driving help

[oxman]

Hello,

Newbie here, so sorry if do something wrong. I am perplexed and am seeking some advise from fellow golfers.

I am 50 now but started playing in me teens. I was fairly good and could always hit it a ton , and mostly straight to slight fade. That was back with the persimmon small face woods. I was basically on and off again playing for many years and some years didn't play at all. But as I would get back into the game I would eventually pick up where I left off with the same swing characteristics and such. Big swing hit it a ton small fade with driver and irons and couldn't read a green to save my life but I would rely on hitting it close and it did me just fine.

Well now here I am many years gone by and I am having a heck of a time with my driver. I had be using the same custom made driver for nearly 15 years. I went out and played and got caught up with the new technology and have gone trough 3 drivers now, old one is ruined so I cant go back. Currently using the Big Bertha large head 2015 model. These larger heads just don't feel right in my hands. I can hit it a ton but who knows where it goes. I have no idea of any pattern other than all over. Last week I went out and of the drives I hit 2 hard hooks, 3 hard slices and 1 dead straight but pull and then 2 draw balls but just rolled into the woods. If I was hitting it one specific way at least I could play that stroke., but it seems I have lost all confidence in my driver swing. Irons are spot on same as before, I play from the tips or next and some holes are just to far for no driver.

I need some help! I went to the range last week and sprayed my driver face with foot power to see my contact pattern and on the range I was rather consistent just inside center. My shots were not all over but as soon as I go to the course my god I am all over. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Sorry for the story, I just didnt know how to explain my problem.

[Piz]

Hi @oxman  Welcome to the site.  My golf career arc is similar to yours.  I played often until going away to college and then put the game aside for awhile.  When I came back the equipment, and the golf balls, had changed considerably.  The (seemingly) giant driver heads put me off at first; but I got over that the first time I hit one solid.  On the minus side; I found that my newer, longer, larger, driver, allowed me to send the ball farther out of bounds than I'd previously believed possible.  So...I went to a driving range, signed up for a course of lessons, and began practicing regularly.  It took awhile; but after a year or so I'd trained myself, with help, out of some of my worst habits.  Habits, by the way, that I was not aware I had.  Long story shorter: seek professional guidance.  If a second opinion is valuable to the guys on tour; there is no reason to think it wouldn't be valuable, more so, to us mortals.

[RayG]

Similar situation here. The older clubs had a smaller head that "felt" heavier. It was easy to track where the head was during the swing. The newer, lighter heads on longer shafts are MUCH harder to keep track of and consistency is much more difficult. As mentioned, a bit of practice with some general lessons to get rid of those bad habits will certainly help. 

[dave s]

Three things:

1. Visit a quality club fitter who can pair the right head with the right shaft for you.  The fitter will use a launch monitor and view results to find out which combination is producing the best results for you.

2. IMO, modern equipment manufacturers, (off the shelf gear) focus first on reducing a slice ... like I've ever seen the right side of ANY hole?!

3. The large-faced drivers, (460cc) are perhaps the easiest club in the bag to hit

[oxman]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

I was thinking of looking for a professional just never had to before. Guess there is always a first time.

And Dave as far as the new big drivers being the "easiest" club in the bag to hit, maybe for most but definitely not me right now. Hopefully but summer I will have a handle on it, just a bit discouraged at the moment.