Absolutely lost all confidence with driver and woods

[Shane Cummins]

Hi All,

I have lost all ability to hit the driver or any woods either off a tee or off the deck. 90% of them are 50 yard tops or at best a low hook. This has occured more or less within the last 3-4 months. I was never competent with woods off the fairway but was ok with my driver and my 3 wood off the tee box. I used to usually get a slice of varying severity which while frustrating, never hurts or causes embarrassment like top shot after top shot. Which then completely ruins the remainder of the round.

As a result of this I intentionally left the driver and woods at home and hit my 3 iron off the tee and the fairway to a reasonable degree of success. I have gotten a few lessons recently with a Pro who I have become friendly with and he ocasionally plays with my group on a Staurday. With him I have finally found good rythm and timing with irons and I enjoy these rounds and score reasonably well considering the compromise of not using my driver or woods.

My last score was 32 points playing off a h/c of 19. I play on average to a 22-24 h/c but my club starts everyone on 18 based on 3 cards submitted when first joining. just for the record, I am playing just over 2 years and joined a club this time last year.

To briefly describe my approach, I take 2 practice swings and concentrate on feeling a nice rhythm with a full balanced finished and most of the time I make a good swing with good contact with my shots. I might pull or push the ball a bit but it's usually in play. It might take me three shots to get on a par4 or 4 to get on a par5 but I don't mind playing bogie golf. I will often be on greens in regulation during a round so all and all I'm happy with my play using the irons, but........

I felt recently that I was saying to the guys and to myself I'll try the driver/3 wood the next day, just a little more practice on the range and will try to start back with it next week, but next week never comes, well it did last Wednesday evening playing a practice round. To call it a disaster would be an understatement. I attempted to use the 3 wood off the tee and I scratched 7 of the first 9 holes. My whole game was effected and I lost all heart and couldn't even swing my irons. It just set the tone for the whole round and I nearly walked off after nine. This is something I have said I will never ever do. If I do it will be the last time I play golf. That’s all that kept me on the course. I just can’t feel and rhythm, timing or balance like I do with the irons. But strangely, I can easily feel a nice swing during my practice swings with the driver/woods but put me over a ball and well........disaster.

I also play with a society and the last couple of outing were very awkward and uncomfortable. People constantly make comments which they think are helpful but in fact have the opposite effect. "Why not try the woods" "You'll really struggle with a 3 iron on the back nine" "Change your driver" ........and my favorite "Keep your head down"

My frustration was added to recently when I was asked to play in a scramble which I understood to be better ball all the way through but turned out that 3 of everyone's drives had to used. The guys I was playing with tried to hide their frustrations with my 200 yard tee shot but I could sense it and I felt like crap for the round.

I feel there is nothing more my Pro can do for me. I know how a nice swing feels and I use my practice swing to identify this then apply it to the shot, which work with the irons but not the woods. I lack confidence in application and I just don't know what to do about it.

The easiest thing to do would be to give up but that's just not me. I love this game after only 2+ years of playing but really seem to have lost my way. I try to stay positive buy I feel I’m running out of perseverance even though I feel that all I can do is stick with it.

I don’t expect any solutions as I know this is my own confidence that is holding me back and I would question my abilities if I had not been able to do it before but someone may have had a similar issue and covercome it.

Thanks you in advance.

Shane,

Co. Clare,

Ireland.

[RayG]

Well, I have had a similar, but not quite as bad situation. It was really starting to get me PO'd and shooting the worst in 20+ years was the straw that broke the camels back. I was putting together various things but didn't put them ALL together until finding this thread and watching the video.. Maybe it will work for you. But it will take time and LOTS of practice. http://thesandtrap.com/t/77244/how-to-hit-a-driver-hit-it-further-and-stop-slicing

[Gator Hazard]

I am no swing doctor, heck I am not even a golfer (yet).  Might I suggest the "don't give a F" approach?  Who cares what your playing partners think?  If they can't understand you are going through something that is their problem.  In my opinion golf should be enjoyable first and foremost.  Enjoy the game, enjoy the parts of the game you love, play the game in a manner that you are going to enjoy.

My suggestions would be too:

Find a different coach and try again working through your frustrations.

