Driver: What the Heck!

[jambalaya]

Consistency is a big problem for me these days. I have been getting a noticeable increase in pars and birdies but I cannot get rid of the blow up holes especially on the back nine. It mostly comes down to driving. I will drive beautifully on the front nine and then I just lose it on the back. I follow a 40 on the front nine with a 50 on the back. One time I hit three tee shots where none of us in my group saw the ball and had any idea where it went. I found one of them eighty yards left and no more than forty yards forward in an adjoining fairway. I swear the ball had to have gone straight up and left over some trees to get there and for us not to see it. Just weird. And I mean I was crushing drives on the front nine. I am thinking I am totally losing posture somehow during the swing. I am going through my preshot routine but it no longer works. I am going to try and concentrate on spine angle the next time it happens. Everything else about my game is improving but this one aspect and as a result the handicap remains the same despite the birdies and pars.

[CosmosMpower]

I have the same problem, I think it's from getting tired and losing patience on the back 9. My solution? Put away the driver and tee off with the 3 hybrid. Still goes 220 roll and carry and dead straight/reliable. I don't mind losing 30 yards to not be OB in the woods 3-4 holes on the back 9.

[jambalaya]

I can see hitting off line, getting a little loose, but what explains almost completely missing the ball. I would love to see what the club is doing on impact to make the ball go almost straight up and left. How can one go from smoking drives to something that bad in the course of a round? Just what kind of crazy swing do I have to devolve to for that result?

[$2 Nassau]

I am thinking I am totally losing posture somehow during the swing.

That would be my guess as well. Like you say, try to maintain your spine angle, and don't stop doing your preshot routine!!

There could just be some excessive lower body movement during the swing...maintaining posture and spine angle will help that. Keep right knee flexed throughout the swing and don't rush the downswing from the top - let gravity help you build acceleration smoothly. Club should reach top speed just past the ball. I'm a habitual rusher of the downswing - throws everything out of whack in my swing...I lose posture and dip down, then have to raise up at impact to compensate - ugggh just a mess. When I stay in my posture and swing in control it is like night and day. Just need to ingrain it into my thick head so I don't have to consciously think about on every swing.