Why are my drives going higher than they are long?

**Soup Fan** · June 14, 2008

I keep skying my woods. All of them. My regular 1,3, and 5 Wilson woods and my Dunlop Loco oversize. No matter how far back I put the ball in my stance, I keep hitting these major league pop flies. I don't really know how to remedy it because I can't figure out what is causing it.

Too steep?

Teed up too high?

What should I try to bring these puppies back into the lower layers of the stratosphere?

**MunkeyGolfer** · June 14, 2008

When ever I sky my drives the tee is usually up too high. Hard saying what it would be for you with out seeing it. Try teeing down since you already tried the ball back in your stance.

**hoofreak7** · June 14, 2008

i've been having similar problems lately........i looked at the ball marks on my driver and they were obviously high of the sweet spot......so i decided to take drastic measures to force myself to hit the clubface lower (even if it would be too low at the time......just until i fixed the problem) i did this by teeing it lower and trying to top it (it may sound weird but it helped me a lot)

**doublesuited77** · June 14, 2008

make sure you are staying behind the ball and not lunging at it. most sky high balls result from the arc of your swing being in the wrong spot.

**Franco!** · June 14, 2008

You're probably coming in too steep.
Try to feel yourself behind the ball longer.

**Soup Fan** · June 14, 2008

I guess the too steep thing makes sense. I tee it fairly low for my 5 and 3 woods so I am guessing it's probably not that. Maybe my new found iron swing has worked it's way into my longer clubs. Glad I left a game on my Top Golf card...gotta go work on it.

**Chas** · June 14, 2008

Maybe I misunderstand your terminology, but you should be putting the ball more forward in your stance, not back. The more forward the ball is, i.e. towards the target, the more you will make contact on a slightly upward trajectory (which will give it the right launch angle) and the less prone you will be to undercutting it and popping up a moonball. It is the opposite of your typical iron shot, which is hit on a slight downstroke (followed by a bit of turf being taken). But like everything else in goff, don't overdo it.

And like they say, try to flatten out your swing a bit - but not too much or you'll be duck-hooking and other nasty things.

Also, make sure you aren't standing a bit too close to the ball. I like to feel a bit of stretching at the shoulder joint as I address the ball, because this replicates what's going to happen as you attack it coming down and greatly reduces the chances of a fountain.

Trust me, I've learned about these things the hard way.

**kehanra99** · June 14, 2008

Move the ball forward. Your hitting the ball as your swing bottoms out instead of just after, on your way up, when the face of the club will square with the ball.

The other thing to do is to move just an inch or two further from the ball so your arms have a better extension, though that's more of a compensation for ball placement than anything.

**xamilo** · June 14, 2008

What loft are you using? Which shaft?

**Soup Fan** · June 14, 2008

This is the oversize I am using. Otherwise I am using my old Wilson woods. Graphite shafts on those although I don't know what the flex is on them off hand.

I have had the ball everywhere from my front foot to my back foot.

Thanks for the tips and I will work on them asap. I will also try to remember the video camera next time I go to the range.

**JackieTreehorn** · June 15, 2008

If you have a decent clubhead speed and using regular shafts, your shots will balloon. I can't suggest getting stiffer shafts fast enough.

On the other hand, if you have moderate to slow clubhead speed and you are still ballooning, you are coming in too steep, as posted above. Take your right hand out of your swing by hitting balls with your right thumb off the club. Think of only using your left arm.

**bruce** · June 17, 2008

If i use a 3 wood off the tee box i tee it so the bottom of the ball is still touching the grass,when teeing off with driver i never ground the club,i hold centre of face at ball,sounds like to steep of a swing,try a three quarter swing with about 20 balls and you will hit a lot better,probably more distance e.t.c Three quarter swing too most people is actually a full swing,i see more people at the range over swinging,taking the club back too far causes arm lift and resulting in weak shots.

**Soup Fan** · June 17, 2008

Well I went to the range today and, in between running into the bar to watch the last few holes of the open, I think I am well on my way to correcting this. I just need to focus on tucking my right elbow into my hip and not come down on the ball so aggressively. For my next round or two I am going to leave the oversize out of my bag completely (the bright yellow and blue headcover is too tempting) and focus on getting the right shape and trajectory on my 1 and 3 woods. I was actually hitting my 3 wood farther and straighter than my driver for whatever reason. For now, though, I am going to continue working on improving my form and making square contact.

Thanks for the help.

**sti23** · June 23, 2008

i've always learned that the ball should be teed up so that when you place the driver at address, only half the ball is sticking up above the driver. and yes, the ball should be more forward in your stance to prevent you hitting under the ball.

if your 3 wood goes farther than your driver, that should be your new driver on the course until you fix the other things. i've played a few rounds without a driver in my bag during those "tough" times.

**Soup Fan** · June 24, 2008

Yeah I have taken both my oversize and my standard 1 wood out of my bag. I can't have them consorting with the other clubs that I am hitting fairly well right now.

**Akers** · June 24, 2008

I had this same problem, I saw my pro about it. We teed the tee up as high as it would go, made my stance wider (Back foot, 1 foot length), and really made sure I was "sweeping" the ground so the club is making contact with the ball just as the clubhead is rising, I was "chopping" at it, been much better since.

**jasongst** · June 24, 2008

I guess the too steep thing makes sense. I tee it fairly low for my 5 and 3 woods so I am guessing it's probably not that.

What's fairly low? For you, when teed up for a 3-wood the ball should probably look like it's sitting on the grass. In other words, as low as possible while still using a tee.

There are only a few ways to hit the ball high. Hitting slightly above the sweet spot will hit it a little higher, but not a lot (unless you are hitting it on the upswing, which requires a high tee). Hitting it slightly off the crown is a much more common culprit I would think, and to remedy crown hits you push down that tee. The other possibility is that you are not lagging the club head enough, and that your hands are even with or behind the ball at impact. This would just be something you'd have to work on.

**Uthinkso** · June 24, 2008

This is just my .02 here, but I don't use the tees for big head drivers. I just use a standard tee and push it into the ground about a 1/2" and its perfect height for me.

When I use the taller tees I skyed the driver about every third of fourth shot.

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