Problem only with driver...

[Vater]

I think I finally have my bag right (famous last words). And everything from my lob wedge to my 3W are singing.

 

My driver however, might as well be a yardstick with a rock tied to the end. My most common disaster of a shot is high, short, and dramatic slice toward the end of the flight.

 

I know this topic has been discussed a multitude of times, so I'd like to ask a question to the collective here.

 

Which change was most important in fixing your driver:

• Stronger grip
• Shortening shaft
• Changing loft
• Changing flex
• Changing stance
• Changing swing (outside-in, shorter backswing, etc.)
• Increasing speed
• Something else

 

I would love to hear what worked for you. I'm open to trying everything and anything at this point.

 

Much obliged.

[MonteScheinblum]

The last 100 times this issue showed up on my lesson tee, 99 times it was either consciously or sub consciously they were trying to hit up too much.

The other time is was someone had a driver with a caved in face.

 

[SNIPERBBB]

Something recently for me early this season was my m1 started to feel really heavy on me and was a bit lost in the feel department. Switched back to my old 910d2 and got back on track for a while until the distance loss became to much. Got some speed and the m1 started behaving again.  Ymmv

[Clubhoe]

It took me a long time to figure my driver out.

My irons, wedges and putting is good. Until 3 weeks ago the driver had always been bad. My handicap has stalled at 8-10 for years. Im hoping hitting more fairways now will get me down to a consistent 75.

 

I knew I had a slightly stronger grip, but tried several times to weaken it. Only to consistently cut it right. Realeasing the hands created clubface inconsistency. So I went back.

A lot of pros have a stronger grip, so I needed to work out what I needed to do make it work in my swing.

Two things: 

Shaft lean at impact and high lofted driver.

Shaft lean squared the face from the closed position I was getting from the stronger grip.

And the high loft would allow me to have shaft lean on the driver impact, without affecting launch.

[HackDaddy360]

When I hit the shot you’re referencing (high ballooned short slice/fade) it’s almost always because I fired my hips too soon and spun out of the shot - face opens up with the hands too far behind and there you go. 
 

Why does that happen?

 

For me, usually protect against a hook - the classic “don’t hit it left” move and then overcompensate…

 

which way do you usually/prefer to work the ball?  
 

[dsmil]

The most important change for me was hitting the sweet spot, and getting out of the low/heel strike.  It's much easier to analyze face/path issues if you're starting with a middle of the face strike.  The worst thing is to be unaware of where you're hitting the ball on the face and then making changes to your swing based on ball flight.  If you're hitting on the heel and don't know it, you'll be focused on changing your face/path relationship when the problem all along could simply be a heel strike.

[Liveonce]

1 hour ago, HackDaddy360 said:

When I hit the shot you’re referencing (high ballooned short slice/fade) it’s almost always because I fired my hips too soon and spun out of the shot - face opens up with the hands too far behind and there you go. 
 

Why does that happen?

 

For me, usually protect against a hook - the classic “don’t hit it left” move and then overcompensate…

 

which way do you usually/prefer to work the ball?  
 

what are you doing to work on this? Same problem here

[cwilk]

If everything else is working I'd make sure the driver is fit properly (lie, face angle, weighting - total/SW/moveable weights) and if that was all correct I'd assume it was a technique issue specific to the driver.  

[Barfolomew]

HIgh and short.... then hit it harder or hit it lower.  I love hitting moon shots but gotta smash it or falls outta the sky

[Vater]

22 hours ago, HackDaddy360 said:

When I hit the shot you’re referencing (high ballooned short slice/fade) it’s almost always because I fired my hips too soon and spun out of the shot - face opens up with the hands too far behind and there you go. 
 

Why does that happen?

 

For me, usually protect against a hook - the classic “don’t hit it left” move and then overcompensate…

 

which way do you usually/prefer to work the ball?  
 

My inclination is to play a draw - that's when I feel most in control and that I'm shaping and placing where I want to go. 

 

Some of what others have said here from unconsciously hitting up and my club fitting poorly make sense to me, too.

[NoTalentLefty]

Shorten the shaft and recently put a bit more distance between my hands and body with driver. Was setting up with driver like my irons and wasn’t getting any pop on the ball.

[trilerian]

On 6/8/2021 at 2:00 PM, Vater said:

I think I finally have my bag right (famous last words). And everything from my lob wedge to my 3W are singing.

