Driving Question

[Its In the Deep Stuff]

Hey guys. I'm just starting out golf and its great so far. I'm pretty obsessed already, even though I have only been on the range.

My irons are progressing, and even though I have cautiously not even touched the driver yet, I am wondering how I should go about learning to hit the woods. I mean, should I use my current crappy driver and get good with that? I imagine if I can hit it well I can hit a good driver better. Or should I get a nice driver that is very "forgiving" to get the stroke down and then work to the less forgiving drivers from there.

On one hand, I can hit straighter shots sooner with a nice driver, and on the other, I learn how to hit a tough driver and then later move on the the forgiving ones. Any tips on this? Thanks.

[MdGolfer1982]

Quit before it drives you crazy!!

haha- just kididng... kinda.

I would say it all depends on your financial situation and what you are trying to achieve as a golfer. If buying the newest coolest Driver is going to prevent you from buying your kids clothes- then I'd say go with el cheapo. If you have cash to burn, get the expensive one. The fact is- even buying the biggest, most forgiving driver on the market today isn't going to make you good at hitting it- practicing is.

Go midrange and call it a compromise.

[Lbob]

I don't think it's a good idea to "learn" on one driver then switch to another. Especially if it's a crappy driver. What you're likely to learn are bad habits. Go get a used driver that's decent but affordable and learn on that one. Then after your swing has developed try a few that you think you might like at a demo day.

[Its In the Deep Stuff]

Any suggestions for a good driver for a beginner? I don't know how much good drivers go for but I'd be willing to shell out $300 or so.

[knock-down]

Get some lessons!

[SuaSponteMn]

Any suggestions for a good driver for a beginner? I don't know how much good drivers go for but I'd be willing to shell out $300 or so.

You should be able to buy almost anything at 300.00, even the highend stuff like R7's, FT-3's, HiBore's, and Launcher Comps. Check out demo and used drivers as well. And I second the suggestion for lessons. An hour with a golf pro will go a long way.

[Its In the Deep Stuff]

Well I've taken a couple of lessons, and they helped. But how many lessons should I take before doing it on my own? I'm also reading Ben Hogan's Five Lessons right now, which has helped a great deal. But of course it is not a substitute for someone studying your swing and telling you which changes you need to make.

[SuaSponteMn]

Well I've taken a couple of lessons, and they helped. But how many lessons should I take before doing it on my own?

It really depends on what you want to get out of the sport. Some people take a few lessons to an idea of the fundamentals and leave it at that; typically more recreational players would take that mindset. Others take them monthly regardless of skill level in an attempt to continue to improve. Keep in mind both of these scenarios are generalizations and there are plenty of people who are in between.

Also, if by saying, "doing it on my own" you mean playing, going to the range, putting & chipping, etc; I'd be doing all that from day 1 to help ingrain what you're learning in your lessons. Oh, and the book you're reading is a great starting point, that's the first intructional book I read when I decided to build a golf swing that would stand up to more than the annual or semi-annual round and hopefully bring me to the next level. Although finding a pro that you can learn from is far more valuable :)

[RoyalAv]

Some people might suggest that with a driver in your hands, it's a different swing. I'll go further than that ... I think it's a different sport.
I've been flailing away with the b.... thing for decades and I'm convinced even my "good'' drives are bad shots. The ones that work are pure random, halfway between my slice and hook.
Being a swing tragic, I've got one hundred different off-the-tee keys, 99 of which I quite regularly take to the golf course. There is one, however, that's reserved for the practice range. Here ... on some occasions ... something happens (at the top?) (in transition?). It's an awkward left hand/wrist/forearm sensation that sometimes feels like the handle is rotating in my left palm; almost like I'm re-gripping the thing. As alien as it feels ... and it seems to contradict every piece of instruction I've ever gleaned ... as soon as I feel it there's no need to even look where that ball goes. I know it's string-straight, medium height, down-the-line 225m plus.
Obviously, as soon as I try to consciously emulate the sensation I'm a dead duck but I'm positive if I can ever get a handle on it my score will improve by about a score.
The impossible dream ... makes life worth living, huh?
cheers Bob

[Rezgolf]

as far as drivers go, I would check out some of the high end models, but in the used section so you won't break the bank until you are sure that you are going to stick with it. but the best thing to improve your game is to take a couple of lessons, and get professionaly fitted for a driver that will maximize distance and accuracy for YOUR swing type.

