Need help with the driver - please advise

[orangepower]

Need some tips on how to fix my inconsistent driving. I'm struggling with push slices and pull hooks. I don't know why those two shots are occurring bc they seem to be complete opposites. Used to be around a 2 handicap but its up to a 7 because of my inconsistent driving.

 

Here are some of my thoughts:

1. I know my takeaway is extremely too far inside and really early wrist set. I think that is the cause of most of my problems. (I was taught at a young age to take a backswing with a towel under my right elbow and its hard for me to get out of that move.)

 

2. I have a quick tempo and aggressive transition. I've tried to slow it down but its very difficult to do, especially on the course.

 

3. I feel like my hands are considerably higher at impact than setup. Is that a cause of the 2 way miss?

 

NOTE: I tried uploading videos but why were too big. Then when I made it smaller .mp4 isn't acceptable I guess. Any tips on fixing that?

 

Question:

What should I work on the most to get out of this two way miss with the driver?

 

Thanks!

[orangepower]

Here's video.

 

[Ghostwedge]

Lost your spine angle.... take the rest Monte.

[MonteScheinblum]

Backswing is too flat on every level.

 

Hips, shoulders, arm swing and wrist set.

[hbgpagolfpro]

As Slicefixer would say...you're humping the goat! Slide 5 to slide 6 tells alot about the story. Combined with the already flat swing, when you lose the spine angle the way you are by humping the goat (a reference to your hips moving toward the ball between slides 5 and 6), the club drops too far inside. If the face is open at impact, you'll hit the push slice. If it is closed, you'll hit the pull hook.

 

Might take a bit of physical training...core work, glutes and hamstrings to improve on this in order to maintain the spine angle into impact.

[m111]

Have the same issue and got the same advice from Monte. Went to see an instructor and he showed me how to start the swing with my hips and that really changed a lot for my ballstriking. The flat shoulders improved by getting in front of a mirror and seeing what a proper position looks/feels like.

[orangepower]

I've watched all of Monte's videos and I'm excited to try them out. I feel confident in knowing what I need to fix.

1. Better backswing (when I'm on plane it feels like I'm lifting the club so far outside. Hopefully this will help cure the flatness of my hips, shoulders, and arms)

2. Better posture at impact (No goat humping and get left heel on the ground at impact)

3. Tried a golf stretching workout this morning for the first time. I can't even come close to doing the deep squat with my arms over my head. Should I be able to maintain spine angle with this lack of flexibility or is it not possible? Has anyone worked successfully through early extension by improving their flexibility?

[ronnbee]

I find the driver is easier than irons

[Outpost31]

Are you having problems with your irons, or just the driver?

[ronnbee]

I would like to hit irons better

[orangepower]

My irons are inconsistent too but not near as bad as the driver. I worked hard today trying to fix the first part of my backswing. I am trying like crazy to get the club outside my hands (feel) and it mostly is just barely going inside them. The good news is that I eliminated the big push slice but a lot of my shots are slight pulls now. I still can’t seem to keep my left heel on the ground at impact but I definitely feel as though my spine angle was a little better today. Getting to my left heel is tough. I think the flexibility might be an issue. Here’s pics comparing yesterday to today and video from today.

[FourTops]

Here's video.

 

 

Early extension.

[Outpost31]

I had the same problem as you and what I realized was that hitting up on the ball was my problem. So I got a 12° mini driver and started hitting down on my drives, like the rest of my clubs. I'm actually hitting it farther than I did teeing it up. But more importantly, I'm now in play off the tee and not getting 4 - 6 penalties a round from the tee box. Maybe something like this can help until you figure it out... Good luck!

[orangepower]

Funny you say that because I have a Taylormade M2 13 degree that I can hit about 285 and am usually pretty consistent with hitting it straight. Its my favorite club.

[fowlerscousin]

Try watching Adam Scott videos, ur pattern looks like it can work with Scott as an exemplary.

[rainkingjr]

Take what I say with a grain of salt as I am not an instructor. I can only share with you a change that I made in my set up that has made a huge difference for me. Looking at your set-up, You appear to have a slightly closed stance at address.I suffered from this issue for a long time and finally realized that it was the biggest influence in me struggling with an OTT move . It finally dawned on me one day that I was way too closed at address. My body would subconsciously correct which would force me to pull hard left resulting in either big pushes or hard pulls. One day I just said the heck with it and set up to the ball with what felt like a wide open stance with my front toe flared out a little more.. In reality, it was probably the squarest I set up to the ball in a long time. The changes were instant and dramatic for me. Low point move forward significantly. Ball flight seemed towering compared to my usually low flying bullets. Funny thing is that I always preferred a right to left ball flight. Now I a comfortable playing shots as needed both ways and feel much more in control. My hips clear so much better now and I feel like I have so much more freedom in my swing. DIstance has increased quite a bit with the change.

[orangepower]

Yeah that makes sense. Thanks for the suggestion. I tried a reverse flamingo drill that Miamiball suggested. I was starting with my left foot about 1 foot back from regular with my heel off the ground at address. I was actually hitting my driver much straighter with that setup although it looks very strange. It helped me open my hips at impact and get my left heel on the ground instead of being on both toes at impact.

[ronnbee]

I had the same problem as you and what I realized was that hitting up on the ball was my problem. So I got a 12° mini driver and started hitting down on my drives, like the rest of my clubs. I'm actually hitting it farther than I did teeing it up. But more importantly, I'm now in play off the tee and not getting 4 - 6 penalties a round from the tee box. Maybe something like this can help until you figure it out... Good luck!

whats a mini-driver

[Outpost31]

https://Not allowed because of spam.com/taylormade-sldr-mini-driver-review/

[orangepower]

Someone suggested comparing to Adam Scott so I tried it.....Wish my swing looked like his. Im making progress with backswing but still struggling with my feet at impact and early extension. I can’t seem to keep my feet on the ground at impact. Should I focus more on keeping my right or left foot down? Drills/suggestions?

[fowlerscousin]

Adam is definitely turning and lowering into the ground, to begin the downswing and thru impact

[Lithovt]

Two things I see are you are too upright and yanking the club inside too fast as you already acknowledged. A swing thought that an instructor gave me once (I was also struggling long with taking the club inside and then casting over the top with an early release) is to pretend someone is wearing a hat and standing behind the ball in line with the intended target and you flip their hat off on your take away. That swing thought has helped me a lot with my takeaway to stay on plane.

[KMeloney]

Im making progress with backswing but still struggling with my feet at impact and early extension. I can't seem to keep my feet on the ground at impact. Should I focus more on keeping my right or left foot down?

 

Justin Thomas often has his heels off the ground at impact -- but he's Justin Thomas.

 

I suspect that your heels are off the ground because you're making room for the club to pass between your body and the ground. If you didn't EE and pull your body/shoulders/arms up like you do, you might hit the ground with the club before the ball.

 

I'm guessing that a shallower angle into the ball would help some of this, but that's going to be achieved only by implementing changes that the pros give you. In the meantime, I don't know that you can "work on" keeping your foot planted if it's a byproduct of the components of your current swing.

[rich_s2]

Look where your shoulders are at address in relation to your feet compared to Adam. I am no expert but suffered/suffer from the exact same issue. I can fix it by getting my left shoulder to what feels like low to the ground at the top. I got too many irons in the fire currently but that feeling really helps my rotation and I will work on it farther once I get some consistency back in my own game.