Post a video of your shots with those clubs here in the appropriate swing thread

Go out as a single at twilight on a weekday after work with 5 clubs, leave the driver at home.  Play a 3 and 5 wood a 7 iron a sand wedge and your putter.  That will force you to grab one of your woods more often, and just don't give so much of a bleep.  Gotta work through it.  Hell, my 5 wood has a dent in the bottom from my awesome attempts at hitting it off the deck.  Still gonna do it until I hit it right.  Every time I hit it right I try and enjoy it first, then remember what I did.  Every time I hit it wrong I try and diagnose why I did it wrong, what may have been different.  Probably disastrous for a guy like me but hey, I just don't give a heck, I try and smile more than I frown out there no matter what club I have in my hand.

Oh, and lastly, keep your head down!!

Good luck dude, don't give up!

[vangator]

I played behind a guy last week that was just awful with his driver. I think I saw every conceivable bad shot a player could hit. His problem was he thought he could swing like John Daly and get John Daly's results. Most people over swing. With woods, it seems the nature of the beast. I bet with your irons you are making a more controlled swing, but with the woods you are trying for distance. Build up your swing by making solid contact in the middle of the club face. When you've mastered that, put a little more a$$ in the shot and master that. Nothing wrong with a 3/4 swing that's in play. Try a lighter grip as well. Loose muscles swing faster and you'll maintain your balance better. Plus, keep your head down. :-D Actually, key one is keep your head steady. If you don't keep your head steady during the swing, you may as well take up knitting. Here's a good video on club head speed. I like a lot of Paul Wilson's videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lROE1r9S9D4

[dave s]

I'm fortunate to get to play with my wife whose on her 6th season playing golf.  She has a small number of major swing faults that affect her tee balls.  The big ones for her are:

1. Swaying laterally away from the ball and then moving too far forward, (over-correcting) through the driver swing.  Usually results in a topped or line drive ball flight that contacts the turf soon after launch.

2. She gets too far from the ball, her swing flattens out too much and she gets low flying pull hooks.

3. She raises up (straightens legs) as the club begins the backswing.  This always causes a topped drive that rolls out 75 yards or so.

4. She gets the ball nearly OUTSIDE her left foot (she's a right hand player) during setup which can also produce topped shots.

The three things I gently remind her of are:  1) keep your head behind the ball and make sure you are coming through the hitting area with an upward blow and not a descending blow like an iron shot.  2) Keep your head and lower body in the same spot during the swing--don't sway back, then forward; 3) Keep those knees flexed! There is absolutely NOTHING that can be done athletically with straight legs and locked knees. 4) Setup with the ball even with your left shoulder and left heel.

My personal fixes:  When my driver goes bad, I have a 'go-to' tee ball.  I still use the driver whenever possible.  My go-to driver shot is aim at left edge of fairway, open driver face slightly, swing with 70-80% power.  This produces a fairly high-launched fade that usually finds the fairway.

Another fix is just to make sure my setup is correct and my body is square (feet, hips, shoulders) to the target.  One of my big faults is having an open left shoulder.  This makes me come 'over the top' and produces a really ugly low, pull hook that goes 7-iron distance.

Last tip:  Keep on with your teacher/playing partner guy.  He'll figure it out and have you swing the driver well in no time.

dave

[Gator Hazard]

I played behind a guy last week that was just awful with his driver. I think I saw every conceivable bad shot a player could hit. His problem was he thought he could swing like John Daly and get John Daly's results. Most people over swing. With woods, it seems the nature of the beast. I bet with your irons you are making a more controlled swing, but with the woods you are trying for distance. Build up your swing by making solid contact in the middle of the club face. When you've mastered that, put a little more a$$ in the shot and master that. Nothing wrong with a 3/4 swing that's in play.

Try a lighter grip as well. Loose muscles swing faster and you'll maintain your balance better.

Plus, keep your head down. Actually, key one is keep your head steady. If you don't keep your head steady during the swing, you may as well take up knitting.

Didn't know you were behind me.  Sheesh, and I thought I played my driver quite well last week.  Should have seen the weeks before that!

In all seriousness I completely agree and have found that typically when I try for a smooth 3/4 speed type swing, or any swing where I don't hit the gas pedal, I typically hit it farther.  Last week my whole thought with driver was to put the ball in play. That thought had me do that about 50% of the time and with some decent distance for me as well.

[metbid]

Hi All,

I have lost all ability to hit the driver or any woods either off a tee or off the deck. 90% of them are 50 yard tops or at best a low hook.

I played with a slice because of a long career of baseball and golf as an afterthought.  My 3 wood was my 'go to' club, and my driver was ok, with a long fade or slice.  When I took up golf seriously a few years ago I started taking lessons,  I broke my baseball swing and started getting a real golf swing, Then my 3 wood and driver COMPLETELY failed, with a very low hook or short shot.  I became so frustrated I took the 3w out of my bag and tried not to use my driver.

