Help with driver please.

[Sai-Jin]

I have an R11s TP driver and I have extreme hard time hitting it.

I've been focusing on my irons for a while and I can hit irons very well.

My shots with the driver is extremely low / very low flip hook / I sky shot / forward spin of the ball and the ball just sinks down after 150 yds.

I lost all confidence with my driver completely and now I'm also very tight when I swing.

So yes, I'm lost at this point.

[Motley01]

You're an 11 handicap, so you have a solid game already.

How do you hit the 3 wood? Same as the driver? 3WD off the deck, and teed up?

I would focus more on the driver at the range. Don't even hit your irons.

I've been having problems with my driver as well, so I've been focusing more on the driver exclusively at the range. I started experimenting with the take away. I now take the club back low, with a close club face. The face is pointing at the ground. Then I started smacking the hell out of it. Before I was opening the face on the back swing, and flipping it on impact. And was very inconsitant.

Try that at the range with your driver. Hope you figure it out. Good luck.

[mvmac]

Set up like this, hips forward, hands forward.  The misses, low drop kick shots, are due to the handle and the weight being too far back at impact.  This is how to hit the driver the most consistent and launch it.

[Sai-Jin]

Motley: I only use my 3 Wood as a tee shot. Then I have a 3 Hybrid for fairway shot, goes as far and easier to hit.

MvMac: I think you may be right about my weight. I changed from a weight 60/40 to 40/60 on address since I lean back a little on address.

What do you mean by "handle" btw?  Thanks for the vid, I'll try that with my driver.

Btw, so all those low shots and flip hooks, etc is weight back? How about the sky shots?

Thanks for the help!

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by Sai-Jin

MvMac: I think you may be right about my weight. I changed from a weight 60/40 to 40/60 on address since I lean back a little on address.

What do you mean by "handle" btw?  Thanks for the vid, I'll try that with my driver.

Btw, so all those low shots and flip hooks, etc is weight back? How about the sky shots?

Handle just means the grip or the hands.  Notice there is forward shaft lean at set-up and try to return the club with forward shaft lean at impact.  Sky shots and the low shots are the same mistake, just different compensations.  When the weight is back, the club can't ascend, club head stays too low through the shot.  When the hands and club can't ascend the angel of attack will tend to be too steep. Get the weight more forward and feel like the hands are raising, not staying level through impact.

[Sai-Jin]

Thank you, I didn't know that about the sky and low shots.

I tried putting my weight forward like in the video and it feels a lot more comfy, just like how I used to swing the driver.

I hope that will fix my drives.

Thanks a bunch, I learned a lot.

One question, all my setups, my club is leaned forward, PW to Driver.

For the driver, it seems that my face is a tad open on address and sometimes, even my irons are like that.

However with irons, all my shots are still straight or straight - draw. So open face on address is normal?

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by Sai-Jin

One question, all my setups, my club is leaned forward, PW to Driver.

For the driver, it seems that my face is a tad open on address and sometimes, even my irons are like that.

However with irons, all my shots are still straight or straight - draw. So open face on address is normal?

Yes love it.  And that's why we can hit it higher with the hands forward, maintains the positive loft of the club.  We like to have guys draw the ball, so the face will be aimed a little right of the target and the path will be further to the right to make it draw.  If were curving it right to left, we need to start the ball to the right, that's why the face will be be aimed right, as well as being able to hit it high.

[Sai-Jin]

Ok, I feel a lot better now, since I have always thought that it should have been square, but I never change it because my ball flight with irons have always been good this way.

Thanks for giving me the confidence. Will try to hit my driver tomorrow and see how it goes with that S&T; method.

[Sai-Jin]

MVmac:

I just got back from the range... man, I'm really stiff... I manage to hit the ball a little further, but still no longer than 200 yds...

I took a vid and I went back to my old bad habit when I was trying really hard to keep my head still and behind the ball...

as a result I didn't even move my lower body and I chicken wing a little.

Not a single slice though, all straight or draws, just a tad low and only 200yds.

Heck, I hit my 7i 175yds average today.

[mvmac]

Good to hear there were no more slices.  And to just clear up the whole S&T; thing, it's something we've evolved from.  More than just S&T; students or instructors use this kind of set-up to hit high draws with the driver.  More about using the correct geometry.

[Sai-Jin]

Mvmac, I haven't hit a slice for a long time. The trouble is still distance and trajectory. I'm thinking of trying this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xi2BPgyfZ0 I'm still lost, why can't I hit the driver as well as irons.

[Motley01]

It's probably time for some lessons from a pro.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by Motley01

It's probably time for some lessons from a pro.

Agree, very tough to get any progress by just trying one thing after another.  Also tough to determine what's going on without seeing your swing.  If there isn't a good instructor near you I'd recommend checking us out for online instruction http://evolvr.thegolfevolution.com/plans