Fighting a slice with driver

[morgz]

Hi all have any of you ever had the problem of not being able to release the driver early enough causing the face to stay open at impact. I think its from playing cricket where i try to drive the ball rather than strike it if that makes sense.

My iron and wedge game is pretty good but losing out on distance by leaving driver in the bag

I've attached a pic of what i mean if it helps.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Simple rather boring (predictable) answer is go get a lesson and let a PGA professional sort you out

 

[morgz]

I have, he is the one taking the photo.. just wanted to know if anyone else had the same issue and how they overcame it.. drills etc. Thats all

 

[hovis]

its probably not only your driver. its just more noticeable with the higher club head spead and more importantly low loft. one thing I've learnt is that you cant control the face of a driver. we're just not strong enough to dictate angles at that speed. the fault will inevitably be somewhere else in your swing. when i used to slice the ball it was due to a slight lunge towards the target at transition thus causing a early release flipping action. i feel your pain but listen only to your pro as we can't see what else is going on

 

[ruff-driver]

Try this drill.
http://www.newhorizonsgolf.com/follow-thru.html

 

[Region3]

[video]https://youtube.com/watch?v=cCRsU7OAJqg[/video]

 

[the_coach]

Hi all have any of you ever had the problem of not being able to release the driver early enough causing the face to stay open at impact. I think its from playing cricket where i try to drive the ball rather than strike it if that makes sense.

My iron and wedge game is pretty good but losing out on distance by leaving driver in the bag

I've attached a pic of what i mean if it helps.

impossible to say why it's happening from still image
with the driver are majority of balls that for rightfield also starting rightfield of target line?

what has the Pro said is the cause & what is the workout solution - he's the guy who's seen the swing & outcomes

is the reason behind the question being asked because the 'fix' being proposed either hasn't brought about improvements & it seems a tad counterintuitive to what you think should be happening to fix it?

if drills & stuff to work on doesn't appear to be working overmuch - is any work being put into it in between lessons and is the work being done, if it is, being monitored carefully by videoing the practice sessions?
if practice being done at the range without any tangible monitoring often times folks are not really making the changes that are happening in a supervised lesson - as feel to real most times is misleading

not that familiar with cricket actions but from the still the handle is being dragged through - bunch of ways that can happen often times grip hold of the handle itself plus set-up alignments and ball position play into it - but if you 'used' to a pattern of motion through cricket that will too play into it

what gotta to be felt is that the face/club head outraces the handle to the ball - so feeling as the swing motion approaches impact the butt end of the club needs to point back in towards the body the torso (instead of the handle butt end pointing out forwards and left of target as it is doing) - if you make a couple of slower motion 3/4 swings feeling just that - butt end pointing to torso - should see how that 'shoots' the shaft & clubhead 'out' to the ball so more of a straight line between lead arm and club shaft as the face arrives at impact - not the bend in that lead arm

drag the handle with the arms body forwards the face angle will always be looking rightfield of clubhead path so 'open' ball tends to start a tad straightaway or rightfield and either stays straightish right or curves away more rightfield
that happens a bunch of times the reaction is to pull with the body further left handle still reaching the ball a ways before the clubhead to give more of a pull type slice

couple of things to try without a ball is grip halfways down the handle with the lead hand and with just the lead hand on make a slower motion swing that 'feels' like a backswing in a racket game - if you got a tennis racket use that make a backswing stroke so you feel the head of a racket getting to where a ball would be before the handle - then take a club grip always down the handle and repeat the 'racket' feel

other would be with a driver put the lead hand where it would be atop the grip put split the grip with the trail hand on the shaft at the grip bottom then just make a 3/4 slower motion swing letting the trail hand beat the lead hand to impact
do a bunch of those then grip normally make a few swings feeling that same kinda release

but would stick to the lessons commit to the fixes but you gotta monitor with video the practice to make sure you doing what's been asked - feel to real is most often misleading if only just hitting balls alone

 

[morgz]

impossible to say why it's happening from still image
with the driver are majority of balls that for rightfield also starting rightfield of target line?

what has the Pro said is the cause & what is the workout solution - he's the guy who's seen the swing & outcomes

is the reason behind the question being asked because the 'fix' being proposed either hasn't brought about improvements & it seems a tad counterintuitive to what you think should be happening to fix it?

if drills & stuff to work on doesn't appear to be working overmuch - is any work being put into it in between lessons and is the work being done, if it is, being monitored carefully by videoing the practice sessions?
if practice being done at the range without any tangible monitoring often times folks are not really making the changes that are happening in a supervised lesson - as feel to real most times is misleading

not that familiar with cricket actions but from the still the handle is being dragged through - bunch of ways that can happen often times grip hold of the handle itself plus set-up alignments and ball position play into it - but if you 'used' to a pattern of motion through cricket that will too play into it

what gotta to be felt is that the face/club head outraces the handle to the ball - so feeling as the swing motion approaches impact the butt end of the club needs to point back in towards the body the torso (instead of the handle butt end pointing out forwards and left of target as it is doing) - if you make a couple of slower motion 3/4 swings feeling just that - butt end pointing to torso - should see how that 'shoots' the shaft & clubhead 'out' to the ball so more of a straight line between lead arm and club shaft as the face arrives at impact - not the bend in that lead arm

drag the handle with the arms body forwards the face angle will always be looking rightfield of clubhead path so 'open' ball tends to start a tad straightaway or rightfield and either stays straightish right or curves away more rightfield
that happens a bunch of times the reaction is to pull with the body further left handle still reaching the ball a ways before the clubhead to give more of a pull type slice

couple of things to try without a ball is grip halfways down the handle with the lead hand and with just the lead hand on make a slower motion swing that 'feels' like a backswing in a racket game - if you got a tennis racket use that make a backswing stroke so you feel the head of a racket getting to where a ball would be before the handle - then take a club grip always down the handle and repeat the 'racket' feel

other would be with a driver put the lead hand where it would be atop the grip put split the grip with the trail hand on the shaft at the grip bottom then just make a 3/4 slower motion swing letting the trail hand beat the lead hand to impact
do a bunch of those then grip normally make a few swings feeling that same kinda release

but would stick to the lessons commit to the fixes but you gotta monitor with video the practice to make sure you doing what's been asked - feel to real is most often misleading if only just hitting balls alone

Thanks coach i think like u say because i dont see what im doing on a regular basis.. (video) then i feel like im improving but not in reality.. i practice 2-3 times a week but do put in alot more time with wedges and short irons.. will try what you have suggested. Thanks alot

 

[Huwey12]

Hi all have any of you ever had the problem of not being able to release the driver early enough causing the face to stay open at impact. I think its from playing cricket where i try to drive the ball rather than strike it if that makes sense.

My iron and wedge game is pretty good but losing out on distance by leaving driver in the bag

I've attached a pic of what i mean if it helps.

Cant really tell too much from a pic but it looks like you have a chicken wing on your lead arm outlined in yellow. This will keep the club face open to the club path

Try the glove technique under your left arm pit on the range make sure it stays put until you turned face on to the target

This closes the face earlier. I'm an ex cricketer that suffered the same chicken wing as when driving the ball through the covers

Also try putting a restraint above the elbows, this keeps the elbows closer
Feels strange at first but soon the feeling will come into your course game

Hope this helps