Common problem?

[mike106]

Hey guys,
I hear that this is a pretty common problem in beginners. For some reason I can't hit my hybrids or driver like my irons. I'm better with a 4 iron rather than a hybrid. I don't understand why, because I always hear people raving about how much easier it is to hit. I use a big bertha 460 9 degree with a stiff shaft. If I hit good with my irons at practice I'll hit bad with my woods, and vice versa. My hybrids have irons shafts, so I figured it can't be simply the graphite on my driver. I know it's impossible to tell whats wrong without a video, which I will try to get shorty, but from what I hear its pretty common and I'd just like to know some mistakes I could be making.

Thanks guys

[CG031]

The Driver is the toughest club in the bag to hit straight, for most people. That's why you see people teeing off with woods or long irons on 'tight' holes...more control.

Don't worry. Just keep practicing. Most beginners struggle severely with their driver.

[Garthmo]

When you arent hitting your driver and woods well, what happens? You slice or hook them? I find with my game that I can hit my irons very consistantly but when I am off on the Driver and woods that I seem to push them or slice. And I Have discovered that it comes down to 2 things, "swing speed" which means that I try to swing too fast. and "Timing" I let my hands and shoulders get ahead of the ball at contact which leaves my drivers face open. So not sure what you are having problems with but hope this may help a bit

[mike106]

The Driver is the toughest club in the bag to hit straight, for most people. That's why you see people teeing off with woods or long irons on 'tight' holes...more control.

Thanks. Also I think on my back swing I turn myself too much, can that also be a problem?

[mike106]

When you arent hitting your driver and woods well, what happens? You slice or hook them? I find with my game that I can hit my irons very consistantly but when I am off on the Driver and woods that I seem to push them or slice. And I Have discovered that it comes down to 2 things, "swing speed" which means that I try to swing too fast. and "Timing" I let my hands and shoulders get ahead of the ball at contact which leaves my drivers face open. So not sure what you are having problems with but hope this may help a bit

I hit a lot of them off to the right. My problem is im either dead on or dead off, I'd like to be a little more consistent with the driver.

[GaijinGolfer]

Are you setting up with the ball foreward in your stance when you hit with a wood? With the longer shaft that your driver has, if you have it in the middle of your stance that could cause your shots to go to the right.

[mike106]

I set up my driver a little inside of my left foot, and I keep my hybrids somewhere in the middle. I'll pay more attention to that next time. I'm going to try to get a video up so we can see what I'm doing wrong exactly. Thanks for the quick replies!

[GaijinGolfer]

Your ball positioning sounds OK. The only other thing I can think that you might be doing is that you are trying to crush the ball when you hit driver and thats causing an over-the-top move, which is causing the ball to go right.
I used to suffer from the same thing and I found that trying to swing slow helps to fix that.
Im sure that if you put a video up that someone on here would be able to tell you exactly what you are doing wrong.

[mike106]

Your ball positioning sounds OK. The only other thing I can think that you might be doing is that you are trying to crush the ball when you hit driver and thats causing an over-the-top move, which is causing the ball to go right.

I think I try to crush is sometimes. I think I get excited with the driver, because I've always been the power guy on teams like number 4 hitter etc. By the way with the hybrids I try to keep the ball in the middle, but do you think I should move it up to promote the ball going into the air more?

[wrx_junki]

Hello fellow Queens resident.
Should try posting up videos of your driver swing and iron swing so that they can help you better.

[jambalaya]

Are you swinging your hybrids like they are irons? What we often do when using a fairway wood is to give it that little bit extra at impact to get the ball off the ground. This throws off our rythm, swing pattern, posture excetera which causes errant shots. You may be doing the same with your hybrids. Try to control that urge and just swing with an even tempo through the ball like you probably do with your irons. Take a shallow divot like you do your other long irons. The loft of the club will get it off the ground.

Do some Google searches or otherwise look at videos and tips on hitting your driver. I am no expert and only an 18 handicap as you can see. However, I approach the driver as a unique club with it's own set of rules for hitting it well and consistently. The set up is so important. Aspects like shaft lean, spine tilt, tee height, weight shift all have to be tailored to hit the driver. It is the only club that we try to contact the ball with a slightly ascending blow.

Look at Avid Golfer's post on the second page of this thread: http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthr...265#post170265

He has a lot of photos of pros set up with a driver (Click the Show Spoiler button). Notice how the club shaft is either straight up and down or slightly leaning back at address in those shots. Also note the differnent degrees of spine tilt away from the target depending on the player.