Tee shot evolution (or deevolution)

i've been playing golf for close to 30 years, most of which with a chronic shoulder, which has undergone 10 shoulder disclocations, but none for about the last 8-10 years, when i decided to give up any sport that may involve falling. i notice it has affected my follow-through. it is less than full. as a result, i am not getting much loft.

i used to depend on a fade which was very consistent and something i could live with. i compensated by keeping an open stance. within the last 2-3 years, the fade completely disappeared, and now i am either hitting it dead straight, or pulling it left. i am having trouble convincing myself to alter my stance to avoid the lefts, it is still open and i am facing slightly left. my mind is convinced if i adopt a closed stance, then i will start hitting it right.

another issue that has me thinking about the rights is keeping the driver face open at address. to me, it looks like because the angle of the face, the ball will go right. so i keep the driver face shut, but in doing so, i lose loft.

i don't know if i am asking for advice, or just putting into writing the state of my game from the tee, but if anyone can relate and would like to share, it is much appreciated.

It sounds mental.  What is your pre-shot routine like?  How do you pick a target line?  Do you have any "get myself lined up straight" rituals?

How long do you typically take between addressing the ball and swinging?

How closely do you watch your ball position?  Do you do anything in your pre-shot routine to make sure you keep a consistent ball position?  The same swing with altered ball position can produce very different results.

What you are complaining about is hopefully a sign that by moving around your target choice / ball position, you can take away the right or left half of course as you need to, which is a huge advantage.  I'm no pro, but I find it unlikely that your default shot shape would change overnight like that (especially if you're still getting good contact) due to some major new mechanical move in your swing.  My guess is that your setting up differently in terms of ball position or target line and not realizing it.

i've been trying to get out of the habit of setting up left, with an open stance. its been about 2-3 years maybe since I've hit a consistent fade. but I've also got a couple of new drivers in that time. but as convinced as I am that I no longer hit a consistent fade, my mind wants me to set up the same way I had for years. maybe it became so habitual, like any habit, it has become difficult to break.

i was out today, and was conscious about the setup and ball position with my driver. i squared up more, kept the shut face, and am using 4" tees, putting the tee just slightly in the ground each time. a friend of mine told me i needed to move closer to the ball, but i actually hit the driver better when i am reaching for the ball just a bit. i am still lacking distance, but loft is improving a bit, and I seem to have more control with the shot.

as far as routine goes, i don't take a practice swing. i pretty much in my mind, by looking out into the fairway, determine where I want the ball to end up, and set up accordingly. i always used to set up toward the far right side of the tee to account for the fade, but now I find myself setting up more left, trusting that my drives will go straighter. i've been setting up in the middle of my stance, but I'm strongly considering going back to setting up near the front like I used to. I will probably hit the range to experiment.

well, went out yesterday, and was hitting the driver the best i hit it so far this year. straight with some loft, not terribly long, but pretty satisfied. i find if i reach for the ball a little bit, i can hit it better. i know that goes against conventional wisdom, but it doesn't work for me. i end up pulling everything left. maybe an issue with club fitting? i've always bought off the rack, being of average height. but wondering if i would do better with a little longer shafts?

Longer shafts and do better.????? Go get fit with a set of clubs, yours are likely similar if not the same in length, lie and loft. If you are average height length is probably not needed. Otherwise your pull to the left and the fact that your are reaching could be the mechanics of a flat swing.....a longer club would pull it more. Have someone put you on a lie board, all clubs can be bent, some more than others. Otherwise, invest in yourself with a lesson by a pro, could be an easy fix for nice straight shots and better scoring.

that makes sense, given my shoulder issues, and the fact i'm not getting a whole lot of distance. don't know how pronounced it is though. i was googling and found a video of someone's swing on this site of all places, it was flat and pronounced to the point that aesthetically, it looked not so good, but he said it was effective. next time at the range i will be conscious of the back swing, try to bring it more on plane and see if the shoulder can withstand it. maybe its just a matter of getting the shoulder stronger as well.