 

My driver however, might as well be a yardstick with a rock tied to the end. My most common disaster of a shot is high, short, and dramatic slice toward the end of the flight.

 

I know this topic has been discussed a multitude of times, so I'd like to ask a question to the collective here.

 

Which change was most important in fixing your driver:

• Stronger grip
• Shortening shaft
• Changing loft
• Changing flex
• Changing stance
• Changing swing (outside-in, shorter backswing, etc.)
• Increasing speed
• Something else

 

I would love to hear what worked for you. I'm open to trying everything and anything at this point.

 

Much obliged.

 

I have no idea if you have a solid swing, or if you are plagued with faults like most of us.  My swing has an EE and a cast (which I am working on, lol).  But I struggled with driver (short right) for a long time, while I could hit perfectly acceptable draws with my irons and fairway metals.  What did I do to fix it? Learned to time my cast better, but it was a bit more complicated than that.  I also had to time my EE to fit the cast I needed for the shot.  So if I wanted a fade I had to EE just a touch later while casting just a touch later or I would top it.  And hitting a hook was just standing up as fast as I could and cast right away.

 

Seriously, this isn't a troll.  This is honestly what I was doing to try and "own" my swing.  I never would have though that I still had an EE and a cast by the way I hit my irons, and I seriously thought that I was just too late in releasing the driver, so I learned how to manipulate it.  

 

The best advice I can give is to video your swing and be honest with yourself, then get a good instructor to work with you.  Maybe you have a solid swing already and all you need is a little motorcycle move.  

[HackDaddy360]

3 hours ago, Vater said:

My inclination is to play a draw - that's when I feel most in control and that I'm shaping and placing where I want to go. 

 

Some of what others have said here from unconsciously hitting up and my club fitting poorly make sense to me, too.

without more details I’m shooting in the dark here….

 

couple of things I’d say are worth trying:

 

1.  Make sure you’re keeping the club low on the way back and not picking it up. 
 

2. Consciously swing down your target line on the way through the ball.  Imagine a line that goes through the ball to your target and keep the club on it as long as possible.  Or, pick something on the ground that’s about a foot in front of the ball on your target line and swing over it.  
 

3.  If your driver is adjustable, play with the settings until it “looks square” or more like the 3 wood you feel more confident with (if you haven’t already). 
 

These are pretty basic thoughts but I cant say more without either seeing the swing or know more data about it.  
 

 

[Vater]

OP here.

 

Thanks for your various suggestions, really helped me work through what might be glitching for me and I'm happy to report that things are much improved.

 

What worked:

- Stronger grip

- Choke down by about 1" on the grip

- Slightly lower tee height

 

What didn't work:

- Choking down by more than 1" on the grip. From things I read online, I was about ready to cut my shaft down to 43" - glad I didn't.

- Centering the ball a little more rather than lining up to the inside of my left foot. It might have been from someplace other than this forum, but I got a few recommendations to line up my tee a little more in the center of my stance - didn't work for me at all.

[Zitlow]

Swing it slower, the driver will build a lot of momentum due to it's length if you let it. 

[Hackinator]

The driver is the hardest club for me to hit.

I tried so many things to make my driver consistent, and most of those were bandaids, that eventually fell apart.  I would hit the driver like a champ for a few weeks, then it would turn to s*it again.

 

 

The only thing that has really helped is to keep the left arm straight coming into impact.

I mean I want to feel ram-rod straight coming into impact..   I dont want that elbow bending at all.  Even if you feel some tension, I still think its better than letting the elbow break down.

 

This BY FAR, has helped me hit the driver straighter (but not guaranteed).

 

 

 

 

 

[phizzy30]

Everything from number three down.  As I've gotten stronger and longer over the years up until I had my kidney transplant, I would have to go with lower lofted heads gradually getting it down to 7 degrees.  I play 8 degrees now due to some loss of ss from a bad back and knees.  I've used x flex since college so not much has changed there.  I went from an extremely closed stance to an open one.  It allows me to do more things on the down swing.  Swing path used to be extremely in to out but is now more subtle.  Currently working on adding a fade on command.  I've always been long off the tee even as a kid growing up due to my baseball back round so no issues there. 

Edited June 20, 2021 by phizzy30