Driver woes keeping me from enjoying golf

[x129]

Well they have different lie angles but yeah height has pretty much zero to do with how long your driver should be.  And before everyone goes the PGA guys use ~44" drivers on average and they are the best in the world so we should use something shorter, LPGA (i.e. on average shorter players with club head speeds a lot closer to most of use) players use 45.5 drivers. Why do the ladies use longer clubs? Because they need the distance and at slower swing speeds, you can control longer clubs.

  Jon Robert said:

Originally Posted by Jon Robert

"Also at 6'2.5 cutting down a driver 4-5 inches would be uncomfortable as hell"

You must have one H of a time suffering through the use of the 7 wood throught the wedges.

[iacas]

  LovinItAll said:

Originally Posted by LovinItAll

If a golfer is set up parallel to the target line, the golfer must deliver the clubhead on a path that strikes the ball on the inside half to produce draw spin, or the outside half to produce cut spin.

You're making the simple mistake of thinking that path changes the impact location on the golf ball. It's a flat thing - it doesn't matter at what angle it's traveling - it contacts the ball in the same place if the face is pointing in the same direction.

Pictures 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9 all have the same impact location as each of the others in their rows.

Yes, swinging farther OUT or RIGHT than where the clubface is pointing produces a draw, whether it's 1, 4, or 7.

[LovinItAll]

  Mordan said:

Originally Posted by Mordan

While hitting the inside half of the ball might be a good swing thought for some, it can also be confusing. You can hit the inside half of the ball and produce cut spin, no spin or draw spin (9, 8 & 7 above). Ultimately it's about changing the swing path, so talking about a vector rather than a point of contact is less ambigous.

The bold part is what I was saying from my first post.

I'm really not insterested in giving anyone swing advice, so whatever works for the OP or anyone else is fine - I was just describing how I think of hitting a draw or fade.

You're the second person that has described Picture #9 as 'hitting the inside half of the ball'. I don't see that at all in the picture, but I do see how the diagram describes a cut shot. It still looks to me like the swing path is outside in, and that the club is making contact on the outside half of the ball given my previous setup conditions. It's a moot point - I know the images are correct and that they accurately describe the type of ball flight that will be produced with that given shot.

P.S. I would also say that the point of contact is within a vector, but I suppose it's just semantics.

[Mordan]

  LovinItAll said:

Originally Posted by LovinItAll

You're the second person that has described Picture #9 as 'hitting the inside half of the ball'. I don't see that at all in the picture, but I do see how the diagram describes a cut shot. It still looks to me like the swing path is outside in, and that the club is making contact on the outside half of the ball given my previous setup conditions. It's a moot point - I know the images are correct and that they accurately describe the type of ball flight that will be produced with that given shot.

P.S. I would also say that the point of contact is within a vector, but I suppose it's just semantics.

Ahh yeah it shows the ball starting right of the target line, so the contact must have been on the left (inside) side of the ball in the diagram. Shot number 9 in the diagrams is a push fade, the swing path is straight with an open club face. Only diagrams 2, 3 & 6 have an outside in swing path.

And yes, the point of contact is within a vector, but it's within many vectors hence why it can be confusing.

[LovinItAll]

Nm....sorry.

[shogun82]

I'm very new to golf but my brother in law is a golf pro.  We have almost cured my slice by strengthening my grip so the V created by my left thumb and index finger (right handed) is pointing to my right should while gripping the driver.  I then was told to tilt my spine angle away from my target a little and try to keep my right elbow against my right side while coming through my downswing.  That helps me keep my swing inside the ball.

[cooke119]

I'm not big on gimmicks but I purchased a training aid called the "Slice Eliminator" on line (under $30) and have been using it at the range. It prevents the over the top or out side in swing path which stops your slice. If you swing out side in you'll hit the training aid. You could make one yourself but who has the time. It works for any club in the bag, really good with irons. Look it up on line and see what you think.

[Audaxi]

  cooke119 said:

I'm not big on gimmicks but I purchased a training aid called the "Slice Eliminator" on line (under $30) and have been using it at the range. It prevents the over the top or out side in swing path which stops your slice. If you swing out side in you'll hit the training aid. You could make one yourself but who has the time. It works for any club in the bag, really good with irons. Look it up on line and see what you think.

Or, for about $5, you could buy an alignment stick and use it for the same purpose. Stick it in the ground at the same angle as your shaft, but one clublength (length of the club you're going to hit, not the same as a clublength for a drop) behind the ball. This keeps you from coming over the top, and a swim noodle works if you're worried about scratching your driver's paint job.

[BugDude]

Think simple, low-tech solution.  Take an empty cardboard box to the range with you and set it down in the teeing area.  Now tee a golf ball up beside the box just far enough away from it that when you set up your driver behind the ball the toe of the club is a little less than 1 inch from the box.  Now hit the ball.  Keep doing this.  This forces you to approach the ball from the inside not the outside.

Sometimes, I do the same thing at the range with the range basket just scooted back a little bit (since it is rounded) to keep me from coming into the ball from the outside.

Give it a try.  It may or may not fix your particular issue, but given what you paid for the advice it can't hurt.

[inthehole]

I always hit a natural slight draw on my drives but developed a very annoying slice this summer.      Two things fixed it for me (got these tips from Michael Breeds show on the Golf Channel) ...

1. cup the left wrist at the top of the backswing.

2. FORCE FORCE FORCE myself to bring the club much farther INSIDE than was comfortable with in the back swing ... makes the swing path unmistakenly inside -> out.

PS - based on a crapload of research, I am a believer in a shortened driver (and especially a shortened 3 wood ) as well - don't take a huge amount off so that the club is unbalanced & too stiff (I shortened a couple drivers way too much, and alot of bad things resulted - I know from trial and error what length works optimally for me) - nothing wrong with taking a little off the driver incrementally until you find the length that works best for you (regripping clubs is very easy).     I think hitting a full length driver or 3 wood well would take more time and commitment than most mid to high handicappers can afford - hitting the sweet spot with a slightly shorter club will fly farther and look FAR better on the score card than missing the sweet spot with a longer club ...

[brooksie]

a good drill for on the range would be place 2 balls as a gateway in a diagonal line for a draw:

O

ball to hit                     --- and try to swing through the gate to change the swing direction it works trust me and with any club

O

PS: it does take some time to get right and can be fustrating but keep at  it and you will se the change.   :)

[WUTiger]

Trim down your driver, and take a lesson.

Also, make sure you're not overswinging going back. This causes you to break the grip, and possibly go over the top trying to regain balance.

A shorter backswing has tamed my drives down nicely. Now, if I can quit hooking the RBZ fairway woods OB three times a round....