[rockyt]

Rezgolf is right. Get a consistant swing that works and feels good. Then get fitted. Then Boom your happily getting bubba watson distance ;)

[GreensDruid]

I agree with most of the replies. I've used a few books to try to learn the swing - Five Lessons; The Plane Truth and a really old book called "On Learning Golf" by a fellow named Percy Boomer. They were all helpful. I also took a lesson this year. It was very valuable in that I had a very different picture in my mind of how my swing looked. I thought I was swinging like Ben Hogan or Jim Hardy. If fact, I had taken their lessons too much to heart and developed a very flat swing that was off plane and difficult to time. The pro observed this and was able to correct me. I also have had someone video my swing and that's very helpful too in correcting swing path problems.

Once I got that straightened out, I did go to a clubfitter like some of the other posters and had a driver custom built. If you take into account the cost of the fitting session (mine ran almost 3 hours and involved a whole bunch of analysis) getting a custom club is a little more expensive but the results are worth it, particularly with the driver. I now have a club that feels right and I'm confident hitting it. It's made a big difference for me.

[Its In the Deep Stuff]

Well I have kind of been discouraged lately. I took a lesson and the pro made me go all the way to the beginning and just work on how to shift my stance and not use my arms a lot. He wants me to practice just moving with the hips and letting the arms follow, and with twisting the hip and how to shift the weight. It requires too much thinking, and it has taken all the fun out of golf for me. Now I feel paralyzed because I just want to have fun and swing and hit nice shots like I was before, but I do not want to ingrain bad habits. So instead, I haven't bothered going to play :(.

[GreensDruid]

Well I have kind of been discouraged lately. I took a lesson and the pro made me go all the way to the beginning and just work on how to shift my stance and not use my arms a lot. He wants me to practice just moving with the hips and letting the arms follow, and with twisting the hip and how to shift the weight. It requires too much thinking, and it has taken all the fun out of golf for me. Now I feel paralyzed because I just want to have fun and swing and hit nice shots like I was before, but I do not want to ingrain bad habits. So instead, I haven't bothered going to play :(.

Deep Stuff: I get discouraged too. See my earlier post when I was having trouble with my driver a couple of weeks ago. I've made a great deal of progress since then but it's far from perfect. It sounds like your pro is giving you very sound advice. My favorite instruction book (the Boomer book that I mention above) advocates the same concept - essentially, you swing from the feet up and pivot your hips around a fixed point - your arms and hands go along for the ride. The problem is that each of us experiences the golf swing differently, and books and pros don't always remember this. The fact is that our arms and hands are our connection to the club, and we must use them to get the clubhead through the ball. The key is to get the whole body working together properly. I've never been able to do this with multiple swing thoughts. Maybe you need to ask him to distill his teaching so that you're not weighed down with multiple thoughts. Some pros will tear you down and then try to build you back up again. Others will work with what they have. The fact is that we all swing the club differently and trying to conform to a textbook or particular theory may do more harm than good. I read something Jim Furyk's father wrote when they were visiting colleges. At one stop, the golf coach looked at Furyk's swing and said, "Don't worry, we'll straighten that out when he gets here." Furyk's father answered: "No you won't. I will not let you touch that swing." Needless to say, Furyk didn't attend that college and he kept his own swing. It's worked out pretty well for him. Obviously Furyk's father was of the mind that you work with what you have. Keep plugging away and don't be afraid to experiment with different feels. I'll be looking for your advice the next time my game goes to hell. Cheers. GSD

[Its In the Deep Stuff]

Thanks man, that is reassuring. I just have to get back out there and get past this step, and I will probably end up being much better for it. BTW, who is in your avatar?

[rockyt]

thats paula creamer in greens druid's avatar...

[GreensDruid]

The girl's got serious game - and a great belly button! Couldn't resist the picture.

[Dirk Diggler]

You know what, i have the same thing.
That driver is my nemesis, 4 months ago i was in a tournament wich i won and went from a 36 hcp. to a 28 in a day al thanks to my driver. I hit 14 drives of wich i could play 14..
4 months later i can't hit a straight shot if my live depended on it.
keep practicing and do not be scared for the big stick.. just swing it..
who cares if you hit a ball that goes 150 yards straight and then makes a 150yard right turn....youre new to the game and still learning,
the ones that count for you should me the ones that fly a whopping 250+ starting on the right and slowely comming in....
good luck..