problems teeing off

[davemc1]

I'm probably your average newbie, been playing approx 8 months. Hitting consistency is generally on the upturn. My bad shot though is off the tee. Used to use a driver but it got so bad I don't even carry it now. Dropped down to a 3 wood, quickly dropped down again to 23 hybrid. Even the 4 and 5 irons have had a go. All very high slices with no power. If I get a decent fairway lie I hit them much better. I've tried all sorts (including a lesson or 2) but to no avail. Obviously I'm missing out on something, please tell me you have THE magic solution and let me in on the secret.

Much thanks for reading my moan and even bigger thanks if you have any ideas?

 

[chrisd]

Simple - book a lesson with a pro, he will spot the problems straight way and will be the best money you could spend !

 

[G1BB0]

try a 3/4 swing! Seriously, I had the same issues and still do when I am chasing distance. Look at improvemygolf on youtube, some great vids.

 

[the_coach]

I'm probably your average newbie, been playing approx 8 months. Hitting consistency is generally on the upturn. My bad shot though is off the tee. Used to use a driver but it got so bad I don't even carry it now. Dropped down to a 3 wood, quickly dropped down again to 23 hybrid. Even the 4 and 5 irons have had a go. All very high slices with no power. If I get a decent fairway lie I hit them much better. I've tried all sorts (including a lesson or 2) but to no avail. Obviously I'm missing out on something, please tell me you have THE magic solution and let me in on the secret.

Much thanks for reading my moan and even bigger thanks if you have any ideas?

Sadly no magic cure. You'll need to get checked over by a PGA pro & best solution would be a series of lessons (1 or 2 will be no use) but spaced so you have time in between to put disciplined practice from the lesson into practice before the next lesson.

It will undoubtedly be one or all of the following that's more likely the problem.

Grip, & probably it's too weak(hands too much rotated over too the left particularly left hand) &/or handle held too much in the palms of the hands.

Set up position, ball most likely too be too far forward in your stance and your body, shoulders, hips & feet are aimed much too far to the left of your ball/target line. Probably posture and spine angle a bit wrong at set-up which maybe causing your weight to work the wrong way so you end up with most weight on your right side (assuming your RH golfer) at finish rather than it be on your left side where it should be.

Picking up the club too much with too much immediate wrist action which will likely in this case give you a swing that's too much Over the Top of plane and too steep, & swinging very much on an out to in path, which you don't want either.

All meaning you come into the ball to steep out to in path and the club face stays open, so ball will slice left to right.

Now I know all that sounds a lot, but a visit to PGA pro, he'll have you working on a series of things in order to put all that right, if you stick with it. You have too remember all these changes will be uncomfortable and different, but you'd have to work through that to get used to them and make the swing and your time on the course more enjoyable.

Stick with comfortable and no change and you'll just continue to get what you have now more or less.
Sadly there is no instant solution.

If folks slice this because they aimed too far left which helps make you swing out to in 7 steep, ball too far forward and ball ends up way right, once they've done this a bunch of times and because golf is counterintuitive they aim further left thinking this will help.
But unfortunately the ball just goes further left.
What you have to do is make sure your alignment is square to the ball/target line, put the ball a little bit further back in your stance and then swing through to the ball from the inside and out towards the right (where you don't want the ball to end up so you feel uncomfortable, that's the counterintuitive bit, and it's hard to do but that is what's necessary to get the ball going straighter.)

 

[davemc1]

Cheers very much for the advice guys, will take it all into account and have a bash on the range. The thing that really confuses me is why is only mainly off the tee, maybe the extra height off the ground is exaggerating an already flawed swing?

This coach fella/lady really knows their stuff, I'm thinking your last paragraph is spot on, however when I try this, it starts right and stays there. are there any drills/exercises to help get the correct swing going?

 

[the_coach]

Cheers very much for the advice guys, will take it all into account and have a bash on the range. The thing that really confuses me is why is only mainly off the tee, maybe the extra height off the ground is exaggerating an already flawed swing?

This coach fella/lady really knows their stuff, I'm thinking your last paragraph is spot on, however when I try this, it starts right and stays there. are there any drills/exercises to help get the correct swing going?

Here's something with a drill I posted the other week to help 'scrinde', would be a good thing to do to get the swing motion and the natural release of the hands/wrists start to work better. If you can get the drill off some, you won't keep leaving it right if you are aligned properly at set-up (assuming you have a good grip in the fingers not palms and RH golfer at address can see 2&1/2 knuckles of you left hand at address, thumb and forefinger 'V's of both hands point to middle right shoulder.

Originally Posted by Scrindle
"My game has completely fallen apart
So yeh...I'm at a complete loss. What positives existed in my game appear to have completely transformed into a disgusting mess and I now have a confused and hugely disjointed swing that I'm trying to do to frustrating and demoralising effect. To make matters worse, I'm not consciously changing anything from how I used to play (not sure if that makes sense - in my head I'm trying to swing in the same way)."


My reply was as follows, should help you 'davemc1' too, if you can get the drill down.

