Brakkus

The shots that generally stick out are those from range that as a higher handicap you have no right to hit. Just a couple of recent ones. Hit a hook off the tee into medium rough on a par 4 with a stream all the way down the centre. Always play for the left side and you have a second shot in. Get to my ball and because of the hook I have 230 left. The green is on the smallish side narrow but long from the angle I had. Feeling confident pull out my 3 wood. Hit it pure onto the green and it runs behind the hole 240 yards and I make my par. Just this week 638 yard par 5 into a stiff breeze. Cock up my second shot sliced into the tree line. No line of sight so I play a hybrid out. Get too much of it and end up in light rough on the left side 207 yards from the pin. Half way between me and the green is a tree line across the fairway. It's a dog leg left and I can just see the right portion of the green. Planned to bail out to the right and leave a chip at worst. Really got hold of it. I literally missed the trees by 2 ft. Sailed over the top with a 20 degree hybrid. Just a very slight draw to the left of a bunker. Arrived to find ball on the green and 2 putted out for bogey 6. In the past that should have been a big fat 8 or 9 so really pleased.

I would narrow it down to the right shoulder. You want to bring it forward. Swing an axe or a punch or hammer a nail and it internally rotates inward. We're so used to using it to apply force even when you open a door especially those fire doors in office complexes. So it's a very natural movement. In golf that right shoulder needs to be delayed. It will internally rotate eventually but it ruins swing plane from the top. Much like the movements mentioned above the right arm is going to work across the body and in the golf swing the slice has already started outside so the only way for the club to go is inside on the follow through.

87 Matishall gc Norfolk,UK Worst I've hit it for a while although hit 5 fairways on the back nine. Only 2 gir because I was so bad off the tee. Kept leaving myself 185 plus for the second shot. Hit one 207 yard screamer over the trees to a par 5 which was majestic. Putter was cold 36 putts nothing atrocious but nothing special either. Felt like a round of a pro who after grinding his way round comes home with 72-74 and bemoans that his putts didn't drop or that he missed gilt edged opportunities with flight errors. It was that sort of round. One highlight was that anything within 150 I hit most greens and my short game is now a strength. In fact I would say my weakest part is now off the tee. Lack of distance being the bug bear. I'm 66% of fairways but that accuracy comes at expense of distance. Really need to master the driver now to go up a level.

[quote name="mvmac" url="/t/77244/how-to-hit-a-driver-hit-it-further-and-stop-slicing/150#post_1205726"] There really isn't that much accuracy gained by hitting 3 wood. Also distance is a form of accuracy (thanks @iacas ), closer you get to the hole, better chance you have of hitting the green, making par/birdie. If you're "handing left" then the head is probably moving forward (towards the target) on the backswing. Or the spine starts tilting towards the target. Hips stay a little forward, head centered. Probably won't feel "loaded left" if you do this and it will help shallow things. [/quote] Thanks for explaining all this and it's very clear why my previous address position was causing my ball flight issues. This set up makes sure you stay inside the ball on the downswing. I was too wide before. I'm guessing driver and fairway woods and perhaps lower lofted hybrids benefit from this set up. My irons have narrower stances and the axis tilt I've been working on gets my divots ahead of the ball mostly. I still make some errors but I'm sure it's on the right track.

I was just concerned about getting too far forward and hanging on the left foot at the top of my backswing. I pretty much ironed out my flaw from before where my left side would dip in an effort to remain centered and then I would not be able to shallow out my swing. I suppose filming my self doing this would be a good idea. Thanks Mike

Had struggles with the driver and I think it's been down to me not getting back to left side. Never thought to pre set hips in address. I thought this would steepend the driver swing too much. Axis tilt has been a priority piece this season and my irons have never been better and it's probably due to my pelvis being more centered even when I turn behind the ball. My guess is that I'm so loaded with a wider stance with the driver I'm late back and can't square the face. It seems to work as my balls are hitting my net lower at the back. I did have some questions for Mike and Erik here but it seems the advice is still to turn behind the ball and load your right side but the pre-set of the hips helps centralise the pelvis. Is that right and the feel I need?

