why can i hit an iron and not a driver

[jayisu]

I have a nice draw with solid contact and distance with my irons.  Inside out swing, good acceleration through the ball with a short backswing.  7i goes about 170.  Give me a driver or 3W and I am suddenly the king of outside in and struggle to keep the fade from being a big slice or a push fade.  I play a narrow course that requires good tee shots, lots of trees and water.  I am sick of penalty strokes.  Why do I have the poor swing with driver and not with irons?  How can I get my iron swing with my driver?  Or, should I give up and hit 4i or hybrid off the tee and just eat the distance penalty?

[cda77]

I too at times have the same problem.  I will hit a nice push draw with all of my clubs and get to the driver and what feels like the exact same swing has the result of a push or a push fade. My only reasoning is, because of driver shaft length, I cannot get to the ball from the inside line of my swing therefore I come over the top to be able to reach the ball without hitting the ground behind the ball first.  Whether factual or just my mental image who knows. (I suspect it's 100% mental as is the usual case)

[SloverUT]

In my limited experience I find people have this problem for a couple of reasons.

1) Most people aren't hitting a driver or 3/wood off the tee onto the green.  Therefore, they aren't hitting to a specific distance but are instead hitting it as far as they can.  Due to this people will often swing harder with driver/3 wood than they do with their irons and it leads to swing errors they don't normally see.

2) The driver/3 wood are longer than irons and people will often not make the set up corrections needed to compensate for the increased length.

[jayisu]

Agreed.  You mentioned a problem I was having.  With a good inside approach I was hitting the ground before the ball causing a loss of power and a pull hook.  I don't know why that was happening.  I am thinking of experimenting with choking up on the driver, but I don't want to lose distance.

[jayisu]

What are those set up corrections?

[SloverUT]

Originally Posted by jayisu

What are those set up corrections?

Sorry, I was not speaking about any dramatic changes.  I simply meant people don't account for the driver/3wood being longer clubs and try to set up for both in the exact same way.  I was mostly referring to not backing away from the ball enough and being to steep at set up.

[cipher]

Originally Posted by jayisu

What are those set up corrections?

It depends on in what way you are setting up incorrectly, it could even be posture.  You may need to experiment with different set ups and find what works for you.  I have been struggling with driver push fades all year until recently I finally found the right setup for me.   When you hit a push fade, keep in mind that this is not an outside in swing.

[Kujan]

"too steep at setup", I think you're right.

[Hacker James]

not exactly a revelation but....(for me)....I could ask the same question but reversed on different days for no apparent reason. i.e. "why can I hit my iron rather than my driver?"  and then next day "Why can I it my driver and not my iron?" .  Everything mentioned above contributes. Even (for me) a small grip change often makes a difference.   The other day, I tried a one plane swing to see if it made any difference. I discovered I could hit every club in the bag with accuracy and solid. The very next day, same thing resulted in spraying balls all over the place.

[jayisu]

So, I experimented with set up, backed away so that I had a very slight reach, maybe just extension with driver at set up.  Where before i was in a position similar to my irons, now my arms were a bit more extended and the ball was toward the toe of the club, not towards the heel.  I drove the ball straight and very long, probably 30-40 yards farther than my old driver and where I was aiming.  That seemed to do the trick.  Unfortunately, it put me inside the 60-110 range on most holes and that part of my game completely left me.  I only have a PW and 60 degree and that distance is very hard.  I couldn't get the 60 through the rough or the touch for a PW from that range.  Too many long putts and resulted in an 83 instead a 70's round that it should have.

Hard to believe an improvement due to a new club and figuring out a swing could blow my mind to the point that I couldn't adjust in the short game, but I guess that is why we love this game.  We are never fixed, there is always something to work on.

[Chad Collins]

I have the exact same problem.  I absolutely SUCK with a driver in my hand.  Absolutely no accuracy and no clue where its going at all.  I also seem to hit the same places on certain holes, its so odd.  For example, if I go to hole 13, I know im going to pull it left real hard.  Hole 9, Ill slice it right every time.  No clue.

[JaapB]

Originally Posted by jayisu

Unfortunately, it put me inside the 60-110 range on most holes and that part of my game completely left me.  I only have a PW and 60 degree and that distance is very hard.  I couldn't get the 60 through the rough or the touch for a PW from that range.  Too many long putts and resulted in an 83 instead a 70's round that it should have.

I'm totally new to golf so I shouldn't give advice or anything but what I read from jayisu post just asked for a comment.

You are worrying about your driver distance yet you say you that as soon as it comes in the range of 60-110 you really have a problem. Should you then not focus on that part of the game instead of worrying about your driver distance.

Also what kind of clubs do you have in the bag, sounds to me you might need 1 or maybe 2 more wedges to make up the distance below the 110 yard range.

And if you hit your driver and you end up with a ball withint 110 yards why did you choose the driver then and didn't go for an other club instead?

Like i said I'm totally new and shouldn't give advice but this just got me wondered about your choices.

[tomvk77]

Hard to say what is going on without seeing your swing.

First of all the less loft a club has the more room for sidespin.

But if your a natural draw player it's weird to loose drivers to the right.

Maybe you should look into the ball position at address.

If your to far to the middle that might cause your slice or fade.

The clubhead is not square at impact. so put the ball on the left foot at address.

[jayisu]

Quote:

I'm totally new to golf so I shouldn't give advice or anything but what I read from jayisu post just asked for a comment.

You are worrying about your driver distance yet you say you that as soon as it comes in the range of 60-110 you really have a problem. Should you then not focus on that part of the game instead of worrying about your driver distance.

Also what kind of clubs do you have in the bag, sounds to me you might need 1 or maybe 2 more wedges to make up the distance below the 110 yard range.

And if you hit your driver and you end up with a ball withint 110 yards why did you choose the driver then and didn't go for an other club instead?

I agree.  I didn't clarify.  I am usually pretty good from 100 in.  On that day I struggled mightily.  I was using driver because my ordinary driving distance requires it, but I was getting more distance.  I guess mentally, I just didn't adjust my game to how I was hitting it that day.  You are absolutely correct that I need more wedges, just haven't found the hand me downs and don;t have the cash to go get some.  I suppose there are other guys on the site that like to keep golf expenses low.  I married in to a club membership and got some hand me down clubs, so my cost to play is pretty low.  I like it that way so I haven't invested in upgrading the wedges.

It is kind of the drive for show, put for dough conundrum.  I am not long, but my course isn't either.  I am like most and like to see a good drive fly instead of playing a smart hybrid to a better distance.  That is just mental stupidity.  If I am driving to that short range distance, I should be able to score and I just wasn't able to do it.  More practice is definately the key and I am spending all my practice time this week on wedges, chips, and putts.

[jayisu]

Quote:

But if your a natural draw player it's weird to loose drivers to the right.

This is the genesis of the thread.  With the irons, I cannot put that fade on the ball.  The longer the club though, the more the shot shape moves to the right culminating in the driver where I can hit some impressive boomerang balls that almost circle around back to the tee box.  I am no expert, just trying to get better.  Before I get too old, I would like to shoot a round of even par, if I ever do I may quit and just frame the scorecard.

I agree that it is weird.  Maybe a mental quirk, perhaps overswinging and being too tight.  My setup is on the left heel with driver.  The adjustment moving farther away from the ball seems to have made a significant difference though.  We will see on my next round.

[Crockme]

After having a similar issue, I recently went to a stronger left hand grip for my Driver compared to irons.  Then I ensure I make a good hip turn and I am golden lately.