Struggling with driver miss - huge push slice

[dg_1983]

Hey folks

 

Sorry in advance for no video but looking for some advice regarding this miss.

 

Weak push cut/slice. Swing *feels* like I get waaay too much right bend in the downswing get underneath, hang back and blast it open face off the planet right.

 

I'm struggling for a feel to work with.

 

Irons are best they have ever been, working on getting a little shallower in the downswing but cannot work out the driver.

 

Thanks!

[SomedayScratch]

How do you feel at the top of your swing? Do you feel flat/trapped/pinned across chest?

[dg_1983]

I try to feel a straight right arm.

 

I'm certainly not upright but not sure if I feel trapped or pinned.....I'll pay attention to that though - any feelings to search for?

[SomedayScratch]

At the top of the swing, do you feel like you can swing through as hard as you possibly can or do you feel like you don't have enough space or not in a place to do so? That is the first step. I always like to do almost happy Gilmore-like practice swings and freeze where I am at the top of the swing to feel where my natural athletic motion wants to put my swing at the top.

[dg_1983]

That's very interesting, I'd say with the driver I've not got the room to freely smash it......

[gentles]

I struggled with this for years and years before I found the root cause. My guess is that your clubface is open at P6 (when the club is parallel on the way down), meaning you either have to flip to save it, or you're going to hit it 9 miles right.

 

Easy to validate this if you have a iPhone with a decent camera

 

One feel that might help is to try exaggerated flex in your left wrist as your start the downswing. It doesn't have to be bowed/flat at the top, but it should be "flexing" as you start the transition. At P6 the clubface should be broadly aligned with your spine angle, rather than open.

 

Good training aid is to search on YouTube for the coathanger drill to keep flex into your left wrist.

 

Basically, try to swing like DJ or Brooks!

[dg_1983]

I'll certainly look into p6, could certainly be that, if bet I don't have a closed face at that point for sure! A

[SomedayScratch]

That's very interesting, I'd say with the driver I've not got the room to freely smash it......

 

I think being comfortable at the top and in the transition is the ultimate feeling. Until you get to that point, there are always going to be weak and or blocked miss-hits to the right no matter. Once you get that good top of swing spot and transition down, they will be fewer and fewer. I'm on the same quest as you.

[dg_1983]

How does one get that left arm angle more upright?

[gators78]

Fought the high rights and quick lefts for a long time with the driver. I can certainly relate.

 

The two main issues were the face was way too open, and the shaft was tipped over too steep on the way down, combine those two and I'd have to flip roll it to hit it close to straight. I really had to learn that the more I tipped it over/covered/steepened, the more I would back out of it late in my swing and really hit it sideways. Not to mention some monster divots with my irons.

 

You'll see a lot of instructors online buzz about this and I really think it's more fundamental than fad, Gankas, Mayo, Waite, Dahlquist etc. Short answer is face likely needs to be more closed and club needs to be more behind you on the way down. I also had to blow up the idea of lag because that just made it worse.

 

Joe Mayo and Grant Waite have a pay video on Vimeo that is really good, Mackenzie and Como have a video on YouTube talking about the physics of it. Just takes some time figuring out what works for you.

[SomedayScratch]

How does one get that left arm angle more upright?

 

That is not an easy thing to do. Lower hands at address can help sometimes. More lift in left arm in takeaway. Of course these things you don't want to over do either.

[dg_1983]

Sounding like it's the same steep issue I'm working on combined with an open face.

 

Finding driver the hardest to shallow out when I thought it would be the easiest!!???

 

Will work on the face angle at p6 and cert check out the top of the swing position.

 

Thanks boys. I was getting like that Monte video trying a million different things with each swing

 

An open face at p6, is this because of a lack of doing something, doing something wrong or possibly a million things?

[terrell75]

Some good advice so far. I second the “low hands” suggestion. You have a good problem statement (ball flight is a push slice). If you can guess well enough that the initial flight is online with your intended path then you just need to get the face closed in time. Many ways to do this. Try working backwards from impact. Address the ball as you would be at a correct impact position (hips slightly open, shoulders very slightly open and definitely less than your hips, most of your weight on the front foot and head “behind” the ball). Now rewind from that point. You don’t have to back up into a full backswing, just until you reach a point that you feel like you could go ahead and accelerate forward to impact and hit it straight or something close to it. The goal is not to hit it a mile, but to get a feel for the physical manipulations you’ll need to get the flight you want. This may be a bit wordy and might not be useful for everyone but I’ve helped several golfers with this approach. Hope it helps. Ask question if you’d like.

[CR McDivot]

What worked for me... but may not for everyone.

My club face tended open on downswing, even though fairly closed at address and at top of back swing.

Concentrated on maintaining a flat (neither flexed nor bowed) lead wrist at transition and applying counter clockwise lead forearm through release.

Yeah, it's a feel - but is working for me at present! :golfer:

[getitdaily]

What worked for me... but may not for everyone.

My club face tended open on downswing, even though fairly closed at address and at top of back swing.

Concentrated on maintaining a flat (neither flexed nor bowed) lead wrist at transition and applying counter clockwise lead forearm through release.

Yeah, it's a feel - but is working for me at present! :golfer:

 

So you're basically working a more active release? Did it turn the slice back to a soft fade?

[dg_1983]

Thanks guys. So did some reading on the P6 open face and the coat hanger drill.

