.5/Aldila stiff shaft). Sometimes I hit a playable fade, sometimes I pull it left and long.

Yesterday I tried weakening my right hand on the grip just a touch(rotating my right hand to the right). The result was hitting a higher % straighter and longer. My question: is this grip adjustment covering up something deficient in my swing? Or is it okay? Note: I have noticed with my irons lately my misses have been a pull left of target line, usually up to 20 feet or so.

Thanks. Please answer by Monday at 8pm EDT. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img].

[JTrout]

The grip adjustment is a band aid, but that's ok.

Without seeing you swing, here's my best guess (based on seeing many others with the characteristics you have):

You swing from the top. Your downswing begins by your shoulders unwinding, without yet having transistioned your weight laterally to your left foot.

When this happens, the club is rerouted (to an outside plane) and all shots are pulled. Some stay left, some slice, but they are all pulled.

Cure:
Start the downswing from the ground up.
Much like throwing a ball- we wind up, we stride, and then comes the release.
But time and time again, in golf, our lower body is passive, while we actively swing our upper body.

So, without a ball, do this (again and again):

Feet close together, backswing, stride with your left foot, downswing.
Think of it as standing in the batter's box and ground balls to little-leaguers. Toss the ball, stride swing. Toss the ball, step, swing.
Wind up, transition your weight (it starts with the feet), release.

It has to be in this order for the club to follow the proper path.
If the downswing start by transitioning the weight, many positive things follow. The main in your case is that the hands will drop slightly from the top and eliminate any possibility of you pulling the ball.
First you eliminate the pull. Then the slice will soon disappear.

After doing this till you think you've got the order, then try this:

With a 6 iron, and the ball teed up, hit some very big hooks.
Use the best grip you know how to use,
do not cheat by closing your stance at address,
start the balls right! and hook them back to the target.

See how far right you can start them, and hook them back to the target.
Pull hooks don't count. No good.

You'll find that if you set up squarely, the easiest way to start it right and draw it is to get your weight on your left side quickly.

After you can successfully hit balls that start way right and hook back to the target (with a proper grip),
then begin to tone it back to where the ball starts slightly right and draws.

This drill isn't designed to teach you to play a hook, but to get you to feel the proper sequence of events in the golf swing to generate power and control.

Sorry for the length and incoherent nature of the post.
Hope it helps some.
Feel free to pm with any questions, clarifications, comments, or curse words! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[TripleH68]

[ QUOTE ]
The grip adjustment is a band aid, but that's ok.

Without seeing you swing, here's my best guess (based on seeing many others with the characteristics you have):

You swing from the top. Your downswing begins by your shoulders unwinding, without yet having transistioned your weight laterally to your left foot.

When this happens, the club is rerouted (to an outside plane) and all shots are pulled. Some stay left, some slice, but they are all pulled.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is right on. For a number of seasons I shot in the 80s/90s with an 18 handicap because my short game was so good. One of the very reasons my short game was good was because of my "from the top" swing. I became a master at flop/pitch shots because the swing required to hit these shots came naturally to me! I already set up with an open stance and had a weak grip. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img].

After hearing my playing partners repeatedly tell me how good I could be if I figured out how to hit the ball...I took lessons. We lengthened my clubs by 3/4" and moved me closer to the ball. I was given a set of drills similar to what you are suggesting, but not as advanced.

By working on these drills and playing, my handicap has gone from 18 to 16 to 14 to 12 to 10 to 7 over five years. At this point I feel like I did when my bowling average reached 200. I have reached a level where improvement will not come as easy anymore. So your more advanced drill ideas could help.

[ QUOTE ]

Cure:
Start the downswing from the ground up.
Much like throwing a ball- we wind up, we stride, and then comes the release.
But time and time again, in golf, our lower body is passive, while we actively swing our upper body.

So, without a ball, do this (again and again):

Feet close together, backswing, stride with your left foot, downswing.
Think of it as standing in the batter's box and ground balls to little-leaguers. Toss the ball, stride swing. Toss the ball, step, swing.
Wind up, transition your weight (it starts with the feet), release.

It has to be in this order for the club to follow the proper path.
If the downswing start by transitioning the weight, many positive things follow. The main in your case is that the hands will drop slightly from the top and eliminate any possibility of you pulling the ball.
First you eliminate the pull. Then the slice will soon disappear.

After doing this till you think you've got the order, then try this:

With a 6 iron, and the ball teed up, hit some very big hooks.
Use the best grip you know how to use,
do not cheat by closing your stance at address,
start the balls right! and hook them back to the target.

See how far right you can start them, and hook them back to the target.
Pull hooks don't count. No good.

You'll find that if you set up squarely, the easiest way to start it right and draw it is to get your weight on your left side quickly.

After you can successfully hit balls that start way right and hook back to the target (with a proper grip),
then begin to tone it back to where the ball starts slightly right and draws.

This drill isn't designed to teach you to play a hook, but to get you to feel the proper sequence of events in the golf swing to generate power and control.

Sorry for the length and incoherent nature of the post.
Hope it helps some.
Feel free to pm with any questions, clarifications, comments, or curse words! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I find your response easy to understand. In the past two seasons I have at times felt like I was swinging like I never had before. I could feel my hands dropping from the top and following along after my hips cleared the way. It is amazing how much power can be generated while feeling so efortless. At the moment perhaps I am just falling back into old habit and I need to hit the driving range. It is still a matter of developing good practice habits and trust in my swing. I have not been to the driving range in about five weeks, but have played 13 rounds.

One thing that might benefit me is playing with better players. Unfortunately my regular playing partners, with whom I really enjoy playing golf, do not fit the bill.

Thanks for the time and thought you put into your response. It is appreciated!

[jkpoker]

i have been golfing for 8 years or so(not a lot and not well) i have always shot around 90-100

I have ALWAYS had a horrid slice i was reading threw the golf channels web site on slice fixes.

Ran across a person saying to open up your right hand and thumb to the right side of the club forcing you to torque the club head in correctly.

I would highly recommend anyone to at least try adjusting there grip to fix a slice or hook.

Course this is coming from a 90-100 golfer [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[sean c]

TH,

You are making your right hand grip stronger not weaker by turning it to the right if you are right handed. A pull is caused by one of two things: swing path or a closed club face at impact. When you are on the range check your divots when you pull one. If they aim left of the target its probably path but if they aim at the target and the ball goes left there's a good chance its the club face being shut at impact.

[cynic757]

OP

If you are either pulling it left or hitting a slight fade, I can assure you that you have an over the top move. Hard to know what's causing it without seeing your swing, but I'd guess that your club is way off plane at the top of your backswing. If your contact is also pretty erratic I'd bet you have a weight shift problem. Reverse shift seems to go hand in hand with OTT players.

Also, the above poster is correct. Rotating your hands to the right is strengthening your grip (for a right handed player). In your case it would (likely) promote pulls more than the fade.