Stopping an outside/in swing pattern with the driver. Tip from pro helped, but is it a fix or a bandaid?

[Isitthegenes]

Originally Posted by Derek Ong

When i mentioned "pull" i meant a straight shot that starts left and ends left. There are so many things that will cause what you're seeing and it's really difficult for anyone here to give any specific "opinions" without seeing your swing. Perhaps if you post your driver swing, someone can give some two cents.

I went out yesterday and played and only hit the one pull, but knew I'd twisted and had the ball too far forward in my stance.  I teed up again, slowed down, made the adjustment and hit it perfect close to the 250 mark.  One thing I did was focus on keeping my front leg quieter throughout the round and any slice I hit was far less severe than previous mishits.  All in all, the slight adjustments led to 9-hole 47, my best round of the year so far.

I'll work on getting a video of a couple swings, but it's likely going to be a phone video.

[drewfus813]

Does standing further away from the ball help to swing out to the right more? I feel like if I am too close to the ball it is easier to come over the top. I'm curious to see what everyone thinks since I fight the same problem as the OP. Thanks

[Derek Ong]

I have seen a lot of very good players that are very close to the ball and have no issue with room to swing the best way they can.

Unless if one has early extension (goat humping too early), then standing close to the ball would be pretty disastrous. I would probably look at keeping my tush line (spine angle, etc etc) with the putting a chair behind me drill.

[Isitthegenes]

Originally Posted by drewfus813

Does standing further away from the ball help to swing out to the right more? I feel like if I am too close to the ball it is easier to come over the top. I'm curious to see what everyone thinks since I fight the same problem as the OP. Thanks

I've tried that before and instead of a slice, I would hit the ball off the toe of the club, which was much worse than any slice I'd ever hit.  If you get to a place where you correct the mechanics of your swing, now you're going to have to correct your stance again.

What's worked for me are two things:

- Changing my grip slightly to make sure the angle of my left thumb and forefinger points to my right shoulder.  This helps keep the club head square through impact and also keeps my front shoulder slightly higher than my back shoulder

- Keeping the triangle from the down swing through my follow-through.  I spend time with a club and just take very slow "swings" that stop just after it passes my front foot.  When I get to that point, I look to make sure I've got the triangle with my body and arms.

FWIW - all of my learning has come through experience, advice from other players and the occasional video I've stumbled across online.

[onesome]

Sometimes just bringing the club straight back and straight through will fix it better than twisting yourself up with foot forward or back grip strong or weak. Jack Nicklaus used the exact same swing when drawing or fading the ball just by changing his stance, it took a while but I forced myself to grip it completely nuetral and set up square and just take an easy unforced, uncontorted swing as possible and my driver is my most reliable club........will somebody please help me learn a short game???

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by onesome

Sometimes just bringing the club straight back and straight through will fix it better than twisting yourself up with foot forward or back grip strong or weak. Jack Nicklaus used the exact same swing when drawing or fading the ball just by changing his stance, it took a while but I forced myself to grip it completely nuetral and set up square and just take an easy unforced, uncontorted swing as possible and my driver is my most reliable club........will somebody please help me learn a short game???

That doesnt work though because a golf club isnt designed to work that way and your body doesnt work the way.  The face has to open and close and the club has to swing around your body in a circle.

You may THINK its straight back and straight though but it is always, always, always some degree of an arc.

[onesome]

Originally Posted by GaijinGolfer

That doesnt work though because a golf club isnt designed to work that way and your body doesnt work the way.  The face has to open and close and the club has to swing around your body in a circle.

You may THINK its straight back and straight though but it is always, always, always some degree of an arc.

True but too many take the club away with their hands way to inside versus keeping the face of the club "looking" at the ball for the first few inches.

[chris650]

What is the D-Plane?

[Zeph]

What is the D-Plane?

[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK8sW5nUFbQ[/VIDEO]

[sofingaw]

I tried this today for 18 while playing solo, and, I must say, it seemed to work!

Firstly, I am a bad golfer, (see, 110-120 average score, never broken 100). My long game is by far the worst part of my game, and the driver is no exception I fight a slice like most of us poor players.

I read this thread with great interest last night after previously reading the Hogan book. I had somehow forgotten this information from the book!

