How to hit the driver consistently

[tsped83]

To answer your question, I'll ask you one.........
How would you hit the ball high?

No idea Bob, it just goes high without any conscious effort!

 

[bobmac]

No idea Bob, it just goes high without any conscious effort!

Ok. To hit the ball low you need to decrease the loft of the club at impact and the amount of spin you put on the ball.
To do that, you need to move the ball back in your stance 2-3in. That will reduce the launch angle. Then you need to make sure you don't lean back at impact. Feel as if you're keeping your chest over the ball at impact. And finally, you can reduce your swing speed. Spin helps the ball climb so if you reduce that, you will reduce the height.
Hope this helps

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am a short hitter. I accept that. I try and keep it in play (not always successfully) and then see where it goes and work out my next shot from there given the conditions, lie and distance. I have managed to slow my swing to a blur these days and getting more control

 

[Foxholer]

Ok. To hit the ball low you need to decrease the loft of the club at impact and the amount of spin you put on the ball.
To do that, you need to move the ball back in your stance 2-3in. That will reduce the launch angle. Then you need to make sure you don't lean back at impact. Feel as if you're keeping your chest over the ball at impact. And finally, you can reduce your swing speed. Spin helps the ball climb so if you reduce that, you will reduce the height.
Hope this helps

That's an (almost) exemplary explanation - unfortunately not altogether typical of the the 'standard' one from many Pros! It includes an explanation of the problem, what the cause/solution is and how to achieve the solution. I wish every reply Pros provided had those elements, rather than the more normal 'do this' one!

The only thing missing was whether to change the tee height - presumably lowering it from a high tee would help, but not so low that additional spin is created, so maybe from (in Castle terms) Orange/Gray to Pink/Purple or White.

 

[shortstuff]

Coming back to the OP: how to hit the driver consistently. Big factors for me are (1) set-up (2) back-swing (3) tempo. If I get those 3 things right the rest just happens and I hit the fairway. Btw set-up includes a consistent height for the tee peg and it's position relative the the lead leg, which I found has a huge impact on the driver.

 

[bobmac]

That's an (almost) exemplary explanation - unfortunately not altogether typical of the the 'standard' one from many Pros! It includes an explanation of the problem, what the cause/solution is and how to achieve the solution. I wish every reply Pros provided had those elements, rather than the more normal 'do this' one!

The only thing missing was whether to change the tee height - presumably lowering it from a high tee would help, but not so low that additional spin is created, so maybe from (in Castle terms) Orange/Gray to Pink/Purple or White.

The tee height wasn't missing, it was omitted as it's not necessary to lower the tee to hit it low.

 

[virtuocity]

The tee height wasn't missing, it was omitted as it's not necessary to lower the tee to hit it low.

Plus, if you stick it on a shorter peg, there's a good chance that a handicap golfer will instinctively chop down on it.

 

[Hickory_Hacker]

Good post, good thinking :thup:

 

[Foxholer]

The tee height wasn't missing, it was omitted as it's not necessary to lower the tee to hit it low.

I think I'd have trouble hitting it off the top of my 3.5" Tee that I normally use - and hit with an ascending strike. Teeing it a bit lower (and back, and the other recommendations) certainly worked for me to keep it lower on the Scottish Links I played for 3 and a half years!

It appears that Butch Harmon agrees with me! http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2010-08/butch-harmon-wind

 

[bladeplayer]

Liking this thread Bob (as usual) i found this out some time ago ,

i try keep the same fluent swing on the driver every time , i hit it a fair bit so trying to rip it for a possible extra 5 r 10 yards just aint worth it as 7/10 il duck hook it left as i swing harder ..

Im trying to do what you say with the irons aswell , just cannot do this tho ,

165 is a great example , right on the money for a flushed 8 iron , how many times do i flush my 8 iron 6/10 if im lucky ,

can i get it into my head too hit 7 ? of course i can , until i get to the ball and can visualise this beautiful struck 8 iron landing beside the hole that is ..

Of course i go after it harder then and usualy hit hard draw landing with massive side spin ..

If only the fairway between the ears was as well maintained as the one on the course

 

[bobmac]

I think I'd have trouble hitting it off the top of my 3.5" Tee that I normally use - and hit with an ascending strike. Teeing it a bit lower (and back, and the other recommendations) certainly worked for me to keep it lower on the Scottish Links I played for 3 and a half years!

It appears that Butch Harmon agrees with me! http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2010-08/butch-harmon-wind

Ok, before my patience runs out totally...

When I said there's no need to tee it up lower, I was referring to the person who tees it up a normal height.
If you normally use a 3 1/2in tee, then of course you will have to tee it up lower to hit it low.

Is this how it's going to be from now on? I try and help people and you just look for ways to criticise my posts. What next, are you going to give my posts marks out of 10?

 

[bobmac]

165 is a great example , right on the money for a flushed 8 iron , how many times do i flush my 8 iron 6/10 if im lucky ,

What do you do when you are 50 yds from the flag?

 

[Slab]

Ok, before my patience runs out totally...

When I said there's no need to tee it up lower, I was referring to the person who tees it up a normal height.
If you normally use a 3 1/2in tee, then of course you will have to tee it up lower to hit it low.

Is this how it's going to be from now on? I try and help people and you just look for ways to criticise my posts. What next, are you going to give my posts marks out of 10?

Hope you can remain with it Bob as I'm enjoying this thread

To be fair though I'm not sure how many readers knew you were referring only to normal height teeing when you said it wasn't necessary to tee lower

 

[Maninblack4612]

Ok, before my patience runs out totally...

When I said there's no need to tee it up lower, I was referring to the person who tees it up a normal height.
If you normally use a 3 1/2in tee, then of course you will have to tee it up lower to hit it low.

Is this how it's going to be from now on? I try and help people and you just look for ways to criticise my posts. What next, are you going to give my posts marks out of 10?

He wasn't criticising your post, he was disagreeing with it, as does Butch Harmon, by the looks of things. It think the truth is, both methods work. I certainly hit it lower when I tee it lower, but I can see that others may not need to do this.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Know your own game and distances and don't stray out of your own ability.

I think that this is one of the most important pieces of advice that has been published on this website.

 

[bladeplayer]

What do you do when you are 50 yds from the flag?

PANIC !! ha no would depend on where bouts the flag is on the green , ie front or back top bottom tier what ever

Front . bump a 54* wedge short and run out


Back id prob hit a 58 degree a bit harder for around the middle of the green and hope for check & bit of run (hope) being the key word..

 

[bobmac]

He wasn't criticising your post, he was disagreeing with it,

How can he disagree with something I didn't say?
I didnt include teeing the ball lower because you can hit it low perfectly well off a normal tee.

Fox said my post was "(almost) exemplary"
and
"The only thing missing was whether to change the tee height "

To me that is a criticism

 

[bobmac]

PANIC !! ha no would depend on where bouts the flag is on the green , ie front or back top bottom tier what ever

Front . bump a 54* wedge short and run out


Back id prob hit a 58 degree a bit harder for around the middle of the green and hope for check & bit of run (hope) being the key word..

So you can hit a 'half shot'?

 

[garyinderry]

Bob what is your towel drill all about where you aim progressively more left each time? are you cutting it more each time?

 

[bladeplayer]

I can, i just cant seen to do it from distance , i kinda quit on the bigger club , if that makes sense at all ?