is it possible to hit down on driver swing?

[wedge player]

The only time this ever came up was on the golf fix. A guy wrote in saying his pga pro instructor said to hit down on the ball, and Michael Breed agreed. He said it puts a little underspin on the ball giving it a better hang time, etc..

yea then he showed video of tiger hitting down on the ball with a forward lean on the shaft.

[CG031]

My question is what would be the advantage to hitting down on the driver as opposed to just teeing it up and catching it slightly on the upswing?

[MiniMoe]

never hit down on a driver... you will lose control. The ball will be low and will squirt right if you don't square it right. You might even sky a few hitting them off the top of the club. Look at the best players in the world. They hit up on the driver... except Phil Mickelson.. and his driver sucks.

[CG031]

They hit up on the driver... except Phil Mickelson.. and his driver sucks.

He hits down on the ball with his driver?

And when you guys say "down on the ball" do you mean taking a divot?

[Stillhacken]

My irons are great, very pure, but I can't hit a driver. So I'm wondering if it's possible to not hit the ball on the upswing, but strike down on it, a little like tigers stinger. Thanks

There is nothing to compress the ball against if its teed up and you hit down on it. You will drive it straight into the ground or leave sky marks on the top of your driver. You will deloft the driver to about 5 degrees too.

[mtsalmela80]

There is nothing to compress the ball against if its teed up and you hit down on it. You will drive it straight into the ground or leave sky marks on the top of your driver. You will deloft the driver to about 5 degrees too.

I dont think we are talking about hitting the driver EXACTLY like an iron. Its about the incoming driver path. Slightly going down, like an airplane landing, as opposed to slightly up, like it taking off. There is no reason unless you totally miss hit to leave sky marks or hit the ball in the ground. After researching the net, there are an equal amount of pages / articles promoting an up swing as there are a down swing, so its really just another one of those never ending arguments apparently. No winner, just debate.

[iacas]

He hits down on the ball with his driver?

Mickelson does a little. That's one of the things Butch has helped him fix - it's nearly level now, not nearly as downward as it used to be. He's teeing it up a bit higher too.

And when you guys say "down on the ball" do you mean taking a divot?

Nobody means that (I don't think). It's just about angle of attack - a few degrees downward at impact.

[shankapotamus]

Are you better than him?

That's funny, last time I checked Hank Haney isn't a better player than Tiger, yet Tiger hired him as a swing coach.

[wannabe]

I think attempting to apply the same swing to your driver that you do to your irons, esp. the long irons, is appropriate. So mentally, if you're thinking same swing (ie hit down on it), that could be a good thought. However, the ball position and height of the tee should actually deliver the clubface to the ball after the club bottoms out, so while you're thinking 'hit down', in reality you're hitting up when contact is made. Maybe?

[mtsalmela80]

That's funny, last time I checked Hank Haney isn't a better player than Tiger, yet Tiger hired him as a swing coach.

I dont think there is a coach out there in professional sports that can play to the same level as the people they are coaching. Its about knowledge at that point. I would also say, especially with golf, its about having someone look at you when you swing so they see things about your swing that you cannot see because, well, you are looking at the ball!

[enduro]

I don't get why you would "hit down" with a wood? I mean, you don't activly "hit down" with an iron. You swing it. Because the club is much shorter you create a much steeper angle of attack creating a "down" type motion. How would you even do this?

A driver is a very long club and creates a much smaller angle of attack. The swing is exactly the same. The ball is out more, you have a wider stance, etc. So when the club contacts the ball it is much flatter. The length of the club is a function of the angle of attack and thus the "hitting down" or "hitting up" of a club.

Your driver comes in flat. A little down or a little up, w/e.

[wedge player]

I mean, you don't activly "hit down" with an iron. You swing it.

i guess youve never taken a divot to do so u hit down on the ball imparting spin,if u have never taken a divot your iron/wedge game is probably why you have a 15 handicap.any low capper on this board would tell you to hit domn on the ball.

[enduro]

i guess youve never taken a divot to do so u hit down on the ball imparting spin,if u have never taken a divot your iron/wedge game is probably why you have a 15 handicap.any low capper on this board would tell you to hit domn on the ball.

lol, I don't even know what my handicap is. I golf in the high 70's. I've just started playing seriously recently.

Dude, you don't deliberately hit down on a ball. The club is steeper so a downward arc is created. This creates a downward motion. Telling people to "hit down" on a ball is terrible advice. People will create too steep a swing plane and start making the downplane higher than the upplane. Just terrible, terrible advice. You swing the club. It hits the ball and descends into the ground. This is how the club is designed. It doesn't have to be manipulated once you learn how a golf swing is setup and executed. If you're actively trying to hit down on a ball, you're not a 3 handicap. If you use a different technique to hit woods and irons other than foot placement and ball placement, you're not a 3 handicap. Hilarious how golfers with apparent 3 handicaps (doubt it) don't understand basic principals of the clubs they use.

[shankapotamus]

lol, I don't even know what my handicap is. I golf in the high 70's. I've just started playing seriously recently.

I don't hit my 3 wood like my irons. I have a more sweeping motion. Does that mean I'm not a 10 hcp?

[enduro]

I don't hit my 3 wood like my irons. I have a more sweeping motion. Does that mean I'm not a 10 hcp?

It just means you don't understand your swing. The arc is longer and angle narrower because, shockingly, the club is longer. Or else you're just doing it wrong.

[MiniMoe]

If you look at the super slow-mo of Phil and his driver, he makes contact right before the club reached the bottom of the swing, which is hitting down on it. Of course that was last year. I have not seen the super slow-mo this year