The curse of the driver

[gpeden]

For most of the season I have not been using my driver - I hit my 5 iron 200 off the tee, and my 19 degree ping hybrid about 240, both reasonably straight. I hit my driver about 270 (maybe longer, its hard to tell since it rarely goes straight) but spray it all over the place. My handicap has gone from 30 to 18 since last year. Recently I have been hitting my driver better *at the range*. So yesterday I pulled out the big D on the course, and on hole #2 I hit a great drive.

Then spent the next 10 holes butchering my drives (shot a 54 on the front) thinking I would find that swing again. Finally I gave up on #11, reverted back to the no-driver strategy and did better on the back (46). My short game is pretty good, and I had no 3 putts.

So i guess its back to the no driver approach. My non-driver swing has improved so much its hard to resist not picking up the big D.

Anyone else struggle this way? Its frustrating.

g

[cdriver]

About the first year I played, I only used a 3 wood. I just couldn't play after hitting the big banana ball with the driver and the 3 wood went a lot straighter. Now, I carry the driver and a 5 wood, but no 3 wood. I actually have three 3 Woods, just don't have one I like. When I find one that suits me, I may try it in place of the 5... It took me several years to be confident with the driver. Now, as long as I don't try to swing too fast, I hit the driver really straight and longer than ever. There is nothing wrong with playing without a driver.

[allin]

Sometimes Just shortening the driver an inch can make a big difference. By the time you hit it really consistently you will probably want a new one anyway.

[rmgators]

Just gotta slow it down on the backswing with that driver

[rembrandt]

Just gotta slow it down on the backswing with that driver

What she has just said is so true. My son has been telling me that for weeks now. He keeps pounding on me to slow it down and find the right tempo. I am working on it big time right now but the place to work on the driver is the driving range and not the course. Work it out there and don't give up on the driver cause there is not much in the golf game more exciting than seeing a 250 to 300 yd drive down the middle.

[muskegman]

I find that a quick transition or overly aggressive move from the top kills accuracy. Stay balanced all the way through your swing which really comes back to tempo.

Driver magnifies our swing flaws more than any other club.

[Chas]

Same problem for me. I recently bought a 460 driver and played a full-length course with it for the first time last weekend (after a couple of practice sessions that did not instill confidence .....). OK, I'm hitting it about 25 yds further than before, say 265-270 average, and hit one sweet draw 285 - but so what? Don't even want to think about how many balls disappeared, some left, mostly right. I choked down on it on the back 9 and that helped a bit, but not nearly enough. I should have bailed early and gone to the 3W, hybrid or 4i early on I suppose, it's not a particularly long course but very exacting and just brutal outside the fairway.

Got to slow down the backswing and not rush the downswing. I know, let the club do the work. How come this is so much harder with the big stick? Help!

[cdriver]

Why is the driver so much harder? Imagine that you have a ball on a string and you hold it with 4" of string between your fingers and the ball. Now swing it in a circle and keep it going. Now, try letting out 45" of string and see how much more smoothly you must act to get the ball swinging in the larger circle. More length of shaft (string) requires you to use finer controls to keep it under control. Same principle with a 45" long driver. Keeping that circle around your body on plane and in sequence requires more subtle, smooth moves.

[rmgators]

The final hurdle I need to overcome to take my game to the next level is bringing my range driver swing to the course. I was hitting some beautiful drives the other day with my new FT3 at the range but sprayed it at the course today. I think I need to warmup before my rounds now that I have a driver (never owned one before Wednesday).

[gas_can]

The final hurdle I need to overcome to take my game to the next level is bringing my range driver swing to the course. I was hitting some beautiful drives the other day with my new FT3 at the range but sprayed it at the course today. I think I need to warmup before my rounds now that I have a driver (never owned one before Wednesday).

rmgators,

I've got a good remedy for you. When you step up on the tee, think about emulating Fred Couples, Ernie Els, or Geoff Ogilvy's tempo. Turn the big muscles and leave the arms behind. You'd be surprised at how much club head speed and accuracy I've seen people actually gain on the launch monitor by thinking of those players tempos. Your adrenaline will account for more than you might imagine.

[Xt1ncT]

I went on the launch monitor today with my ping as I keep losing it right. Even when I really catch one it still has a little fade. Turns out my swing speed is 87-91 with it and that if I use a driver with an Aldila NVS 65R instead of the Pro Launch Stiff shaft the speed goes up to 94 swinging easyish. So am going to get it reshafted , amazing the difference and I always wondered whether my swing was strong enough for a stff shaft, and I was right. Although a regular in the pro-launch was awful the launch angle went right up but the NVS was spot on.

[golfchief]

Try just hitting the ball with you regular swing and watch the ball fly.I see people grab the driver and over swing tring to drive the green and end up in trouble.

[rmgators]

I went on the launch monitor today with my ping as I keep losing it right. Even when I really catch one it still has a little fade. Turns out my swing speed is 87-91 with it and that if I use a driver with an Aldila NVS 65R instead of the Pro Launch Stiff shaft the speed goes up to 94 swinging easyish. So am going to get it reshafted , amazing the difference and I always wondered whether my swing was strong enough for a stff shaft, and I was right. Although a regular in the pro-launch was awful the launch angle went right up but the NVS was spot on.

That is the shaft I have in my FT3

[iacas]

That is the shaft I have in my FT3

I've been told by Callaway that they really built the FT-3 to work well with the ProForce v2. It seems to be accurate - I hit mine pretty well when I choose to play it.

To get back on topic... I think a lot of "curse of the driver" stuff can be resolved by thinking of one swing thought: balance. Finish on balance. Stay on balance. Balance leads to a controlled swing and more on-center contact, both of which lead to straighter, longer drives. It even leads to better timing, so you probably won't lose any distance over your good "all out" swings.

[Chas]

Keeping that circle around your body on plane and in sequence requires more subtle, smooth moves.

A very nice analogy I shall try to remember. Yes, I'm focused particularly on swing plane with the driver, because small deviations have large consequences - all too evident with a 460. It's a game of circles, to be sure. Sadly, the word "subtle" doesn't yet describe too much of my game at the moment...... I like the way Mike Weir checks his plane at address, I might try something similar myself.

[iacas]

A very nice analogy I shall try to remember. Yes, I'm focused particularly on swing plane with the driver, because small deviations have large consequences - all too evident with a 460. It's a game of circles, to be sure. Sadly, the word "subtle" doesn't yet describe too much of my game at the moment...... I like the way Mike Weir checks his plane at address, I might try something similar myself.

Dave Koster (NCGolfer) actually does a similar move (as does DiMarco). Dave takes it almost all the way to the top, though. It gets me, too - I think he's swinging and then he just puts the club back down behind the ball.

But anyway, it's an effective thing in your pre-shot routine. Waggles do a similar thing... if they're on-plane. If I'm trying to hit a draw, my waggles are different than my fade waggles.

[cdriver]

Waggles do a similar thing... if they're on-plane. If I'm trying to hit a draw, my waggles are different than my fade waggles.

I had never thought about it, but you're right. I do have different waggles for draw and fade shots.