Jump to content
IGNORED

Just can't learn to hit a driver


Note: This thread is 5420 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

I'm looking for motivating stories here. I've played for 6 years and until this year I've never had lessons. I started lessons about 4 weeks ago and I am really enjoying them.

I now feel like I have a really controlled swing as far as my irons are concerned. I have NEVER been able to hit a driver.

And even through these lessons, I"m struggling big time. I've gone from a major slicer to now hitting everything directly high and left with the driver. Not a hook, just dead left.

I'm going to continue to work with the pro and I'm sure he'll be a big help, but it's just so frustrating to not be able to get off the tee. I have the same issue with 3 wood as well. I'm hitting the irons decent, but not the woods.

If I could just get 200 yards off the tee relatively straight, I'd be scoring pretty well. I shot 94 on Saturday with 29 putts. I'm a decent wedge player and good around the greens but I spend 4 shots getting to the hole because, I duff a drive, then I need to hit 3 wood and I just get in tons of trouble off the tee.

I feel like I'm putting in the range time as well. I'm not just taking lessons and expecting to get better. I'm hitting a lot of range balls. I think it's a swaying and weight shift problem. And I tend to try and lift the ball instead of hitting up and through it.

Has anyone here gone from not being able to do anything with a driver to becoming really consistent?
Link to comment
Share on other sites


2 recommendations......

a) Stick with the lessons. Your teaching pro, not this forum will staighten out your driver, when it's time.

b) In the meantime, don't be afraid to hit a hybrid/long iron off the tee......whichever gives you that 180-200 yds down the middle that you want. Remember, it's not how , it's how many !

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Short answer is your just not making the big full turn or pivot with this club. Practice swinging a rack at home and concentrate on making a level shoulder turn back and take the rack back with your shoulders/torso, turn not your arms. In the swing forward keep your arms back so they come off your body at impact and swing through to a full finish. What happens with the driver is we want to swing faster as we think we need to, so we lift the club back with our arms not our body and then flail the club at the ball with our arms with an OTT move or yank down. Driver is the easiest club in the bag to hit if you learn to make that big body turn back and through and just keep the arms extended and not stiff. Club Head speed comes from the long length of the club, extension of the left arm back and through, the body pivot and coil, and the wrist hinge back. No need to force the arms forward as they kill clubhead speed. The key I found is the level shoulder turn back, if you keep your shoulders on the same incline back and through with a full turn you will be on plane and generate lots of power.
Link to comment
Share on other sites


While I'm not expert, I recently have improved my drive by doing a few things. First and foremost is the stance. Make sure the feet are a little wider than shoulder length, with the ball just inside the left foot. This promotes hitting the ball on the upward swing of the driver as opposed to the descending swing. Also make sure your driver is closed, otherwise you will get the slices.

The hardest part with the driver, IMO, is resisting the urge to "Crush" the ball. When I walk up to the tee box, I repeat to myself "HASH" in my head, with means to me moving, in order, Hands, Arms, Shoulders, Hips for the backswing to torque the power. Once that is accomplished, it's then going backwards to release the power...turn the hips to set forth the chain reaction of moving the rest.

Above all else, the driver is mental. I used to be very, very nervous and anxious hitting the driver, as I was expecting to fail. Now I don't nessecarily expect to hit it 250 and straight everytime, but I know it's in the realm of possibilities. :D
Link to comment
Share on other sites


I can understand being discouraged somewhat after taking lessons and practicing. As your swing comes along each club will start to feel better and be more consistent.

Having regular lessons since January of this year it feels like I should be playing much better by now. It is really just a function of time in and reinforcing good habits, and being able to identify and weed-out the bad habits when they pop back up.

In January I had an overly long swing that came to the inside on the take away then over the top with an open club face at impact hitting a huge 175 yard slice with the driver into the woods.

So with the pro we did lessons with the irons first working with the 9I to fix the swing plane. 1/2 swings for 1 month to grove inside out swing. Steepend up the swing, over corrected, flattened out the swing, over corrected, steepened up the swing to a pretty good plane now. 3 lessons and about 1.5 months of practice for that bit.

Funny thing is on the practice range I hit mostly mid to short iron shots and lots of wedge and short game shots. On the course these shots give me tons of problems still with all the practice. The driver no practice and with the swing changes it has been a good performer on the course, not counting mis hits starting to average in the 235 range.

