Driver issues.

[Sweep]

Having struggled with drives going left (straight left and hooks) for a decade I finally resolved the problem after a great lesson last August. To cut a long story short, I worked on keeping my hands less active through impact and then the big breakthrough came when I started to clear my lead hip. This led to some of my best ever golf with long drives and a baby draw. The stuff of dreams. Confidence on a high.
However, for some reason in golf such progress doesn’t last and whilst I have enjoyed success with this for some months, recently a fade began to creep in which has now turned into either a shot straight right or a slice, sometimes severe. My club face is obviously open to the path at impact and/or I am coming over the top.
I was concerned that my hips opening to clear may be causing this and maybe I was clearing too hard, so I tried limiting this or holding my shoulders back to try to hit from the inside. Both work to a small degree, but nothing great or consistent.
Obviously I will go back to the pro to try to resolve this but any help or reasons why this is happening would be greatly appreciated.

 

[clubchamp98]

Having struggled with drives going left (straight left and hooks) for a decade I finally resolved the problem after a great lesson last August. To cut a long story short, I worked on keeping my hands less active through impact and then the big breakthrough came when I started to clear my lead hip. This led to some of my best ever golf with long drives and a baby draw. The stuff of dreams. Confidence on a high.
However, for some reason in golf such progress doesn’t last and whilst I have enjoyed success with this for some months, recently a fade began to creep in which has now turned into either a shot straight right or a slice, sometimes severe. My club face is obviously open to the path at impact and/or I am coming over the top.
I was concerned that my hips opening to clear may be causing this and maybe I was clearing too hard, so I tried limiting this or holding my shoulders back to try to hit from the inside. Both work to a small degree, but nothing great or consistent.
Obviously I will go back to the pro to try to resolve this but any help or reasons why this is happening would be greatly appreciated.

Are you trying to hit it to hard.
Trying to gain yardage when playing well.
If you transition to hard you leave the club behind and open face is inevitable.
Just a thought without seeing your swing.

 

[bobmac]

My club face is obviously open to the path at impact and/or I am coming over the top.

That is the issue.
You have to discover the cause.
It's impossible for us to know without seeing your swing, however....

Your original problem was an out to in swingpath, clubface square (sometimes closed) to the path.
The new problem is the face is now open to the path.
Does the fade start straight or left?
That will determine if the swingpath has changed.

 

[Sweep]

That is the issue.
You have to discover the cause.
It's impossible for us to know without seeing your swing, however....

Your original problem was an out to in swingpath, clubface square (sometimes closed) to the path.
The new problem is the face is now open to the path.
Does the fade start straight or left?
That will determine if the swingpath has changed.

Hi Bob,
Because of the draw I was getting ( and left shots / hooks before then) I typically aim down the right side of the fairway.The new shape is either straight right or right turning more right. The shot never starts left.

 

[bobmac]

Hi Bob,
Because of the draw I was getting ( and left shots / hooks before then) I typically aim down the right side of the fairway.The new shape is either straight right or right turning more right. The shot never starts left.

So what would happen if you aimed straighter and strengthened your grip a touch?

 

[Sweep]

So what would happen if you aimed straighter and strengthened your grip a touch?

I have considered that. I am worried that if I aim further left I may start to come across it more if coming over the top is the cause of my new problem. Also, I am very loathe to experiment with my grip. My problems started a decade ago because my grip had become too strong, creating all sorts of problems in addition to the low left shots, like reluctance to release and regripping on the downswing because a weaker (neutral) grip felt like I was going to slice badly. It took years to fix and part of the lesson I had in August was the pro reassuring me that my grip was weak enough and showing me that I could hit it without it going left with my now more neutral grip.
However, if that is what needs to be done then so be it.
What do you think is causing this new problem. Is it face or path?

 

[bobmac]

Don't quote me on this but.....
Fault one
Straight left and hooks for 10 years
Out to in path with face square or closed
Fault two.
Aiming right, hitting it right with face square or open.

My guess would be the path has never changed. Aiming right has squared it up but now your hands are conflicting, sometimes open sometimes square. Perhaps a weak left and strong right is common.
If, when you aim right it makes your path straight, don't fix it, fix the grip.
Plenty good players aim right and hit it straight, you just need to get the face square to the path.
Changing the swing path is big big change and can take forever so not advised.
Keep your aim and turn your left hand a touch clockwise and that should square everything up.
Keep us posted

 

[Sweep]

Don't quote me on this but.....
Fault one
Straight left and hooks for 10 years
Out to in path with face square or closed
Fault two.
Aiming right, hitting it right with face square or open.

My guess would be the path has never changed. Aiming right has squared it up but now your hands are conflicting, sometimes open sometimes square. Perhaps a weak left and strong right is common.
If, when you aim right it makes your path straight, don't fix it, fix the grip.
Plenty good players aim right and hit it straight, you just need to get the face square to the path.
Changing the swing path is big big change and can take forever so not advised.
Keep your aim and turn your left hand a touch clockwise and that should square everything up.
Keep us posted

Thank you very much Bob. Your advice is much appreciated.
I think you maybe right. I doubt my path has changed. Nothing feels different, it’s just the result has changed. It’s quite possible that in my efforts to weaken my grip over time I have gone too a little too far in relation to my path as I have become more comfortable with a weaker grip. The lesson in August identified that my hands were too active through impact and I have worked to quieten them and your advice has made me think it’s possible they are too quiet now.
I will give it a go and let you know how I get on. Thanks again!

 

[bobmac]

You're welcome