Driver Back in Stance

[iceman777]

I 've been having trouble the last 2 years , cant hit the driver . I can' t stop hittting most shots low and left . Been at the range often , with little result . Went to the range  yesterday and , just for the heck of it , experimented with the ball teed up about 1 inch BACK from the middle of my stance . Then hit about 10 drives perfectly straight , not far ,about 200 yards . The courses I play are about 5900-6000 yards . If I can hit my drives 200 in the fairway . I 'm actually in good shape to play my goal , bogie golf . First , what could be causing the straight ball flight with the ball so far back , and 2nd  ,  should I feel like a chump in going against every instruction book  I've  gotten my hands on , re forward ball position . Thanks

[imsys0042]

I can't speak to the mechanics, but only what happens to me.  If I have the ball too far back in my stance then I hit to the right and hit a fade.   My hands have not squared back to their original position and the club face is still open.  I imagine I could do something else to my swing to have that happen, but I am ok with it being in the classic forward position in my stance.

[iacas]

Fix the core problem. You may have found a band-aid (that worked, so far, only on the range), but it may not be a lasting improvement, and it's definitely not an improvement overall.

If you don't have a Member Swing thread, use this as the impetus to start one.

[Buckeyebowman]

I would like to know what your ball flight is like with the ball played farther forward. For man years I heard Johnny Miller talk about playing the driver a little back in the stance and hitting a "trap draw". Of course, you have to release your hands a little early for this one.

[pganapathy]

I play my driver off a low tee (top of the all at around top of the driver head height) off somewhere around the middle of my stance.  It seems to work best for my swing and when I am in form and playing regularly, I can hit it around 300 yards and reasonably straight.

Do not assume there is only one swing that works with a driver.  Provided you get the ball launching at the ideal angle and hit it at the sweet spot of the driver, you will get the maximum distance for your swing.

[Pretzel]

2 hours ago, pganapathy said:

Do not assume there is only one swing that works with a driver.  Provided you get the ball launching at the ideal angle and hit it at the sweet spot of the driver, you will get the maximum distance for your swing.

There is not only one swing that works with the driver, but the swings that do work all employ the same five basic principals. In a fundamentally sound swing you are unlikely to find more distance by moving the ball back, as it will lower your launch angle and increase your spin due to swinging down through the ball.

There is no debate when it comes to having a positive angle of attack. The only way to get an ideal angle (as you describe it) while also having an equally ideal spinrate is if you have a positive angle of attack coming into the ball. That will, barring ridiculous weather, always maximize your distance (and likely accuracy too, with a lower spinrate).

[pganapathy]

5 hours ago, Pretzel said:

There is not only one swing that works with the driver, but the swings that do work all employ the same five basic principals. In a fundamentally sound swing you are unlikely to find more distance by moving the ball back, as it will lower your launch angle and increase your spin due to swinging down through the ball.

There is no debate when it comes to having a positive angle of attack. The only way to get an ideal angle (as you describe it) while also having an equally ideal spinrate is if you have a positive angle of attack coming into the ball. That will, barring ridiculous weather, always maximize your distance (and likely accuracy too, with a lower spinrate).

I agree that a PAoA is needed indeed.  I am a right handed player and if you consider my left leg as 0, centre as 50 and right leg as 100, my ball is probably at 40.  Admittedly I may be getting a bit more spin than is ideal, but it seems to work perfectly for my swing.  Tried moving the ball further up in my stance to say 20 and found I wasn't connecting the ball as well and getting less distance.