Looking at this thread from the past and maybe this all has to do with relative strengths and weaknesses in our own games. For example Luke Donald awesome short game but he's short and crooked with the driver relative to other pro golfers. Rory on the other hand is the other way and isn't known as the most natural putter. A year later and my game has improved out of sight but my driving remains a bit of an enigma although I have to admit I'm playing a driver that I bought second hand and have never been fitted properly for my driver. Has anyone been through that where they bought off the shelf then got fitted and it made a big difference to their accuracy and power?

My swing mechanics have evolved a bit in the last 18 months. I got away from hitting and more swinging. Took out the constricted arm movements of a one plane action also stood slightly taller and tried to drive with the left more. In fact it feels freer but I still was lacking something. Realised that I have more power if I drive with my right. Same mechanics but the delivery comes from the right. I know that the warning is don't mix one and two plane fundementals but you gotta go with your strengths. I'm shorter thicker build short levers so going with the feel of a hard punch at impact and allowing my left side to guide the plane. Just also slightly steepend my posture a tad not back to Jim Hardy style.

I have had this book for some time and really only aware of it through tennis. I was walking through a secondhand bookstore and came across the inner game of tennis which I believe is the better book. Tim Galley started out playing lots of tennis as a junior and coached it later in life and that really comes across in that book. I would suggest reading both that and the inner game of golf together. There's a really good section in the book on putting and not too disimilar from Rotella's mental game ideas. I also like the idea of letting your interest settle on a specific body part when practicing things like chipping or pitching. Allowing the brain to focus and the body learns those cues. The self 1 and self 2 is a very enlightening concept but does describe how to take ourselves out of the equation and let the machine learn. The more we know and allow the body to do it's job and immerse itself in the learning process and detach our ego then we learn faster and with less frustration. It does work the more you trust that process.

Rather than driving distance it should be driving accuracy. The distance is overated unless it's playable. I have been trying to master the driver for 8 years. Still I struggle with it. Of late I have been 50% of fairways but the misses are sometimes very damaging. I'm 68% overall but that's a combination of lots of other clubs. Anyway I have hit drives that gone high and right about 180 and a few out there above 260 and some respectable 220 is controlled fades.

I have a record function on my tablet just waiting for a nice day to go outside and film it. I've done some mirror work and got the feel of it. Wanted to bed it in for a couple of weeks before filming the results. I also have had a few sessions in my net to ingrain it. Definitely feels different so I'm hopeful that I'm on the right track. Never uploaded a video here so will have to do it.

This is something I can say that is critical in my swing.The backswing just sets you up for a great downswing. I have the tendency to try to stay too centralised and it wasn't until I saw a video of my backswing that I noticed a slight reverse pivot at the top. So what I thought was a full turn was actually bad positioning.When it's right it feels shorter less effort and the divots are shallow and it feels like I have time because my left side hasn't collapsed. That means your left side drops and then compensations have to be made on the way down to get your secondary spine angle back. Anyone else struggled with this and how much difference did it make when you truly stayed behind the ball by not losing your angles?

I play only half a dozen rounds a year at best. Practice becomes a very important regime for me. I have an app to track all my stats. An online handicap calculator helps track my index. Current but only gets updated when I play now down to a 14.5 so dropped 1.5 points over 5 rounds. Would just love to play more I'm destined to be a single digit handicap I've seen enough evidence in my game to suggest it. Just can't put up enough rounds to get it there sooner. Set myself a 12 for next season which is very doable.

Most of mine are 6000-6500 that I play.It gives me legitimate shots at gir on most par 4 holes.I only have issues with holes right around 400 and above. That would be two pure longer clubs for me. Everything 390 and under is attackable. I'm sure I could still score well above 6500 but that would bring lay ups into play so a different game.

Ended up buying the unstoppable golfer. I have 3 Dr Bob books now and they all have similarities but there's always little nuggets that are fresh in there.Patience and belief in what you are doing was a strong message. The visualisation techniques are really discussed in detail in this one. In all 3 books the short game had a section but this one was very detailed. I really enjoy books about psychology of the brain it's a fascinating subject. Lots of us here are more than willing to put the time into the physical skill. Really though what gives you the ability to perform the physical originates with the mental. I totally buy into the concept of brain as a muscle in itself. Train your mind and your game at the same. I've dropped 20 strokes in 2 years after stalling for 5 years without my scores showing improvement. I won't need to buy anymore of his books as I have other reading material along similar lines so it's a case of reviewing it and doing it.