I started setting up in accordance with the stance outlined in the Hogan book and the diagrams in this thread, with my back foot about 2 inches 'behind' me. Took my normal grip, which is a 2 knuckle grip. (Not sure how strong that is, but it I don't think it's 'weak'.) Took a slow, one piece takeaway, and a controlled stroke at the ball.

The results were generally surprising! I hit 10 fairways (out of 14), and was just off of one or two others. I have NEVER hit the ball as consistently with the Driver. I usually hit maybe 2-3 fairways a round, if that, with the driver.

I know. I know... Why pull out driver on the course when you can't hit it, novice golfer?!    Answer: I'm dumb, just like many of us..

Additionally, I must admit,  I didn't hit all of these fairways on the first try. (my score was adjusted for all the lost balls, don't worry) The course was empty, and I had time to, so I hit probably 4-6 provisionals because I did hit 2 or 3 awful slices, and indeed, 2 crazy hooks, too.. but I think I must have rushed my swing, and/or had a grip inconsistency on those. The rest were much better shots than I am accustomed to. Much, much, MUCH better.

The second try after each crazy one was always in play. And I had 6 or 7 that were playable off the tee straight away.  I have so much more confidence off the tee now.

Also... DISTANCE!!!. I average about 225 off the tee. Today, I hit 3 or 4 over 250 today including probably a 280 yarder on a 363 yard par 4 that I put 15-20 yards past the 100 marker, right down the middle. My swing was controlled, and felt much the same as all my other swings. I certainly was not swinging out of my shorts. But I made perfect contact and knew it immediately. I see more of these 280+ yarders in my future! Once again, my average for the day on clean contact was probably only 230-240. But there were a few longer ones in there to bring that average up. The straightness is the best part, though.

If you are skeptical, give it a try. It just might work.

[sofingaw]

Also, to answer the question in the OP which was: Is this a fix or a band aid? I, of course support it, due to my results so far, but I would say that it's a fix, vice a band-aid for the following reasons:

1) Nothing in my swing needed to be adjusted besides the back foot position itself. I needed to make no other (conscious) compensations to get the results I wanted.

2) It had no noticeable negative effects on my resulting shots. ( All bad shots I hit, I truly consider to be due to my standard inconsistencies with contact, which overall were fewer, in fact.)

Also, for what it's worth, band aid or true fix, I'll not stop until something goes wrong with it!

Hit em' straight!

[chris650]

I actually tried this myself when out for a round, Copied the Arnold Palmer foot chart with my driver (which I silce big time) I put my right foot back about 2 inches or so and was not having much luck. The next day I went to the range and did the same thing with my stance but this time I shifted my weight a bit toward my right leg ( or sot of over my right leg/foot)

and I was hitting I guess you might call it a baby fade. It would start out a little left and come back to center, I was thrilled with that.

[RonTheSavage]

Whats working for me is my first move down I feel as though Im trying to put my right elbow (right handed golfer) in my right pocket.Last Saturday I hit all but 2 FW's on the back 9. I didnt slice one all day but I did push one pretty bad earlier in the round.

[retexan599]

Ran across this thread in December.  Moving the right foot back (behind) a couple of inches has helped me hit my fairway 3W markedly straighter than with the toes in line.  I have not had the same success with the driver, at least not yet.  I have been working on other aspects of the driver swing and the foot behind technique may yet be of value.  But it has been dramatic with my fairway 3W.  On that case alone I thank the posters in this thread (especially posting the Hogan foot chart).  Thanks!

[cipher]

What if your miss is left...gulp going left with a fairly neutral stance?(Recent Student of S&T;)  Could this help the overall issue or would you be better off to try and push the ball with a more open stance?

[colin007]

Originally Posted by cipher

What if your miss is left...gulp going left with a fairly neutral stance?(Recent Student of S&T;)  Could this help the overall issue or would you be better off to try and push the ball with a more open stance?

starting left and staying straight?  starting straight and curving left?

[cipher]

Originally Posted by colin007

starting left and staying straight?  starting straight and curving left?

More starting straight and going left.

[saevel25]

Now is this confirmed with video camera, or putting something on the ground to make sure your line up right. Because for years i had my dad check if i was lining up were i wanted to, and i was always lined up 15-20 yards right of my target. Just because your thinking your aiming were you are, doesn't mean you are.