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

[mvmac]

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

No, there's more to it than that.

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 !

If you feel like it's slow then a regular flex may be better overall.

[Tgb02]

Is there any really good solid drills to do to focus on the impact part of the swing? I have gotten to where I can do everything pretty well but I tend to pull the ball a bit because I get to out in front and sometimes because of my baseball swing I stay back and get fast and slice it or pop it right up. I have noticed that I have gotten a lot better over the last 3-4 days but still need to work on it but is it better to just keep swinging and doing slower swings and all to feel it or any drills?

[mvmac]

Is there any really good solid drills to do to focus on the impact part of the swing? I have gotten to where I can do everything pretty well but I tend to pull the ball a bit because I get to out in front and sometimes because of my baseball swing I stay back and get fast and slice it or pop it right up. I have noticed that I have gotten a lot better over the last 3-4 days but still need to work on it but is it better to just keep swinging and doing slower swings and all to feel it or any drills?

[Jameson]

Yesterday I was trying to fix my driver path, is definitely my biggest flaw. I come over the top, but it´s strange because it just happens with my driver, I think because I want to hit it further. Anyway it´s really tough to change this, because is something I´ve been doing long time ago. I practising placing my right foot back...

[Slowcelica]

Yesterday I was trying to fix my driver path, is definitely my biggest flaw. I come over the top, but it´s strange because it just happens with my driver, I think because I want to hit it further. Anyway it´s really tough to change this, because is something I´ve been doing long time ago. I practising placing my right foot back...

I think I have the same problem and I think it is caused by wanting to hit it hard and when I want to hit hard I have a tendency to use my arms to much.

[taxgolf]

I think I have the same problem and I think it is caused by wanting to hit it hard and when I want to hit hard I have a tendency to use my arms to much.

Last week I played with a pro and he wanted me to make a practise swing as hard as I could. I was afraid that I would loose mij balance, would be out of control etc. The funny thing happened when I swung the club, I really came forward as in lineair, all my weight on my left side. I pulled myself to the left. My practise swing was as hard as I could, but my real swing was just a bit slower, but still much faster than before. Yet I was in control, much to my surprise. I could really swing harder than I thought. More important, my bal contact was better, the sound was never what I heard before and I gained distance! I picked op extra yardage. Really a lot als much as 15 yards with the driver. And with the higher louter clubs, I hit spin! Ball flight improved. I apparently talked myself into beleving that a slow, safe swing would help to get control, but actually it would keep me stuck on my right Side. I remember seeing a clip from DL3 that his practise swing is as hard as he could. I was afraid to swing it harder, but I have less fear! Building up speed. Played 11 holes, easy to the backswing, even a little pause like Matsuyama and then all systems go. Walked to every green, droppen a ball at 55 yards, and try to make a 3/4 swing with a SW, but full force. It felt sensationeel. Because on those short shots, you do not want to decellerate. I hope it makes sense. I will play 9 saturday and I will try again.

[JeepXJ98]

I don't think I've posted here yet, but I just want to get in a thanks for this thread. It took my wildly inconsistent driver and turned it into something I can control. A small adjustment forward or backwards, and I can go from a slight push/fade, to a dead straight ball, to a slight push or straight draw.....all with the same swing, which is great because it takes me out of the equation....In the last 54 holes I've played, I only hit my normal miss (a straight snap-hook) one time....which is amazing, because prior to this I was averaging one every 4-5 drives.....

I'm continuing to work on this, and am currently working on being able to swing faster to get back to my normal distance, but honestly being 260 yds down the fairway (or in the first cut) is a huge improvement over being 280 and in the trees on the right or left!

[mvmac]

I don't think I've posted here yet, but I just want to get in a thanks for this thread. It took my wildly inconsistent driver and turned it into something I can control. A small adjustment forward or backwards, and I can go from a slight push/fade, to a dead straight ball, to a slight push or straight draw.....all with the same swing, which is great because it takes me out of the equation....In the last 54 holes I've played, I only hit my normal miss (a straight snap-hook) one time....which is amazing, because prior to this I was averaging one every 4-5 drives.....

Great to hear, thanks for posting.

[Slowcelica]

Couple questions on the driver, I get the ball a lot better and straighter if I "feel" like I use all arms and turn really late. Now that's not what I'm actually doing. With a driver should I be pushing my hips more torwards first base longer before turning? Because with a iron I shift and turn at the same time.

[saevel25]

Couple questions on the driver, I get the ball a lot better and straighter if I "feel" like I use all arms and turn really late. Now that's not what I'm actually doing.

With a driver should I be pushing my hips more torwards first base longer before turning? Because with a iron I shift and turn at the same time.

All golf shots the hips slide and turn at the same time. The hips have to get from 30-45 degrees turned, to square when the club is at A5-A6, then 20-40 degrees open at impact. There is a lot of turn there.

How you feel that happening is up to you. Like I feel no slide at all. I developed to much slide not enough turn.

[mvmac]

Couple questions on the driver, I get the ball a lot better and straighter if I "feel" like I use all arms and turn really late. Now that's not what I'm actually doing.

With a driver should I be pushing my hips more torwards first base longer before turning? Because with a iron I shift and turn at the same time.

You should be doing the same thing as your iron swing.

[Jameson]

In order to come from the inside, shoul I feel at the start of the downswing like my shoulders remain in their position (where they are at the top of the BS) or is a completely wrong feeling??

[iacas]

In order to come from the inside, shoul I feel at the start of the downswing like my shoulders remain in their position (where they are at the top of the BS) or is a completely wrong feeling??

Feels will vary from player to player, so unfortunately, we can't really answer that question for you that way.

[Jameson]

I had three feelings yesterday, and I was hitting the driver like never before. Well, it´s not amazing (190 yards straight), but it´s fantastic for me right now:

- More speed on the down swing, hear the sound of the shaft. Not for the start of the downswing, just a little bit after.

- Wider stance , right foot backwards (in order to avoid the dreadful OTT).

- Control my overswing . Feel like a 3/4 or even less.

[mvmac]

Justin Thomas, hits up 4.8 degrees, high launch, low spin

http://www.pgatour.com/video/2015/05/22/the-science-of-justin-thomas.html

[Triggers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mvmac

Justin Thomas, hits up 4.8 degrees, high launch, low spin

http://www.pgatour.com/video/2015/05/22/the-science-of-justin-thomas.html

Love the sport science type articles, pretty crazy that it produces such a huge effect.

A question though, if some of the longer hitters ( Bubba, DJ, etc ) could/would reproduce would this type of swing in the video would it increases their distance even further?

[mvmac]

Love the sport science type articles, pretty crazy that it produces such a huge effect.

A question though, if some of the longer hitters ( Bubba, DJ, etc ) could/would reproduce would this type of swing in the video would it increases their distance even further?

Are you referring to the angle of attack? Bubba does launch it high (about 13-14°) and has a positive AoA of around 4°. DJ hits up about a degree and also launches it fairly high, so they are both "optimizing" what they can do with a driver.

[Triggers]

Are you referring to the angle of attack? Bubba does launch it high (about 13-14°) and has a positive AoA of around 4°. DJ hits up about a degree and also launches it fairly high, so they are both "optimizing" what they can do with a driver.

Yea, specifically was talking about the AoA ( since it was mentioned he was about 5° higher than tour average ), though I didn't think about checking the stats of the other two I mentioned.

I guess my question in general is, does a higher AoA with most everything else remaining constant increase distance? ( Say DJ going from +1 to +3 ).