Staying "connected"

It's very fun to diagnose, and (hopefully) correct your problems!!

This year, for almost the entire season I have found myself hitting my driver slightly towards the heel. You can kind of get away with it with these large driver heads and still hit the ball fairly straight, but it robs you of some serious distance. I tried pretty much everything to correct it.

First, the obvious, standing to close to the ball? Nope, just caused me to actually hit the ball even more on the heel because I would get way off balance and have to lunge towards the ball on the downswing.

I also did a lot of work trying to fine tune my swing path. It greatly helped other aspects of my game, specifically iron play but I still was heeling it with the driver.

I also fiddled with ball position, tee height, tried out a couple different drivers , tried hovering the club at address as opposed to grounding, etc, etc, etc.

Finally, I think I've discovered my problem...getting DISCONNECTED. Lately, when hitting my driver I've been trying to "stay connected." That is, stay compact through my swing, keeping my left bicep against my chest.

It felt strange, very strange at first. I think previously I was pretty good on the backswing and the beginning of the downswing, but as I turned back to the ball my body would stop rotating and I would fire the club through impact with my arms only. So naturally, as my arms became "disconnected" that extension would push the sweetspot out past the ball, causing a strike on the heel. With irons, I swing probably 80% and have been devloping some nice tempo. With my driver, it's a 95%+ ugly, herky-jerky type of swing, which was probably contributing to the "disconnect."

Staying connected has toned down my driver swing a bit, it kind of forces you to stay in control, unless you want to throw your entire body at the ball.

So I returned to the range last night to cotninue my work on staying connected when hitting the driver, and employed 2 simple thoughts:

1) Left bicep to chest all the way through impact
2) No more than 85% power!!!!

The results continued to be very good. It gets you to that proper impact position without much though.

I'm playing 18 tomorrow and I can't wait!!

Thanks for listening.

-$2

I'll have to keep that in mind.

I've been hitting my driver off the heel alot latley too. I know what you mean about the loss of distance too . With my driver a heeled shot comes up about 50-60 yards short at least, but then again when I heel my driver, I really heel it, were talking almost on the hozel. So I must try this out the next time I'm at the range.
Thanks in advance (if it works!)

That's what I started doing at the driving range, while keeping my arms inert. I can see a definite improvement in my ball striking as a result. A lot of golfers say that adding muscle will ruin the golf game. But I'm wondering if having larger pectoral and bicep muscles help by eliminating the gap between the chest and left arm, thus keeping one better connected?

Actually... no. I've never really considered it. Suppose it never occured to me, I love my driver so much I hever thought it was anything to do with her ( its a "...its not you its me..." situation if you know what I mean )

Nothing to do with connection, but I was just thinking that with a shorter shaft, you could use your same balanced swing and the club's head would swing around a bit closer to you, thereby aligning the sweet spot of your club head to the ball instead of the heal to the ball.

Staying Connected is the best tip I ever got. It works really well, especially at the range I place a towel under my arm. I cant help but swing 80-85% and I have greater control over all shots.

What you guys are experiencing is a rudimentary body powered swing.  However, you need something else to make it really good and consistent.

Saw this old thread and tried staying "connected" today at the range. Thanks guys - the dreaded hook I've been fighting since last season seems to be tamed!