advice please

[time_vans]

i had a very enjoyable round yesterday hit some lovely straight long (for me 250ish)drives but my 2nd shot off the fairway was terrible, my fairway wood was hopeless(long but wild slice) as was my long irons although i could hit the long irons straight they didnt go to far (150ish). The longest iron i could hit properly was a 6 so my question is would it be worth trying a round using a driver and then a 6 leave everthing in between alone accept less distance but hopefully score better...or is this seen as 'chickening out' ?? only play for fun but desperate to beat the lad !!

 

[stevo]

I recently had my best round ever played without my driver..Teed of mostly with my 4 iron and played mainly from the fairway although a sacrificed some distance it was much easier playing from a better lie. My driver normally leaves me behind a tree or in a bunker!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There may be a number of causes but I imagine you are either trying to help the ball and almost steer it down the fairway or you are trying too hard to hit it miles and coming over the top. Other than that I'd check the ball position to make sure it isn't too far forward.

In either instance I don't advocate the policy of driver and then 6 iron as it is not the way forward. I'd persevere next time out making sure to make a proper shoulder turn and swing within yourself as you would do with a 9 iron or similar. If you don't see any improvement I'd get a lesson as you must be doing something fundamental to mishit from the fairway with some clubs but not others.

 

[forefortheday]

Have you got or thought of a hybrid/rescue?

Got a Cobra Baffler dws and it flies, even bad shots tend to reach 150 good shots can go around the 200 mark.

I never try and reach a par 5 in two always plot to take 3 but I can only play one type of 3 wood shot...... Fore right!

I play with a guy who hits iron after iron, chips like a demon and drains loads of putts. Just because he can't drive it 300 yards he's not a chicken he just plays to his strengths and theres nothing wrong with that.

 

[viscount17]

I frequently have the same problem, good drive, lousy second shot. only occasional good shots with a fairway though I'm often saved by having the rescue (when I remember to treat it as an iron)

surely taking a club you can hit and needing an extra shot to reach the green, even if you can't make better than bogey, is good course management as opposed to persisting with a policy that is likely to get you OOB or a lost ball and a double.

work on the fairway woods in the range, keep them in the bag and slow down the swing

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Have to say a hybrid is a good shout. I've ditched my 3 iron for a Cobra DWS and never looked back. Great from 190 yards, perfect on long par 3's, ideal from the rough and you can even chip with it from the fringe.

Might be worth looking into as there are a load out there and are featured in the mag.

 

[GB72]

I used to carry 2 fairway woods but have since replaced the 5 wood with a 3I hybrid. I have a similar problem to you but find that when the 3 wood is not working I can get decent yardage with the hybrid and if the hybrid is also having a bad day I can drop down to my 5 iron and lay up a bit short.

 

[Cernunnos]

I think a lot of we amateurs reach for the driver too readilly in the missguided theory that the further we can hit the first shot the easier it makes the next shot......

Fine in theory, but as I'm sure none of us need telling, is the further we drive a ball, is the further it can be in the trees, in the water, further OOB. Why take risks when a shorter club on the drive & a slightly longer one for a second shot means you are more likely to be able to use that slightly longer club for your second shot from the fairway or light rough, than hacking out from behind some trees etc.

 

[Parmo]

In my experience when I am hitting FIR often I tend to get complacent with my long irons or fairway woods, I try and use that extra speed on the down swing I generally use on the previous drive, which causes me to heavy fade or slice.

Try and slow your swing down when using low irons and fairway woods, it helps me and you will be supprised at the distance one gets will a slower swing.

 

[USER1999]

Has it occured to you that your set aren't matched for swing weight or shaft flex. Therefore if you are hitting your driver well, the same swing will not work for your other clubs, and vice versa. On another day the driver won't work, but the rest of your game will be on fire. For short irons the differences are minimised, so you should always be able to hit these.

Just a thought.

 

[time_vans]

thanks all lots to take on board but i think, as suggested, i am maybe trying to hit the ball too hard off the fairway and coming over the top because on the 12th i hit a great drive picked up the 4 iron and hit it so low and hard that the ball carried about 100yds but ran another 80yds up on to the green 6' from the pin !! (the lad was disgusted !!)
i will try to slow down my swing and see how i get on . next round friday afternoon to test things out. thanks again all.

 

[Cernunnos]

yeah slow your swing down, but sounds as if you're not too far off getting things right as compressing the ball off the turf is what you are after. Where the divot appears after you've contacted ball, squeezing it down & off the turf.

People talk about not hitting too hard, but you need to be purposful so its more a question of timing & tempo & working on swing plane, could be a good idea to at least temporarily work on a slight rework loop. i.e swing back mnore on the outside on the way back, in order to reroute more on an inside to out plane as you come down through. Think pause as you reach the top, though not really pausing at all.

See if this helps you. Should help you stop cutting across the ball, except on the occasions where you want to for a fade.