How to Hit a Driver (Hit it Further and Stop Slicing!)

[Phil McGleno]

¿Some ideas?

It is tough to say without a video. What you think you might be doing might not be what you are actually doing.

[Bechambo]

Out of interest, I seem to have a slight problem with my left leg buckling (where I mean its not only bending/flexing but also 'buckling' toward the right leg a lot)...

I've worked on this recently & it might not be as exaggerated as it was but it does still go a bit, It might not specifically be a slice issue but more contact/consistency, I wondered your thoughts on this, is it a massive issue? Is there drills & fixes again that can help with this?

Sorry to be so overly inquisitive, I mean well though!

That swing tendency of having the left knee bend towards the right reminds me of Ian Poulter's swing.

Maybe think about shortening the backswing a little bit to gain some club path and timing control. Something I've had some success with.

[mvmac]

Yesterday I went to the range in order to practice my Driver, by far my bigest shortcoming. On my last round, it destroyed 5 holes, and it´s the first thing I have to fix.

I tried to do all the things that I read on this thread, and the result is little by little, getting better. I feel that the next two things, have a crucial effect on my driver shot:

1. My Grip. I used to place my right hand too over the left hand, when the best thing you can do is turn it to the right side... just the opposite.

2. The firsts steps of my backswing... I had the sensation of rotating my right arm, and this mades the club face opened. Yesterday, instead, I tried to keep in the start of the backswing the club face looking to the ground as long as I could... don´t know if I am explaining it well... But I hit some amazing shots, like never before.

¿Some ideas?

Agree with @Phil McGleno , tough to say without seeing the swing. Also you don't describe what the issue is with your drives, just that you're hitting it bad.

The two things you listed are typically good things, right hand not on top and not rotating the face excessively on the takeaway.

[golf-noob-bruce]

Welcome to the site, thanks for checking out the thread.

The hips being pre-set a little forward results in the lean/tilt/axis tilt. The set-up looks pretty good, I would recommend narrowing the stance about an inch on each side. It's also fine to play the ball a little further forward of your left heel, like your left toe. If you're still fading/slicing, aim your body (hips/shoulders) more right, also may have to look at the mechanics of the swing.

This does wonders for me. Just ensuring I line up with the club face square and my body aligned no more than 10 degrees right has a major impact.

[smaug81243]

I'm having issues with consistency using this method. Trying to hit up on the ball and approximately half are very straight or a small pull fade. The other half are either large pull draws or a straight fade that starts dead center and slices 30+ yards. Any thoughts what is going on with these misses? Ball position too forward? Hitting too far up on the ball?

[saevel25]

I'm having issues with consistency using this method. Trying to hit up on the ball and approximately half are very straight or a small pull fade. The other half are either large pull draws or a straight fade that starts dead center and slices 30+ yards. Any thoughts what is going on with these misses? Ball position too forward? Hitting too far up on the ball?

Probably just getting use to the contact. If this change is recent it sounds like key 5 issues.

To me it sounds like you just need to practice it more. What expectations are you looking for with the driver? Right now I am playing a fade because I am getting my swing more neutral. I use to hit up with a pretty severe inside to out, so I would play a draw. It might be something to be think about because if you are use to a draw you might seek out that ball flight by changing your swing with your timing.

[smaug81243]

Not all that new but as I keep improving as a player this is now my major weakness. Last few rounds my driver has probably averaged 2 penalty strokes a round on a wide open course from putting it in hazards. I don't really care about whether I play a draw, fade or straight ball with driver, I just want to be able to do one consistently enough without huge curvature.

[mvmac]

I'm having issues with consistency using this method. Trying to hit up on the ball and approximately half are very straight or a small pull fade. The other half are either large pull draws or a straight fade that starts dead center and slices 30+ yards. Any thoughts what is going on with these misses? Ball position too forward? Hitting too far up on the ball?

Are you hitting it in the center of the face? Sounds like your're dealing with some off center strikes/gear effect. Tough to say for sure without more info and seeing your swing. Feel free to start a member swing thread.

