Skying the Driver

[Salty J]

Being new to golf I've recently decided to bite the bullet and started taking my driver to the range. I've gone from constantly slicing it (big style...up to 45 degrees!) To now hitting it nice and straight up to around 220yds. However, I seem to constantly hit it with a flight that appears to be far too high. Somewhat frustrating as I'd love to know what I'd be hitting with a "normal" ball flight. This is made worse by the fact the back fence is only 240 yds so can't help feeling it's within grasp!

My driver is a TM R15 with 14 degree of loft which I've adjusted down to 12 & a regular shaft. Is it worth trying a lower lofted club or is it most likely user error? I've never had a sky mark so it's definitely coming off the face & I've tried changing the ball position (further forward) but to no avail.

Other than that I'm completely hooked with this game. Just wish I'd have started years ago! My local club is superb, so nice to have a club that welcomes beginners into this great sport. About as far from the snooty attitude that had put me off taking it up as you could possibly get. To top it off, a day following the greats at the Open earlier this year has created memories that will last a lifetime.

 

[the_coach]

Being new to golf I've recently decided to bite the bullet and started taking my driver to the range. I've gone from constantly slicing it (big style...up to 45 degrees!) To now hitting it nice and straight up to around 220yds. However, I seem to constantly hit it with a flight that appears to be far too high. Somewhat frustrating as I'd love to know what I'd be hitting with a "normal" ball flight. This is made worse by the fact the back fence is only 240 yds so can't help feeling it's within grasp!

My driver is a TM R15 with 14 degree of loft which I've adjusted down to 12 & a regular shaft. Is it worth trying a lower lofted club or is it most likely user error? I've never had a sky mark so it's definitely coming off the face & I've tried changing the ball position (further forward) but to no avail.

Other than that I'm completely hooked with this game. Just wish I'd have started years ago! My local club is superb, so nice to have a club that welcomes beginners into this great sport. About as far from the snooty attitude that had put me off taking it up as you could possibly get. To top it off, a day following the greats at the Open earlier this year has created memories that will last a lifetime.

easiest ways to cure if possible is get some lessons before too many more bad habits become engrained

- for a pga pro it's a pretty easy fix - which might entail looking at the grip/driver ball position/posture/alignments as all these 'fundamentals' can & do play into creating a swing that is likely to give these sorts of shot outcomes

the answer will lie in some or all of the above plus what this does to the swing motion - which is likely to be kinda arm swing dominated (not so much body involvement) so maybes a steep pick up of the club in the backswing then a bit of an out n'over steepish downswing - swinging out to in - a big part of this is what the trail shoulder is doing from the top of the swing plus also the upper body moves too far towards the target

all this then promotes contact on the driver face thats very high above the center line nearer the crown (as to why folks often times do get sky marks)

so often times it's a swing pattern that as the arms swinging ways vertical - so not so much of a swing motion that travels 'around' the body as well as up & down
(although it's possible to whip the club back inside then come over the top steep down to give similar ballooned type flight

you could have a look at your ball position if it's too far back in the set-up - so somewhere's nearer to center - that will help promote the sky high flight that doesn't travel forwards good

think that the driver stays lower as you take the club away from the ball for the first 18" of travel - so think the clubhead is swinging around you a tad more so imagine a 'hoop shape' your standing in the 'angle' of that hoop is 45º -50º not 80º


[video=youtube;qisXgWqsUwU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qisXgWqsUwU[/video]

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube;Sd33h1w5KAE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd33h1w5KAE[/video]

 

[Orikoru]

My driver is a TM R15 with 14 degree of loft which I've adjusted down to 12 & a regular shaft. Is it worth trying a lower lofted club or is it most likely user error? I've never had a sky mark so it's definitely coming off the face & I've tried changing the ball position (further forward) but to no avail.

14 degrees is extremely high, and even 12 is high. I use a 12° but only after I tried 10.5 initially and established that 12 would suit me better as my flight was quite low with a 10.5. 10.5 is the more traditional standard driver loft, if you like, so if I haven't tried one at that loft I would give it a go. You could also try something simple like teeing the ball a tad lower (not always easy at the range though).

 

[Canary_Yellow]

14 degrees is extremely high, and even 12 is high. I use a 12° but only after I tried 10.5 initially and established that 12 would suit me better as my flight was quite low with a 10.5. 10.5 is the more traditional standard driver loft, if you like, so if I haven't tried one at that loft I would give it a go. You could also try something simple like teeing the ball a tad lower (not always easy at the range though).

