Driver - Top Middle of the Face

[Wardy]

Since I bought my Nike vR_s driver, my driving's improved leaps and bounds. My normal shot will go pretty straight, but goes too high (due to hitting off the top of the face) and I know this is losing me some distance.

When I look at my clubface, the ball (nearly 90% of the time), comes off the top middle of the face. It's not that much of an issue as the ball carries well and goes straight, but I know there's obviously a swing flaw here which I'm keen to address to get the extra yardage.

Does anyone know what the likely cause of this might be? Also, is there an easy way to work out if I'm hitting down on the ball or on the upswing?

[nick1998bunker]

i have the same issue. I found I dont hit down on it but pretty level. If you are you will see it spin up very high an go nowhere. I also like to come very close to the ground as reference. I decided instead of changing the swing I would just tee i up lower. Now I tee up low into wind and Normal and swing up with the wind.

It may help to feel like you are lifting up on it.

[saevel25]

A driver face has a roll to it, meaning its curved. This causes what is called a "Gear" effect Basically if you hit the ball above the center of mass of the club, it will launch higher (due to the roll giving a higher effective loft), and it will spin less. If you hit it bellow the center of the clubface you will hit it lower with higher spin

Actually hitting it slightly higher on the clubface isn't to bad. If you broke the center of clubface down into 1/4" quadrants, with the intersection being dead center, you want to be in from dead center to the upper left quadrant. This promotes a draw and causes higher launch and lower spin.

Now if your hitting it way to high and just skying the ball, i would say tee it lower.

Is the ball starting off low than skying upward like a roller coaster, or is the ball just starting high right off the bat and going higher.

[mvmac]

A driver face has a roll to it, meaning its curved. This causes what is called a "Gear" effect Basically if you hit the ball above the center of mass of the club, it will launch higher (due to the roll giving a higher effective loft), and it will spin less. If you hit it bellow the center of the clubface you will hit it lower with higher spin

Actually hitting it slightly higher on the clubface isn't to bad. If you broke the center of clubface down into 1/4" quadrants, with the intersection being dead center, you want to be in from dead center to the upper left quadrant. This promotes a draw and causes higher launch and lower spin.

It's actually something the pros try to do, like saevel says, launches higher and lowers the spin due to gear effect.  I suspect you might be hitting it too high in the face (basically not hitting it as solid as you can) with the angle of attack too steep.  Easy fix, play the ball a ball or two in front of your left shoulder, push the hips forward with the head staying centered (reverse K set-up).

http://thesandtrap.com/t/44307/hitting-up-or-down-with-the-driver-in-an-inline-pattern

http://thesandtrap.com/t/61376/5sk-video-thread/90#post_847925

[nick1998bunker]

It's actually something the pros try to do, like saevel says, launches higher and lowers the spin due to gear effect.  I suspect you might be hitting it too high in the face (basically not hitting it as solid as you can) with the angle of attack too steep.  Easy fix, play the ball a ball or two in front of your left shoulder, push the hips forward with the head staying centered (reverse K set-up).   [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/t/44307/hitting-up-or-down-with-the-driver-in-an-inline-pattern]http://thesandtrap.com/t/44307/hitting-up-or-down-with-the-driver-in-an-inline-pattern[/URL] [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/t/61376/5sk-video-thread/90#post_847925]http://thesandtrap.com/t/61376/5sk-video-thread/90#post_847925[/URL]

It's possible to swing up and hit a draw right

[c peterich]

That is what aj bonar would say.. Upper right middle.. Love his name anyway

[Wardy]

It's actually something the pros try to do, like saevel says, launches higher and lowers the spin due to gear effect.  I suspect you might be hitting it too high in the face (basically not hitting it as solid as you can) with the angle of attack too steep.  Easy fix, play the ball a ball or two in front of your left shoulder, push the hips forward with the head staying centered (reverse K set-up).

http://thesandtrap.com/t/44307/hitting-up-or-down-with-the-driver-in-an-inline-pattern

http://thesandtrap.com/t/61376/5sk-video-thread/90#post_847925

Awesome, I'll take a look at this and give this a go at the range tonight

[saevel25]

It's possible to swing up and hit a draw right

Did you even click on the link ;)

The 2nd one will take you to a video on how to do just that.

[mvmac]

It's possible to swing up and hit a draw right

Like saevel said, check out the second link. Because you're hitting the ball just after low point you need to align the body right to draw it.