I believe the driver is going well for me cause I have a tendancy to swing fairly flat and I have chilled out about the club and swing easy with it. It gave good results so I kept with it and now I have quite a bit of confidence in the driver.

On the other hand with irons that I have practiced they are causing me a lot of grief till this last Sunday. I started to relax when I swing them and make a focus on a steep swing. They clicked in a similar fashion to the driver.

In the end my consistancy on the course is not where I thought it would be after 7 lessons and 4.5 months of practice but I am starting to see glimpses of much better play.

Carded a 43 on the back 9 yesterday, made a bogey on a easy par 5 by getting worked up and skulling a 30 yarder 45 yards past the green. On a par 3 I hit the green and liped out the 65-foot birdie putt, then missed 2 2-footers for a double. This was after a horendous front 9 (59). So it takes time.

Regards,
-E

In my Grom bag:

Driver........... Burner 9.5* S-Flex
3-Wood......... Burner 15* S-Flex
5-Wood......... Ovation 18* S-FlexIrons............. Pro Combos 3,5-PW Rifle 6.0Wedges......... CG12 52.10, 56.14, 60.10Putter............ 33" VP1 Milled PutterBall................ e6+ or B330-SRangefinder.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites


The pro will fix it up for you. Just keep working at it and trust your swing that you're building

The biggest thing for me was tempo. I swing my irons really smooth and fluid and when I video'd my driver it wasn't the same. If I felt like i was swinging 85% with driver I cut it back to 60% and hit the ball MUCH better and haven't lost a yard of distance
Link to comment
Share on other sites


You can the same old story here and everywhere, people swing their irons so smooth, but cannot hit the driver. I think swinging a 9 iron is fine but it will never help you learn to hit the driver. The plane is so different and your hitting down on a short iron with a short iron setup and stance. You need to learn to make the proper big extended move back and through with a long club. I like the swinging of a rake, but you can also hit your driver on your knees and tee the ball high. This really ingrains the flatter plane, proper turn, and easy tempo to hit the ball a long way. Good luck.
Link to comment
Share on other sites


First and foremost, I agree with the other two posters that said, stick with the lessons. Your pro is gonna figure it out and help you a lot quicker than any post on here, sight unseen.

Second, I disagree a little with the one that said you weren't turning enough through the ball. I'm going to guess and say your turning too much, too quickly. If the pop-up is left, but straight, I'm guessing that your hips are opened and your arms are trying to catch up. In other words you're already facing left before the club-head gets to the ball.

Try this on the range - agreeing with the post that said to slow down with a driver in your hands - take a normal square stance. Move your right foot back (away from the ball) half of your foot's length, trying to maintain the same square shoulders you started with. Take a normal back swing, mentally and physically stopping at the top, and a smooth downswing to that "Perfect PGA finish." The back right foot helps in keeping your hips from opening so wide. IF this helps a little to get back on line, keep moving back your right foot until you slice. Move forward until it's straight again. THEN - ask your pro what will help without the goofy stance (actually not goofy - it's a closed stance).

Lastly, the other post was right too. Use a 200 yard club off the tee that puts you on the fairway. Your friends can laugh at you 260-275 ahead in the rough in the trees and in the sand!!! Being on the short grass is sweeter than being longer and in jail!!!

To keep using the driver and three wood even though you KNOW you don't hit them well (yet) is the old saying about insanity: If we continue to do the same things and expect different results, that's insane.
I make all my own clubs:
Driver: Snake Eyes Python XLD | | 3-Wood: Snake Eyes Python XL Faiway, 15*  | | Snake Eyes HT Iron Set, 3-, 4-Utility, 5-, 6-Hybrid, 7-PW Cavity Back | | Golfsmith G-40 Wedges, 52, 56, 60 | | Distance Master DM-AS2 Putter | |Ball? The last one I found ... that... was YOURS!!
Link to comment
Share on other sites


I feel your pain. My driver swing comes and goes from round to round. I used to be hell bent on getting that club to work for me. Now if I start of the round with a couple poor drives, it goes in the bag and I hit 3 wood or 3 iron all day off the tee.
Link to comment
Share on other sites


First and foremost, I agree with the other two posters that said, stick with the lessons. Your pro is gonna figure it out and help you a lot quicker than any post on here, sight unseen.

