Driver advice

[Rb77]

Hi all I've been playing for about 9 months now and need some advice on my driver. I got fitted for a rogue draw driver which was playing well however I have managed to develop a slice. I am working on my swing mechanics & grip to try to eradicate this. In the interim I invested in a ping g400 sft 3 wood. This I hit like a dream everytime 220 off tee and 190 to 210 off deck I'm sure you guys hit longer but I am still a beginner! Currently due to my slice I am not even using my driver. Ping do a driver in this range so do you think I should trade in the rogue and look at the ping? So would the benefit I get on the 3 w transfer to the driver if that makes sense? Any advice welcome. Either way still working in range on swing

 

[jusme]

I know someone who plays both 3W and driver in SFT (G30 range) because of the slice and the 3W performs much better than the driver at reducing sideways movement. He can still hit the SFT driver like a banana ball. No driver will fix a slice and the SFT is no exception

If I hit the 3 wood 220 of the tee I doubt I would ever worry about a driver until I sorted my swing, be that years down the road. You are way above average distance wise hitting 220 of tee, assuming that's real world distance and not what you think you hit.

 

[bobmac]

The more loft you have the less likely you are to slice.

 

[Rb77]

Thanks that does help. Yeah it is real world based on gps but I think it's due to the club fitting me really well. As soon as I drop to my irons I'm way back on yardage so 5 iron is 160 then roughly minus ten per club from there. I just seem to hit freely and well with the ping. Thanks for the advice I'll keep working in range on my driver swing.then one day oh one I can let it rip

 

[Rlburnside]

If your hitting your 3 wood that well the problem with your driver could just be down to the length of your shaft,I would go back to your fitter and ask to try a shorter length shaft in your driver.

 

[Rb77]

If your hitting your 3 wood that well the problem with your driver could just be down to the length of your shaft,I would go back to your fitter and ask to try a shorter length shaft in your driver.

thanks will give that a try. I did try choking down the driver which did help a bit but was quite difficult to always get it the same for the grip. I will try a shorter shaft on some.demo drivers and see how I get on. Also appreciate the confidence boost on my 3w guys

 

[clubchamp98]

thanks will give that a try. I did try choking down the driver which did help a bit but was quite difficult to always get it the same for the grip. I will try a shorter shaft on some.demo drivers and see how I get on. Also appreciate the confidence boost on my 3w guys

The pros struggle with driver so your not alone.
3 wood of the tee and irons for position.
If you need to hit driver you need to improve your swingpath from out to in to more neutral path but that’s not easy .
An SFT draw biased driver will help but it’s a sticking plaster.

 

[Rb77]

The pros struggle with driver so your not alone.
3 wood of the tee and irons for position.
If you need to hit driver you need to improve your swingpath from out to in to more neutral path but that’s not easy .
An SFT draw biased driver will help but it’s a sticking plaster.

Yeah I think that's it. I'm going to get on scope with my coach and try some different shaft lengths to see if that adds some consistency. But I think it will come down to practice

 

[Rlburnside]

The pros struggle with driver so your not alone.
3 wood of the tee and irons for position.
If you need to hit driver you need to improve your swingpath from out to in to more neutral path but that’s not easy .
An SFT draw biased driver will help but it’s a sticking plaster.

But the op has stated he hits his 3 wood like a dream every time so I can't think there's much wrong with his swingpath, I think he's doing the sensible thing first to try out a driver with a shorter shaft

 

[Scozzy]

Could it be set up? You'll need to be hitting up on the driver so a few tweaks to your initial set up might help? YouTube "driver set up" and compare to 3w

 

[clubchamp98]

But the op has stated he hits his 3 wood like a dream every time so I can't think there's much wrong with his swingpath, I think he's doing the sensible thing first to try out a driver with a shorter shaft

The OP clearly said he has developed a slice!
Swingpath is how you slice the ball and a shorter shaft won’t stop it, imo all a shorter shaft does is lessen the fault and lose distance with the loss of clubhead speed.
He may be hitting down on the ball which is fine with 3 wood (García does it) but that’s no good for driver.

It’s possibly the difference in shafts, he wouldn’t be the first to find his FITTED shaft is not as fitted as he thinks.

