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A Driver tip an "old-timer" gave me at the range tonight.

post #1 of 10
11/8/12 at 6:11pm
Thread Starter 

There's no secret about it, my driving the past year has sucked.  Lessons, practice, techniques, etc.  and nothing has helped.  I was at the range today after work and there was an elderly gentleman there, probably 80 years old and he was watching me, but not saying anything.  He realized quickly that I was having problems with the driver and fairway woods, and could tell I was trying a few different things, but having no luck and getting irritated, so he asked if I would take a couple words of advice.

 

I told him that I was open to anything, because I either hit the ball very low (10ft or so) and straight, or if I tried to get the ball in the air, I would get a big banana slice.  This has been my typical problem for the past year.

 

After all these lessons, this old guy gave me one thing and I was instantly hitting the ball high and straight, with just a touch of fade and if I closed my stance, I could actually get a nice draw.  I am super surprised that after all the lessons and things that I've read, I've never been taught or heard this before:

 

My setup was good.  I have been working on it hard with my old instructor to insure a consistent setup.  The one thing the old guy told me was not to ground my club behind the ball before setup.  Hover it over the ball before I take my step to the right.  Then he placed a tee in the center of my chest-line and pushed it all the way into the ground.  Told me that if I was going to ground my club, ground it at that tee and not at the ball.  So the club ended up grounded about 4" behind the ball.  He had me stare at that tee instead of the ball throughout my swing.  I immediately started hitting better drives.

 

He had observed (mind you that I have never been told this before), that I was shifting my center way too far forward on the downswing, which was moving the bottom of my swing forward so much that I was actually hitting down on the ball pretty drastically. 

 

So by just concentrating on keeping the bottom of my swing behind the ball instead of concentrating on the ball with the driver, I was able to overcome a huge swing fault.  Now I just have to be able to do it without the marker in the ground and make it more natural so that I may actually be able to hit a driver again and start scoring again.

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post #2 of 10
11/8/12 at 6:45pm


 

I think you will find this video is similar to what you are talking about. 

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post #3 of 10
11/8/12 at 7:01pm
Thread Starter 

That's almost exactly what he was telling me to do, and for my problem it worked.

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post #4 of 10
11/9/12 at 7:32am

I've been fighting a nasty recurring slice off the tee since I started playing earlier this year, and that video above (along with another that recommended feeling like you're pulling the driver butt end to get more lag) really helped out a lot. Whenever I start slicing again, I remember to feel like I'm bottoming out behind the ball, to the point of looking at that spot rather than at the ball. For me, it works. 

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post #5 of 10
11/9/12 at 9:45am

Great tunes in the background!

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post #6 of 10
11/9/12 at 9:45am

Yes, the key is steady head in the golf swing, to much leaning forward or to much leaning backward can have an adverse effect on the golf swing. 

 

As for hovering the golf club, i honestly can't stand it, i've tried it, it gets me tense. Though i think over the years it has skewed my set up, being that if i play the club down on the ground, center of the ball in the center of the club. I am not standing closer to the ball, than if i would hover the club. The reason is because the club is at an angle while the golf ball is on the vertical axis only. So in retrospect, you have a golf ball teed up about 1 inch off the ground. A golf club hovering, you will either have to stand up slightly straighter, or if you don't you change the angle of your shoulder's and wrist to hover the club that you will have to stand slighly further away from the golf ball. The reason is, if you stand with the same knee, hip angles, then if you hover your golf club the ball will be at the heel of your golf club. 

 

So i am wondering, would be it be better for someone to position the golf ball towards the toe of the golf club, if he is to ground the club at address. 

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post #7 of 10
11/9/12 at 10:02am

That video was an extreme improvement to my drives this year - probably the #1 lesson so far since I started that game (buying the range finder a close #2 in improving my game).  Center of the swing is the center of the swing - I've adapted the concept to all my clubs

 

For drives now, all I personally need to remember now is to focus on a very clean takeaway - it's nice to only really have one thing to think on.

 

the original poster likely also had one other problem than low hits and slices - likely the occasional hard pull to the left on those that did go straight.

 

I hate trying to float the club though.  Seems pointless.
 

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post #8 of 10
11/9/12 at 3:22pm

I have been having major issues with my driver and I believe this will help a lot. I can't wait to try it. Another issue is I am CONSTANTLY hitting in on the heel of the face. Can't figure that one out either. Maybe this will cure 2 issues with 1 solution.

 

Thanks.

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post #9 of 10
11/9/12 at 6:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rehmwa View Post

That video was an extreme improvement to my drives this year - probably the #1 lesson so far since I started that game (buying the range finder a close #2 in improving my game).  Center of the swing is the center of the swing - I've adapted the concept to all my clubs

 

For drives now, all I personally need to remember now is to focus on a very clean takeaway - it's nice to only really have one thing to think on.

 

the original poster likely also had one other problem than low hits and slices - likely the occasional hard pull to the left on those that did go straight.

 

I hate trying to float the club though.  Seems pointless.
 


Most definitely. 

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post #10 of 10
11/9/12 at 6:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ernest Jones View Post

Great tunes in the background!

 

No doubt; I want Salma Hayek to serve me mucho cervesas now............

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by rehmwa View Post

(buying the range finder a close #2 in improving my game). 

 

I hate trying to float the club though.  Seems pointless.
 

 

+1 on both points.

 

Range finder is huge to the game.

 

I've tried floating the clubhead and frankly think it does more bad than good. Do like that video says and just try to get your setup in the same position everytime and ground the club behind the ball a bit.

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TheSandTrap.com › Golf Forum › The Practice Range › Instruction and Playing Tips › A Driver tip an "old-timer" gave me at the range tonight.