What I meant when I said a full turn is to make a full "torso" turn back and through on a level plane against a firm rear leg. Your expression of an active hip with the arms attempting to catch up is surely a sign of an arms based steep lifting which throws the whole forward move out of sync. The pop up is the result of a very steep over the top swing which will not happen if you make a good level turn back and through. Lessons are fine but are no substitute to learning the proper feel to make the correct sequential moves on a stable axises. Swinging such a common thing as a rake or other tool which has a little more weight and length to than a golf club will allow you to feel the proper moves much more quickly than attempting to hit a driver at a golf ball on the range. It will also build golf muscle memory, strength and flexiblity much quicker.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I would suggest a 2 really simple drills to help you improve your driving. I started playing blade irons last year and spent all of my practice time learning how to hit them and my driver suffered severely. These drills helped get me back in the short grass.

1. Address the ball as you normally would with your driver, then move the ball forward in your stance a few inches. Reset your normal stance with your driver behind the ball a few inches and swing through the ball at impact. Don't move your head until your right shoulder pushes your chin up. This will promote a better launch angle and the results will speak for themselves.

2. Address the ball with the toe of your driver a few inches inside the ball and take a practice swing. On your downswing, or through swing as I like to call it, bring the club outside the ball with the hozzle a few inches outside the ball and finish your swing. This will make you extend your right arm through impact and will straighten out your drives. Take a look at Zach Johnson's swing, not the longest guy on tour but he hits fairways and in turn hits a lot of greens in reg. He stays behind the ball and extends his right arm completely through impact, almost like he's pointing out in the fairway where he wants the ball to go.

This worked for me, let me know if it helps you.
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Hi...My name is Phil...and I'm a recovering slicer!! What I have done that has helped me dramatically...and I mean HUGE..is this. I take the club back so that if I looked behind me, the club head would be to the right of my body pointed directly parallel, but the big difference is on the downswing. I swear..if you do this you will correct the slice. Keep your right elbow tucked in a bit. I don't mean to keep it right in on your body, but keep it close. That will promote the inside to square and your shot may find its way down the center of the fairway, and possibly with a little draw. I have doing it for 3 months now, and I no longer fear the right side. I'm tellin' ya...it works!! It's the way you SHOULD swing and a motion that no one ever really concentrates on. I also find that when I do this, my balance is better and I am able to complete my follow through into that picturesque finish that you see on TV. Try it!! My bill is in the mail.

Tools of my game:
Burner 09' Driver 10.5 Reg flex
5-pw G10's/ plus Taylormade R7 4 iron
Burner 08' 4 Hybrid
A70S 3 Hybrid Burner 09' 3 wood "Zing" SW 56 degree Fastback Laser range finder / plus Skycaddie SG5...also a great ball retriever!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Dont be too discouraged, the best player in the world cant hit a driver either. Its you and Tiger

In my bag:

Driver: Titleist TSi3 | 15º 3-Wood: Ping G410 | 17º 2-Hybrid: Ping G410 | 19º 3-Iron: TaylorMade GAPR Lo |4-PW Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo | 54º SW, 60º LW: Titleist Vokey SM8 | Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Keep your right elbow tucked in a bit. I don't mean to keep it right in on your body, but keep it close. That will promote the inside to square and your shot may find its way down the center of the fairway, and possibly with a little draw. I have doing it for 3 months now, and I no longer fear the right side. I'm tellin' ya...it works!! It's the way you SHOULD swing and a motion that no one ever really concentrates on. I also find that when I do this, my balance is better and I am able to complete my follow through into that picturesque finish that you see on TV.

That is one of a few things that have helped me with the driver, too. Driver used to be consistently horrible for the first three years, recently it's been surprisingly reliable on the course. The one thing I notice is that when I keep that right elbow in "more" than my instincts would otherwise seem to think, I'm able to hit it straighter or with a little bit of a draw. Still haven't had a round, though, where all phases of the game are working. Working on it. Playing on it.