Rory Mcilroy love the ease in his game Phil Mickelson plays the game his way Jimenez just a great character with a unique game Others Tiger because it's Tiger Cabrera read above for Jimenez Poulter on a charge Dislike Reed just too obnoxious Bradley ditto Sabbatini & Bubba like Watson's game but hear bad things about these two.

OK that's one way to look at it. I see a lot of merit in his work being as some of his ideas have improved my own swing. http://kelvinmiyahira.com/articles/articles-2/2009-articles/45-2009-03-the-sadlowski-rotational-axis Here's the link although the stills of Tom Lehman are not properly face on to support his opening argument. It's a theory to agree with or disagree I found it interesting.

There's an interesting take by Kelvin Miyahira about the chi line in golf that goes from the left foot up the back and side of the head. To deliver your maximum power on the downswing particularly with longer clubs you to rotate on that line as closely as possibly. Some players with too much of a slide forward or get their left hip outside the foot struggle with power because they have lost optimum balance in the swing.He calls it a hip stall and the only thing left is for hands to save it with some kind of flip. Very intriguing to read about and investigate.

Some big hitters come to mind who have a slight bend Cabrera,and JB Holmes to name two. I am one of those who can hyper-extend my elbows so always careful not to force it straight. I have a mild bend going back but it straightens on the way down.

I would almost say that you could be consistent in a Nick Faldo kind of way rather than a Phil or Seve tee to green. You could be streaky still but with the putter. As good a putter as you could be they don't all drop outside of 10 ft especially. You would always be in the hunt kind of like when Westwood was playing his best golf but his putting ain't the best. The putter is the magic wand which when hot would allow you to win tournaments

Yes most clubs will tell you at the starters hut or pro shop to play from yellow. Courses in my area are very much parkland style tighter fairways so its a good challenge of weighing up risk and reward but not long enough to be frustrating. Went to Celtic Manor a while ago which has 4 sets of Tees blue for the Ryder Cup over 7000 yards and the fairways were so wide it was like hitting it into a field. That was great but it waterlogged and over 6500 yards and the wind in Wales is harsh to say the least in February. It was beyond my ability

Working on this for now and spotted that I have a slight reverse pivot at the top. Suspected I was turning to far but the culprit was losing my secondary angle. When I concentrate on retaining that in my backswing my arms stay shorter and I'm naturally wider. Not that I have his power and my swing isn't as steep as his but when I'm in a good position from face on I look a bit like Jb Holmes. Major difference with my divots and ball contact.Also feels that max swing speed is happening later. On

I live in the UK and we have only 3 sets of Tees white competition,yellow for men and red for juniors and women. You soon get told off at many clubs if you play red. Most courses puts 6000 to 6500 at most of yellow tees. It's the odd par 4 where it can play a little long. 420 seems to the absolute limit for me to try for gir realistically. I've hit greens from 200 out with my hybrid on quite a regular basis. I prefer though to get within 180 then I can get a mid iron in my hand. Lots of par 4's play 350 to 400 yards so that's in my wheelhouse if I hit solid shots.

Putting aside the Indian and not the arrows and basing it solely on equipment.The right equipment is important that suits you and makes a difference. I have found this to be true of all sports played. Golf has been a bit of a trial and error exercise to find the right blend in my bag. Hybrids awesome have a 20 and 17 degree they come into their own in specific situations where you would need an exceptional iron shot. I love them from the rough when you know grass needs to be taken with the ball. Much smaller change but superstroke putter grips. Always love my putter but the tapered grip on it wasn't keen on. There was always too much movement in my hands. Light grip pressure led to release of the head and I would pull putts left. Switched to a mid slim and it has transformed my feel. I can grip it fairly light but the chunkier grip sits nicely in my left palm. Solid feel. I've gone from average 37 putts to 29 putts in my last round. Agreed it's all about you at the end of the day and good golfer will play well with any stick,but it will enhance any ability you may have.

Weather was bad today but I squeezed in some time in the net. Just focusing on my backswing length and turn. When it's right it feels shorter and wider. The thought of a steady head sucks you in to leaving it in the same spot and makes me prone to a mild reverse pivot at the top. I have recently purchased a new tablet so I'm going to film my swing to see any tendencies I slip into.