What I eventually found out was that I was not maintaining the Key 3 Straight Wrist on the woods, allowing, or even causing my left wrist to flip at impact losing all power and closing the face.  The drill that finally got me back on track was gong to the range, teeing up and placing the ball Logo at the back of the ball inline with the target , then turning it inside 1/4 turn towards my back foot. Then by swinging VERY SLOWLY and only concentrating on hitting the Logo, not worrying about the ball flight or target, or even my swing mechanics.  The key here was to over-emphasize SLOW SWING trying just to make contact with the logo.  Start out with less than a full turn.

[Shane Cummins]

Wow, I didn't expect so many replies so soon. Thanks one and all.

I believe it probably is too much aggression during the swing. I swing my woods with a really smooth reassuring swing on my practice swing and seem to attack the ball during my shot even though I tell myself not to. I seem to have a load of swing thoughts with my woods that I don’t have with my irons so there is probably something in that.

With my irons I have learned to take a couple of practice swings which reaffirms the correct tempo and speed, maintaining posture and balance and I just swing the club and not try to hit the ball. I usually make good contact.

Just as a side note, I used to have a major issue with lateral sway which with practice I have managed to keep in check. I feel this is creeping back in with the woods. When I used to attack with my irons I usually stayed on my back foot at impact.

As my Pro says "A technically good swing with no rhythm and balance and you're a 24 H/C, a swing with some flaws but perfect rhythm and balance you're a scratch golfer"

Anyway, I'm going to stick with my 3iron which I hit well and keeps the ball in play for the most part and work on my woods on my own and build my confidence. I know what to do. I just need to find a way to not over think things. I'm becoming fairly consistent with my irons and my short game is in reasonably good shape.

I'll just ignore the all the Amateur Pro's and try to enjoy my round

Thanks a million for all the replies and advice. They have all been very reassuring. I’ll let you know how things progress.

Shane.

[Mike Boatright]

Not enough information to help you are you a male female age how long have youv'e been playing etc... My advice watch lpga tour players hit the ball their perfect

[Shane Cummins]

Not enough information to help you are you a male female age how long have youv'e been playing etc... My advice watch lpga tour players hit the ball their perfect

Hi Mike,

I a 40yr old male. Playing just over 2 years. As stated , I hit my irons reasonably well, short game is pretty good shape. I've just lost all ability with my woods. You're not the first prson I've heard say that about the LPGA.

Thanks,

Shane.

[Shane Cummins]

Hi Guys,

Just want to throw an idea out there in relation to my issue with the woods. I had a really enjoyable round on Saturday using my 3 iron off the tee and I scored reasonably well. I was playing with a really nice guy and he casually enquired as to why I didn't use a driver. I explained my situation and he just repied to keep doing what I'm doing, play to my strengths and enjoy the game. Which I did. At the end he mentioned, due to me hitting my 3 iron quite well and fairly consistently, had I ever considered a driving iron? I hadn't to be honest.

My impression of a driving iron seems to be quite outdated as I understood them to be almost impossible clubs to hit that guys used 30 years.... so I did a bit of research on Google and two clubs stand out. The Ping Raptor and the Taylormade UDI. I'm not running out this afternoon and buying one but is it something I should at least consider.

I really like hitting my long irons but I'm not a big fan of hybrids so could this be a viable option for some more distance off the tee?

Any thoughts are much appreciated,

Thanks,

Shane.

[wasilvers]

Don't grip it so hard, aim for a 180 yard shot, slow down your pace. And maybe shorten your driver. All this helped me. The biggest help was measuring my grips and realizing I have big hands - XL glove- an oversize grip allowed me to relax my grip and just swing. Still working out "straight", but most drives are well playable now.

[Odogesq]

Hi Shane, sorry to hear about how frustrating things have been for you lately. Golf is a wonderful game, but there is no doubt it can be a very humbling experienc, regardless of talent, skill, or.handicaps.The fact is golf is incredibly difficult because so much timing goes into each and every shot.if your swing is off a fraction of an inch, it could mean the difference between a topped shot and a decent ball. My point is, it's a waste of energy to let a few bad rounds make you think you should quit the sport altogether. When I go through tough spots like you are describing, the best solution for me is always to hang up the clubs for a week or so. I always come back refreshed and ready to give it another shot. As far as your swing issues, topping the ball means you have lost the bottom of your arc. Next to.e you are at the range, have a buddy watch your swing and point out when your swing bottoms out after a few practice swings, then have him place a ball just in front of the bottom of the arc. After hitting a few balls you should start to feel where your club is hitting the bottom of the arc and can adjust from there. Also, do the drill with a 9 iron or other club you are very comfortable with. My advice: take a few days or a week away from the course, gather your thoughts, do something besides golf, and when you come back do a few drills to feel the bottom of the arc again. You should be up and running in no time. Golf is like life. Shit is going to happen, it's inevitable. What defines us is how we handle our shit and how we bounce back from our own failures and setbacks. Good luck!

