Driving off the tee...consistently! Guidance and Tips needed!

[RaCs]

Afternoon guys!

Hope you are all looking forward to the weekend! I am really excited as I've got a round booked for Saturday afternoon and I am enjoying my golfing so much lately its becoming a massive addiction!

Just want some advice and some tips with regards to driving off the tee. I am currently going through a phase whereby my iron play and short game is defintely above average however my driving is currently going through a purple patch! Its funny how things work because it used to be the other way around a few months back, used to be creaming it off the tee however my iron and short game was not very good and it seems to have reversed as I have gone along.

My natural shape is a left to right fade which on occasions I can control and hit it on demand however lately more often than not I seem to be hitting more of a slice than a fade! I have watched numerous videos on how to correct this and most of them say that it is to do with your grip and your address of the ball. I have adjusted this according to the videos and articles i have read however lately i seem to be slicing it more than ever.

I currently use a Nike VRS Covert Performance driver and as you probably all know, it has various settings that you can play around with depending how you hit the ball. Having said this and seeing that i am slicing the ball more than ever lately, would the logical move be to adjust the face to a more closed position and perhaps with less loft? I am playing 10.5 with a neutral face.

My main aim here is to be able to hit consistent drives either straight or with a controlled fade on a regular basis and I would be really grateful for any tips or videos or articles I could read on how to make this happen for me. I know that If i can achieve this then i will be more consistent with my driving and will have more fun playing the game. It will also definately increase my chances in obtaining lower scores as like i said earlier, my iron and short game is playing pretty well lately.

Any advice and guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys!

 

[SocketRocket]

Hi there. glad you are enjoying your Golf (Other than the driving that is).
It is so difficult to see where the exact problem may lie without seeing your swing. Can you upload a video from down the line and face on please?

Can you explain the direction your ball takes off and when it starts to slice? The problem will be your swing path moving left of the clubface direction at impact. You may be cutting across the ball from out to in, this is the normal problem but in saying that it may be due to other things.

 

[RaCs]

Thanks for responding!

I'll try and get a video done this weekend and get it uploaded!

Most of the time it seems to start off straight but after about 3/4 seconds it starts veering off to the right causing the slice (and usually out of bounds or leavin me quite a tough recovery shot!)

After reseach i understood that it could be that i am cutting across the ball from outside to in however i am aware of this when i am starting my backswing and tried to correct this. I am also aware that i need to start my backswing in a wide and out backward movement, is this correct? Thanks again buddy.

 

[Stuey01]

Purple patch usually refers to something going really well, not badly, FYI.

Regarding your issue, if the ball is starting straight then veering off it sound like you are squaring the club face ok but your swing path is putting a slice spin on the ball. Closing the club face using the adjustable settings will most likely result in a straight pull.
Very hard to diagnose or correct by watching videos and reading on the net. Do you have access to lessons?
If not get a vid on here and get some feedback from the knowledgable fellas on here.

 

[TheJezster]

obviously without seeing anything it's hard to comment but I can tell you what I used to do, which sounds similar. On the tee I used to largely slice my drive, however, after a lesson it soon fixed it. Turns out I was opening the club face on impact meaning it would slice off to the right.

I was told to start rolling my wrists round at the bottom of the swing (around a foot before impact) and carry it on through impact. This for me saw instant results.

Might help, might not, but sounded similar so thought I would share.

 

[SocketRocket]

Youwant the clubface coming into the ball on an inside path and the face squaring at impact. Bob on here has a video he calls the head cover drill which is good for ingraining the right approach. You could do a search for it.

 

[duncan mackie]

there really is absolutely no substitute for seeing a professional in such situations.

the alternative is to end up a total mess by trying to think about, and do, everything.

"After reseach i understood that it could be that i am cutting across the ball from outside to in however i am aware of this when i am starting my backswing and tried to correct this."

whilst the clubface is travelling across from out to in at imapact this is all relative, and the issue you need to resolve is why, and fix that - you can't fix a symptom without overlaying problems.