Many ways this sort of thing happens, though often spells like this can be traced back to 'swaying right' at start of backswing, instead of gently moving the club and your arm triangle by the 'turning' of your upper body against a 'still flexed' right leg, as well as and/or coming out of your posture (spine angle) going back. So you lose sequencing and rhythm, balance & timing.


Often good if/when this happens to you to go back to an old drill.


Just have your 7i a short tee and bunch of balls.
Put short tee right into ground up to the 'cup', this will take an anxiety about fat shots away.


Check your grip is correct, more in fingers not in palm of either hand, and that the left hand isn't too 'weak', neutral grip, 2 to 2&1/2 knuckles at address, right palm then should be parallel to left palm grip, both 'V's pointing at center-ish right shoulder.


Get an image of your ball target line and make sure your shoulders, hips, knees, feet all parallel left to your ball/target line.


Your stance for this drill will be your heels being only 3" apart, your swing speed for it will only be at 55/60% of your normal 7i swing.


The length of backswing is just back to when your left arm is parallel to the ground at this point left arm is also parallel to your toe line & to your ball/target line, the angle between your left arm and shaft should be 90 degrees.
At this point the butt end of club should point at your ball/target line, the club should also feel quite light, & balanced, these things indicate the club is on plane.


Remember as you do this you "turn" not sway, any swaying with this narrow stance will cause you to lose balance easily.


As you make this backswing and turn, keep your spine angle and your posture height, don't allow your right leg to straighten.


Once in this "L" shape (the end of your backswing position for this drill) start back by your left foot gently pressing some weight downwards into the ground to start transition and your downswing.


Swing through impact, head remaining behind the ball(keeping posture and balance) and when your now extended right arm is parallel to the ground in the through swing the angle between right arm and shaft should again be 90 degrees.

You should feel as you do this your right foot roll inwards through impact, roll towards the left so the whole length of the inside of your right foot remains on the ground while the whole of the outside of your right foot is just off the ground.


Keep posture until this point then just relax up out of posture as your chest finishes facing at or slightly left of target.


This drill swing finishes when your hands reach just above your left shoulder in height (your not swinging right through to the normal shaft behind neck position for this drill)
So your arms & club will still be more in front of you as a finish position, chest turned through to face target or slightly left of that.


This drill should help you to get your swing co-ordination, rhythm and balance back.


When you can hit 15-20 centered strikes with the drill with this narrow stance in total balance.


Keep the balls on tee, but put your feet back to normal 7i width and gradually at 60% speed lengthen the swing so your hands in the backswing 'feel' as if they are level in height with your shoulders (feeling this in actuality will mean you'll really be in a perfect slightly short of parallel position at the top) and again swing through to a full finish in balance.


When you can achieve 20 or so like this, just then hit some at what you feel is 70% then 75% then 80% at this point you'll more likely be back to the speed you use normally and hopefully all in balance, in rhythm and in sequence and ..... hopefully all back & good

Hope this may help you too. the_coach (Mr)

{That last para of previous help the counterintuitive remark should have read, "most folks do this a bunch of times then aim further left which makes the ball going even further RIGHT (not left) typo I missed typing in a hurry: Though you can still aim too far left and pull it left also.}

 

[davemc1]

Again many thanks Mr coach that's an awful lot of information to digest, even before thinking of hitting a golf ball. I'll do my best, got a few free nights where I can hammer the range, but as ours have set plastic tee sizes it will just have to be off the mats. Keep you informed mate, cheers :thup:

 

[Robobum]

What type of tee do you use?

Apparently the pink castle tees mean that you hit the ball in the same spot on the club every time!?

 

[Foxholer]

This drill is worth trying too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsrovFJ3o9I

 

[davemc1]

I mainly use the red castle ones for irons and the blue castle for 3 wood/hybrid. But I have swapped and changed to normal tees, tees with a crown on, tees with brushes on. So I think I've exhausted that theory. However I will give the pinks ago, I'm not one to snub my nose at a guaranteed numero uno smack down the middle drive. Or is this taking things a little to far...?

 

[Robobum]

I mainly use the red castle ones for irons and the blue castle for 3 wood/hybrid. But I have swapped and changed to normal tees, tees with a crown on, tees with brushes on. So I think I've exhausted that theory. However I will give the pinks ago, I'm not one to snub my nose at a guaranteed numero uno smack down the middle drive. Or is this taking things a little to far...?

I was just pulling your leg chief - although some do think they are the cure for all ills.

Without seeing you swing, I'd guess that you are trying to help the ball up into the air. It's a common beginner fault and fits in with your high, weak slice.

A lesson with someone half decent would have you on right track in no time - the rest would then be down to you

Good Luck

 

[lex!]

Another very interesting thread and some good contributions. Sounds like my struggle and I would advise getting the help of a pro. The woods are much more unforgiving of technical flaws.

 

[la_lucha]

I went to see our pro in November. I took his advice and just now I am starting to get the results I was looking for. I'd go see one person and have a lesson and then just keep working at what you've been told by 1 person.