[ZappyAd]

If playing with nothing more than a 3 iron works for you then stick with it - for the moment I'd take the woods out of the bag and leave them at home..  Wouldn't bother me in the slightest what other people say or what they hit - golf is as much about learning to play with your idiosyncrasies as it is about ironing them out and getting a perfect swing.  As for your playing partners getting frustrated that is their problem - if they are such amazing hitters then let them worry about hitting one of their big bombs from the great position on the fairway that your 3i has given them.  Seems to me that so much of golf is about having confidence and if your woods are draining that from you then it's a no brainer to just get em out of your bag.

That isn't to say that you should give up on them forever.  If you can get some time to work on them at the range then do it and try to build up some confidence there.  If you can spend some time with a club in a no pressure situation then it can really help build confidence in it and eventually you'll get to a point where you feel like you can take it back on the course. Much better to do it that way on the range rather than trying to figure things out on the tee with a bunch of people watching you and a game on the line.

[inthehole]

what works for me when it goes bad ... dramatically shorten backswing & come down hard on ball (I don't lose all that much distance doing this) - focus on PURE contact only with an abbreviated backswing.

[Shane Cummins]

If playing with nothing more than a 3 iron works for you then stick with it - for the moment I'd take the woods out of the bag and leave them at home..  Wouldn't bother me in the slightest what other people say or what they hit - golf is as much about learning to play with your idiosyncrasies as it is about ironing them out and getting a perfect swing.  As for your playing partners getting frustrated that is their problem - if they are such amazing hitters then let them worry about hitting one of their big bombs from the great position on the fairway that your 3i has given them.  Seems to me that so much of golf is about having confidence and if your woods are draining that from you then it's a no brainer to just get em out of your bag.

That isn't to say that you should give up on them forever.  If you can get some time to work on them at the range then do it and try to build up some confidence there.  If you can spend some time with a club in a no pressure situation then it can really help build confidence in it and eventually you'll get to a point where you feel like you can take it back on the course. Much better to do it that way on the range rather than trying to figure things out on the tee with a bunch of people watching you and a game on the line.

Thanks, that's exactly how I feel. As per my above post and upon reflection I used the woods because I felt I was expected to even though I knew I wasn't ready which completely destroyed my round, However, that was up to me not anyone else. I went out last Saturday and did my own thing, played well and scored reasonably well. A lot of the time I was on the green in the same amount of shots with 2 long irons and had plenty of opportunity to score. I have access to a range where I can hit off the deck and tee up on a proper tee box so I think I will work on things there until I'm ready.

Thanks Again,

Shane.

[Shane Cummins]

what works for me when it goes bad ... dramatically shorten backswing & come down hard on ball (I don't lose all that much distance doing this) - focus on PURE contact only with an abbreviated backswing.

Thanks, I'll try that. That might make me feel more in control and understand what pure contact feels like again.

[Shane Cummins]

Hi Guys,

Just want to throw an idea out there in relation to my issue with the woods. I had a really enjoyable round on Saturday using my 3 iron off the tee and I scored reasonably well. I was playing with a really nice guy and he casually enquired as to why I didn't use a driver. I explained my situation and he just repied to keep doing what I'm doing, play to my strengths and enjoy the game. Which I did. At the end he mentioned, due to me hitting my 3 iron quite well and fairly consistently, had I ever considered a driving iron? I hadn't to be honest.

My impression of a driving iron seems to be quite outdated as I understood them to be almost impossible clubs to hit that guys used 30 years.... so I did a bit of research on Google and two clubs stand out. The Ping Raptor and the Taylormade UDI. I'm not running out this afternoon and buying one but is it something I should at least consider.

I really like hitting my long irons but I'm not a big fan of hybrids so could this be a viable option for some more distance off the tee?

Any thoughts are much appreciated,

Thanks,

Shane.

Hi All,

Thanks once again for all the advise. It really has helped.

Just wondering if anyone has a view on my post above regarding a driving iron.

Thanks,

Shane.