 

[Rb77]

The OP clearly said he has developed a slice!
Swingpath is how you slice the ball and a shorter shaft won’t stop it, imo all a shorter shaft does is lessen the fault and lose distance with the loss of clubhead speed.
He may be hitting down on the ball which is fine with 3 wood (García does it) but that’s no good for driver.

It’s possibly the difference in shafts, he wouldn’t be the first to find his FITTED shaft is not as fitted as he thinks.[/QUOTE
I strike my 3w like my irons hitting down I just set the ball up a little further forward.in stance than an iron but not as far as I have my driver. I did some video work last night and it seems on my driver I am struggling to get my hips through the ball correctly and subsequently not fully closing face. Weight was.slightly to much on toes meaning as I swing my body moves a couple.of.inches forward so the club comes down and hits the heel rather than square. On 1/4 swing at.slow speed all is good distance 150 and straight, error ls come in as soon as soon as i lengthen and speed.up swing Lot of.work to do to fix it! Going to review shaft length at weekend as well to see how that helps too. Thanks guys

 

[Rlburnside]

The OP clearly said he has developed a slice!
Swingpath is how you slice the ball and a shorter shaft won’t stop it, imo all a shorter shaft does is lessen the fault and lose distance with the loss of clubhead speed.
He may be hitting down on the ball which is fine with 3 wood (García does it) but that’s no good for driver.

It’s possibly the difference in shafts, he wouldn’t be the first to find his FITTED shaft is not as fitted as he thinks.

You might well be right, he sounds as though he’s going to try a few things be interesting to hear how he gets on.

 

[Rlburnside]

I disagree somewhat that in saying a shorter shaft will not stop a slice, he can hit his 3 wood good so the swingpath for that club must be good, if he puts the same swing with a shorter shaft in his driver i would be surprised if he slices so much. 👍

 

[clubchamp98]

I never said stop it I said” it will lessen the fault” to maybe a controllable fade .
He hits down on 3 wood but a driver swing is completely different, imo of course .
Without actually seeing his swing it’s just guess work.

 

[Rlburnside]

I never said stop it I said” it will lessen the fault” to maybe a controllable fade .
He hits down on 3 wood but a driver swing is completely different, imo of course .
Without actually seeing his swing it’s just guess work.

Not trying to be awkward but you did say" Swingpath is how you slice a ball and a shorter shaft won't stop it" imo a shorter shaft will help.

But hey it's all about opinions

 

[clubchamp98]

Not trying to be awkward but you did say" Swingpath is how you slice a ball and a shorter shaft won't stop it" imo a shorter shaft will help.

But hey it's all about opinions

It will help and “Lessen the fault “ are the same thing aren’t they?
The only way to slice a ball is to cut across the line of shot from out to in, length of shaft won’t stop that.

 

[Rb77]

thanks for all the advice guys.played yesterday and broke 100 for first time with a 98. Left driver at home so got no tee penalties which reduced my score a lot. I did start to feel how different my 3w swing is to my driver as hey through the ball a lot more, so playing with my coach Saturday will look to do if i can recreate some of the movement with driver. Then keep it on range for time being until I have both swing and shaft right

 

[Rb77]

OK so update. I have changed my swing slightly. So in the backswing lift my front heel slightly about an inch at most. Back foot is slightly a head of front foot in set up maybe 1/4 inch max. This has meant I can get my hips and shoulders through much better and my left.shoulder stays lower meaning my shoulders finish level at end of follow-through. Also tried a shorter swing. So good news is I have my driver hitting straight or slight.left with a fade for 200 plus yards. 20 in a row at range. Bad news is it.seems to have had the opposite effect on my 3w off the deck l!! So now keep hitting driver and also work on relaxing and getting my 3w back.

 

[clubchamp98]

OK so update. I have changed my swing slightly. So in the backswing lift my front heel slightly about an inch at most. Back foot is slightly a head of front foot in set up maybe 1/4 inch max. This has meant I can get my hips and shoulders through much better and my left.shoulder stays lower meaning my shoulders finish level at end of follow-through. Also tried a shorter swing. So good news is I have my driver hitting straight or slight.left with a fade for 200 plus yards. 20 in a row at range. Bad news is it.seems to have had the opposite effect on my 3w off the deck l!! So now keep hitting driver and also work on relaxing and getting my 3w back.

Well that’s golf when you get one department right something else goes.
Keep plugging away.