 

Last range session I tried to install some of the coat hanger drill feel and it certainly made a difference. Iron flight took another step forward in terms of sqaure strike and solid flight. Will take a while to work into driver game but certainly looks like there is miliage in improving that position somewhat.

 

Question on that, should I just be focusing on the P6 pre impact position, or is there an earlier position that's matters more? (Which also improves P6)

[GungHoGolf]

Left wrist flexion starting in transition has been a good feel for me when getting a case of the open-facies:

 

[bladehunter]

This is my miss as well. But only ever with Driver. Why is this the case ? Makes no sense that one club would be this way and all others aren’t. Longer shaft requiring different swing as I always said ?

[dg_1983]

You guys are awesome. Out for a round tonight, 6 birdies, 2 bogies and a double for a -2gross. The double wasn't long game.

 

Such a difference in the bal flight working on that coat hanger drill into p6

 

 

[Justsomeguy]

Move the left foot up an inch. Close stance a little bit.

[Kmac]

This is what usually starts to plague me as the season ramps up. My bad habits creep back in as I play more and the winter work wears off. I missed so far right on Saturday I bought a new M3 driver for the second time this season. DONT JUDGE! A good rage buy never hurts.

 

I hope to read something that will click for me before I end up with a 4th G400 of whatever variation.

[MadGolfer76]

Whenever I block it, I find my lower body is outracing the hands. I have to keep my feet on the ground until the strike, then let the club's forward momentum pull my trail foot up and off. Impact should be on the inseam of the trail foot, as it helps give my hands time to get back to the ball.

[oukeith]

Push slice with driver just sounds like OTT due to spinning out with upper body because you are trying to mash.

[unpc]

If it really is a push slice the initial direction is not the intended path. The face is open to that so ball goes right, it is also open to actual path so ball spins right one description was next county. My guess is that the actual path is to the right of the intended path. I struggled with this years ago when first playing made worse by misinterpreting what in to out meant. The solution was not taking it back to the inside but straighter back and probably hinging right wrist more than cocking. If takeaway is too flat elbow tends to float and face fully open. I don't feel in the position to advise anyone let alone a low handicapper but pass on my experience with the issue.

[Harleyweedwhacks]

Hey folks

 

Sorry in advance for no video but looking for some advice regarding this miss.

 

Weak push cut/slice. Swing *feels* like I get waaay too much right bend in the downswing get underneath, hang back and blast it open face off the planet right.

 

I'm struggling for a feel to work with.

 

Irons are best they have ever been, working on getting a little shallower in the downswing but cannot work out the driver.

 

Thanks!

 

Here's my advice. It's a bit different than technique thinking but it's natural learning and the only way you're really going to see long-term results.

 

Try to start the ball right and draw it back. Don't think about your clubface, or anything technique. I want you to attempt to start the ball right and bring it back in.

 

You'll find a few different things happen:

 

1. You'll struggle at first. This is good, struggle means learning.

 

2. Thinking technique will stifle your ability to do this. You need to forget technique, at least for a while.

 

3. This requires you to do some experimentation. What happens if you aim left and start the ball right? How could you start the ball farther right? How can you draw the ball more or less?

 

You need to struggle with this. When you learned to ride a bike you fell over plenty, don't expect quick fixes for this. If you make an attempt on every shot to start the ball right and draw it back, you'll eventually figure out how to do it, and believe it or not your technique will take care of itself.

 

Do this for two weeks and let us know how you go.

[b.mattay]

Hey folks

 

Sorry in advance for no video but looking for some advice regarding this miss.

 

Weak push cut/slice. Swing *feels* like I get waaay too much right bend in the downswing get underneath, hang back and blast it open face off the planet right.

 

I'm struggling for a feel to work with.

 

Irons are best they have ever been, working on getting a little shallower in the downswing but cannot work out the driver.

 

Thanks!

 

Here's my advice. It's a bit different than technique thinking but it's natural learning and the only way you're really going to see long-term results.

 

Try to start the ball right and draw it back. Don't think about your clubface, or anything technique. I want you to attempt to start the ball right and bring it back in.

 

You'll find a few different things happen:

 

1. You'll struggle at first. This is good, struggle means learning.

 

2. Thinking technique will stifle your ability to do this. You need to forget technique, at least for a while.

 

3. This requires you to do some experimentation. What happens if you aim left and start the ball right? How could you start the ball farther right? How can you draw the ball more or less?

 

You need to struggle with this. When you learned to ride a bike you fell over plenty, don't expect quick fixes for this. If you make an attempt on every shot to start the ball right and draw it back, you'll eventually figure out how to do it, and believe it or not your technique will take care of itself.

 

Do this for two weeks and let us know how you go.

 

This isn't like learning to ride a bike, this is a problem the OP has acquired recently. You don't start falling off a bike suddenly after not riding for a while. A lesson is likely a good idea!

[dg_1983]

Thanks again everyone. Working on squaring the face more at P6 with the coat hanger drill (bow left wrist). I honestly can believe the change in ball flight with such a small tweak.

 

Some times get it wrong and feel a bit "cricket bat" like but over all it has been very good

[m111]

Just a piece of the puzzle but what has a big impact for me: Check your alignment and get square. I think if you're predisposed to hitting a slice, closing your stance might make the issue possibly worse and cause you take it inside and then loop it around and go over the top. Get some alignment sticks on the range and be diligent on the tee box about where your what your body/clubface/target lines are doing.