I don't think the loft of the club makes THAT much difference to be honest (when we're talking 1.5 degrees); it's more about the dynamic loft being delivered at impact. If you're hitting it too high (as in a ballooning or steepling flight) it's a technical issue first and foremost, rather than a club issue. As compared to if you're hitting it well, but the launch angle is too high, then think about changing the club.

Also, I would suggest the opposite; tee it higher, not lower. Hitting the driver too high could be because of there being too much of a downward strike, imparting too much spin and hitting too high on the club face. Tee it up and put it well forward in your stance and hit with more of a sweeping action.

I have a friend that tees it very low and I've never seen anyone do a better pitching wedge impression with a big dog than him.

 

[Orikoru]

I don't think the loft of the club makes THAT much difference to be honest (when we're talking 1.5 degrees); it's more about the dynamic loft being delivered at impact. If you're hitting it too high (as in a ballooning or steepling flight) it's a technical issue first and foremost, rather than a club issue. As compared to if you're hitting it well, but the launch angle is too high, then think about changing the club.

Also, I would suggest the opposite; tee it higher, not lower. Hitting the driver too high could be because of there being too much of a downward strike, imparting too much spin and hitting too high on the club face. Tee it up and put it well forward in your stance and hit with more of a sweeping action.

I have a friend that tees it very low and I've never seen anyone do a better pitching wedge impression with a big dog than him.

Well it made a difference for me. With my old 10.5° I would get quite a low flight as I perhaps don't hit up on the ball quite as much as would be optimum. Using a 12° improved things a lot, now I'm happy with my driving. Just imparting my personal experience. It's worth him trying out a 10.5° on the range since he won't lose anything by doing so (provided he can try one for free of course).

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Well it made a difference for me. With my old 10.5° I would get quite a low flight as I perhaps don't hit up on the ball quite as much as would be optimum. Using a 12° improved things a lot, now I'm happy with my driving. Just imparting my personal experience. It's worth him trying out a 10.5° on the range since he won't lose anything by doing so (provided he can try one for free of course).

I wasn't saying you were wrong, just giving a different perspective. It might well help, but it's probably the "band aid" option as opposed to treating the underlying cause (assuming of course that he is hitting it TOO high and not just high).

Overall my philosophy is that improving technique is a better way forward in the long term than tailoring equipment to compensate for a mechanical deficiency. That's probably why I'm still rubbish!

 

[Salty J]

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like hitting down too much hence creating too much spin might be an area to work on then. I'll try working on that for now and see how I get on. Maybe try a lower lofted club when I can get those changes bedded in. 14 degrees does seem very high as you said. The chap in the shop had it going cheap & just said to buy the highest lofted driver possible. With hindsight maybe I should have just held out until I was in a position to use the driver & bought something a bit more suitable. Ah well, guess we live and learn!

 

[bobmac]

It's easier to hit a low lofted driver high than it is to hit a high lofted driver low.
Two questions
1. Do you take divots with your driver?
2. Do you have any scuff marks on the top of your driver?

 

[PJ87]

14 degrees is extremely high, and even 12 is high. I use a 12° but only after I tried 10.5 initially and established that 12 would suit me better as my flight was quite low with a 10.5. 10.5 is the more traditional standard driver loft, if you like, so if I haven't tried one at that loft I would give it a go. You could also try something simple like teeing the ball a tad lower (not always easy at the range though).

the top part of this picture shows that even 10.5 drivers have a 14 degree loft on the face if you are hitting it out the top

 

[Salty J]

Never taken a divot with the driver, no. Also never had a sky mark. Sky marks have never been a problem with the driver or hybrids when playing them off the tee. I seem to hit my 4 hybrid about the same distance as the driver now I think about it. Just the hybrid has a nice penetrating flight, where the driver balloons into orbit. One thing I have noticed is if I slow my swing right down I'll get a similar distance but a lower trajectory.

 

[duncan mackie]

Well it made a difference for me. With my old 10.5° I would get quite a low flight as I perhaps don't hit up on the ball quite as much as would be optimum. Using a 12° improved things a lot, now I'm happy with my driving. Just imparting my personal experience. It's worth him trying out a 10.5° on the range since he won't lose anything by doing so (provided he can try one for free of course).

But you have changed your club as well as your loft....in general I agree with the point that Canary was trying to make; For the same club, and shaft and swing 1.5 degrees loft in the ranges under discussion won't make a significant difference to someone hitting it about 220yds.