[smaug81243]

I'll powder the face and check the next time I am at the range. Will also look at getting a video to start a swing thread.

[oregongolfguy]

Spent alot of time this morning working on setup and swing with driver. Getting off the tee box being one of my biggest weaknesses at this point. I did alot of slow work on getting a fuller turn and secondary tilt. Worked really hard on setup too. Slight hip bump, ball off front foot. Took quite a bit of time with slow half swings to feel like i was getting into a decent position. But it started to work. I went full swing last 20 or so balls. 1 slight pull. 1 basically straight. Everything else was straight fade or pull fade. High, tight and long. Really good contact. I felt it was a good start to getting my driving back in line. It looked a little weird to watch the ball go left and come back right...just not used to seeing it. But the results were very good....and honestly on my home course a fade would play very well....

[Crazycanuck44]

Not sure if I'm addressing the ball properly. I feel that I'm bumping at address but hard to tell how much I shud be bumping and also starting the BS properly to get in the right position at the top..

[taxgolf]

Not sure how it will translate, but the saying 'one bird in the sky doesn't make summer is here'.

I have have played a couple of rounds recentely. Basically what I try to do, when hitting the driver, is the following:

1. I tee the ball a tiny bit higher

2. pick my target line;

3. aim my clubface a tiny bit right of the target line;

4. try to put the ball more forward in my stance, left toe instead of left heel;

5. pre set my hip a bit to the left;

6. breathe in and breathe out and GO

The funny thing of it all, is that I do not slice my driver anymore. It might be the one or two pulls, but thats it. I noticed it after analyzing my rounds. But what does happen, is that I sometimes hook the bal massively. Ball starts left of the target line and curves away. A few shots started ever so slightly right or maybe on the target line, but started hooking.

So I have traded my slice for the hook. But that seems an easier fix than a slice. Am I correct by stating that a slice is a clubface problem and a hook a path problem (or is it the other way around?).

One item that might effect a hook is my driver. I have a Mizuno driver with movable weights. I have preset it now in a draw bias mode. I think I will reset it in a more neutral way.

[boogielicious]

Not sure if I'm addressing the ball properly. I feel that I'm bumping at address but hard to tell how much I shud be bumping and also starting the BS properly to get in the right position at the top..

Have you posted a video or photo of your setup in a My Swing thread?  It would help.

[Jameson]

I know that, what is causing my slice with the driver is my swing, and my path. However, I wonder if the driver itself, can be helping increasing this issue... Maybe, in most cases a regular shaft (and shorter shaft) is easier to make reaching the ball in a better position to avoid the slice... ¿experts? (I have a stiff shaft and factory long)

[boogielicious]

I know that, what is causing my slice with the driver is my swing, and my path. However, I wonder if the driver itself, can be helping increasing this issue... Maybe, in most cases a regular shaft (and shorter shaft) is easier to make reaching the ball in a better position to avoid the slice... ¿experts? (I have a stiff shaft and factory long)

I don't think the shaft matters that much.  If you went from senior flex to X-flex, maybe.  But most shafts cover a wide range of swing speed.

[mvmac]

I don't think the shaft matters that much.  If you went from senior flex to X-flex, maybe.  But most shafts cover a wide range of swing speed.

Yes, it's much more of the Indian and not the arrow.

@Jameson what's your swing speed with a driver?

[Slowcelica]

I've been practicing this trying to improve my distance, but I have not been able to hit a pull fade, most of my hits were either straight fades or push fades or the worst a push slice. I setup aligned right of the target line, and then my face pointed at the target, I found this helps me get my path in to out. Is this ok?

Also would hitting say a 12* driver be the same thing as hitting up?

[Jameson]

Yes, it's much more of the Indian and not the arrow.

@Jameson what's your swing speed with a driver?

Don´t know, but not much. I should do a trackman to learn all of this valuable information the sooner the better. I think the average, or a little less.

Always have a very slow tempo, too slow. Right now I´m trying to speed it up !