........................................
McGolf-Doggie's stand bag & new and used club emporium:
Putter :ping: 1/2Craz-e | Irons :TaylorMade: RAC MB, 4i-PW (DG S300) |Wedges :Cleveland: SW&LW 56*DSG+RTG; 60*/4* DSG+RTG |Woods :Cobra: S1 5W; Adams TIght Lies 3W |Driver :TaylorMade: Burner 9.5 Fujikura Reax S | Maxfli Practice

Link to comment
Share on other sites


While I'm not expert, I recently have improved my drive by doing a few things. First and foremost is the stance. Make sure the feet are a little wider than shoulder length, with the ball just inside the left foot. This promotes hitting the ball on the upward swing of the driver as opposed to the descending swing. Also make sure your driver is closed, otherwise you will get the slices.

Couldn't have said it better myself, fellow Jets fan.

Constantine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Hi...My name is Phil...and I'm a recovering slicer!! What I have done that has helped me dramatically...and I mean HUGE..is this. I take the club back so that if I looked behind me, the club head would be to the right of my body pointed directly parallel, but the big difference is on the downswing. I swear..if you do this you will correct the slice. Keep your right elbow tucked in a bit. I don't mean to keep it right in on your body, but keep it close. That will promote the inside to square and your shot may find its way down the center of the fairway, and possibly with a little draw. I have doing it for 3 months now, and I no longer fear the right side. I'm tellin' ya...it works!! It's the way you SHOULD swing and a motion that no one ever really concentrates on. I also find that when I do this, my balance is better and I am able to complete my follow through into that picturesque finish that you see on TV. Try it!! My bill is in the mail.

Excellent tip, that helped me as well. You will get the club more in the slot. The first time you swing like that you might think the ball will go dead right but it won't.

 - Joel

TM M3 10.5 | TM M3 17 | Adams A12 3-4 hybrid | Mizuno JPX 919 Tour 5-PW

Vokey 50/54/60 | Odyssey Stroke Lab 7s | Bridgestone Tour B XS

Home Courses - Willow Run & Bakker Crossing

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

"Keep your rear arm in"

"Put your stance wide with your rear foot back a little when using driver."

"HASH- Hands, Arms, Shoulders, Hips."

Here's my idea. Go get Ben Hogan's 5 Lessons . It's exactly what everybody is telling you, except in a much better and cohesive way.

Oh yeah, and don't pinch too hard with the thumb and forefinger on your right hand cause it'll hook. (That's in the book, too )

Ben Hogan is my swing coach.

Driver: Burner TP
3 & 5 Woods: No-name
3H:No-name4i-PW: MP-32...unapologetically...You should try blades, too56*: CG12Putter: Spider

Link to comment
Share on other sites


While I'm not expert, I recently have improved my drive by doing a few things. First and foremost is the stance. Make sure the feet are a little wider than shoulder length, with the ball just inside the left foot. This promotes hitting the ball on the upward swing of the driver as opposed to the descending swing. Also make sure your driver is closed, otherwise you will get the slices.

Whoops, I didn't see your first point NY Jets Fan about keeping your driver closed at address. That move isn't for everybody! I would say just keep it square and work at the range on getting it to return to square! Other than that, I agree with what u said.

Constantine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Note: This thread is 5420 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    TourStriker PlaneMate
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-15%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope.
  • Posts

    • Day 85 - Played 9. Driver was solid, approach shots were pushed, chipping/pitching was better, putting was rough. 
    • Day 514, March 28, 2024 Quick ten minutes while waiting for the wife to come home for our trip.
    • Day 262: did a stack session. Worked on rehearsal swings during rest breaks. 
    • It's been a little more than a year since I can last remember hitting golf balls and today I just got my second cortisone injection in 11 months. I thought maybe shortly after the first injection I was going to be able to start playing again with therapy but the pain while doing my backswing past halfway just didn't subside like just lifting my hands up in the air did. So today the Orthopedic surgeon put more in the backside of the shoulder than before to address the tendon more. I'm going to try therapy for another 3 months and if I  can't swing the club without pain then I think surgery is going to be my next option.
    • I was just down visiting family in southern California and we played a couple rounds of golf. I hit my ball into the deep rough near some tree's and my cousin's husband offered me his Sim 2 Rescue Hybrid to try out. And I felt the same way, wow! I loved it, it also had a Pure DTX grip on it which I loved. As soon as I got back home, I ended up buying two used Calloway Rogue X hybrids, 3 and 5. So far I've only tested them out at the range, but I love them. They're much more forgiving than irons for me.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...