Straight off the tee with a 4i, anything else is a slice

[TheCaddie]

So.... encountering a spot of bother atm. I have come on leaps and bounds the last few months with my irons, and I am now hitting my 4/5i off the deck and off the tee dead straight.

The problem comes when I try hitting my hybrid, 3w, driver off a tee and I have a wild slice. I guess the obvious answer is to get a lesson, and I will do, but has anyone experienced this? Or ideas for a quicker fix? Why would I be striking my long irons so well off the deck and tee, but then struggle with a Hybrid?

I shot 97 at the weekend (best ever, after trying to break 100 all year) , and used no more than a 4i off the tee the entire way round. Landed on the fairway every single hole... the front 9 is shorter than the back, and I shot 44... but the back 9 really does require something more, and on some holes it cost me that extra shot due to lack of distance off the tee.

 

[shortstuff]

Two possibles:
1. Steeper swing works for the irons but not the graphite shafted hybrid, driver etc.
2. Shafts on your hybrid etc are too soft.

 

[Curls]

There really shouldn't be any difference between your 4i and your hybrid, set up wise. What loft is the hybrid? As above check the shaft is correct. After that just set up as you would with your 4i and swing exactly as you would with your 4, this is a neat trick I learned when I was trying to hit my mid/long irons too hard, I just set up and then imagined I had an 8 iron in my hand. That meant I wasn't trying to kill it and let the club do the work. Same trick might work for you!

 

[TheCaddie]

Shafts are all stiff.

Yes, I think maybe I might be trying too hard with it. Thinking too much. If I can hit a 4i/5i off the tee fine, hybrid certainly should be any different.

Might just be a practice thing and more concentration on watching my club hit the ball.

 

[Paul77]

I was doing this with my driver. I changed my grip and it helped a lot. Left hand like the grip holding an umbrella and the right hand placed in at the side. I try to feel like I'm gripping my left thumb with my right thumb and forefinger. Sounds odd but works a treat for me on the driver.

I also had a nasty tendancy to leave my hands behind and turn too quickly, leaving the clubface open. It's a weird thing to try and work out, but that's why I went for lessons. Too hard to work it out on your own.

 

[bobmac]

Do you know what causes the ball to slice?

 

[Canary_Yellow]

So.... encountering a spot of bother atm. I have come on leaps and bounds the last few months with my irons, and I am now hitting my 4/5i off the deck and off the tee dead straight.

The problem comes when I try hitting my hybrid, 3w, driver off a tee and I have a wild slice. I guess the obvious answer is to get a lesson, and I will do, but has anyone experienced this? Or ideas for a quicker fix? Why would I be striking my long irons so well off the deck and tee, but then struggle with a Hybrid?

I shot 97 at the weekend (best ever, after trying to break 100 all year) , and used no more than a 4i off the tee the entire way round. Landed on the fairway every single hole... the front 9 is shorter than the back, and I shot 44... but the back 9 really does require something more, and on some holes it cost me that extra shot due to lack of distance off the tee.

My best guess (and BobMac will probably give a better answer) is that the weight of the head of the 4 iron helps you to feel where it is and hit the shot with a nice rhythm. The lighter headed hybrid, wood and driver helps with clubhead speed, but perhaps also makes you swing a little more wildly without it necessarily feeling different?

I'd practice a nice rhythm with the clubs you're struggling with and see what happens.

I recently had issues with hitting a fade, I found this Mark Crossfield video very helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwIpENUaZEo

 

[TheCaddie]

My best guess (and BobMac will probably give a better answer) is that the weight of the head of the 4 iron helps you to feel where it is and hit the shot with a nice rhythm. The lighter headed hybrid, wood and driver helps with clubhead speed, but perhaps also makes you swing a little more wildly without it necessarily feeling different?

I'd practice a nice rhythm with the clubs you're struggling with and see what happens.

I recently had issues with hitting a fade, I found this Mark Crossfield video very helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwIpENUaZEo

This could also definitely be the case. I do feel much more 'aware' with my irons. I feel more in control, and that I am able to watch the club hit the ball.

By creating a good rhythm, do you mean I should slow things down with my hybrid, woods and driver? Is that something that would be easier?

With regards to the other point about grip, i think, that my grip is OK, as I am using the same one taught in my lessons.

 

[TeetoGreen]

slow down with everything else shallow swing

 

[Canary_Yellow]

This could also definitely be the case. I do feel much more 'aware' with my irons. I feel more in control, and that I am able to watch the club hit the ball.

By creating a good rhythm, do you mean I should slow things down with my hybrid, woods and driver? Is that something that would be easier?

With regards to the other point about grip, i think, that my grip is OK, as I am using the same one taught in my lessons.

It isn't slow down per se, at least not a concscious effort to swing slowly, it's a matter of finding a nice tempo that allows the sequencing of your swing to happen naturally.

Slowing your swing down consciously brings with it the risk of trying too hard to control it and tension will kill your swing completely. I'd focussed on staying nice and relaxed, not gripping to tight and just letting the club hit the ball.

A google search for swing tempo drills will likely yield a lot of useful results and then it's a case of finding an explanation that resonates with you.

 

[TheCaddie]

Makes sense. Going to get myself booked in for a lesson in a few weeks (on holiday next) and will spend time practising at the range until then.

Seeing as I shot my best score ever on Sunday, will stick to the 4i off the tee for now, until I am comfortable with the other clubs. On much more exciting news, my wedges and putting is the best it has ever been! And that's what counts right? Just need to get a tiny bit more distance off the tee on those longer holes.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Makes sense. Going to get myself booked in for a lesson in a few weeks (on holiday next) and will spend time practising at the range until then.

Seeing as I shot my best score ever on Sunday, will stick to the 4i off the tee for now, until I am comfortable with the other clubs. On much more exciting news, my wedges and putting is the best it has ever been! And that's what counts right? Just need to get a tiny bit more distance off the tee on those longer holes.

It's all too easy to spend all one's time worrying about the bits of the game we're not so good at rather than enjoying the bits that we are. Keep practicing at the range (or where ever) with the clubs you're not so good at and play with the ones you are when it matters. If playing to your strengths means sticking with the 4 iron for now then that sounds like a very good strategy.

 

[TheCaddie]

For months I have been persevering with the driver off the tee, as my friends have said i need to practice with it when playing, but last Sunday shows that it is what has cost me breaking 100 for so long.

I just stuck to what I knew worked and it paid off dividends. In fact, towards the end, it was probably a few of my duffed chip shots that added onto my score, because I was getting a bit nervous (didn't know what score I was on, but knew I was on to break 100, as my front 9 was really good for me, 44).

 

[UlyssesSky]

I've been experiencing similar problems.

My irons (pw-5) are quite straight, with my typical mishit being a hook.

My hybrids (3&4) are not that straight, the typical mishit with them is a (mild) slice.

The typical mishit with my mini driver is a WILD slice.


So I went to the range to work on the problem with the mini driver. Wanted to find out what was going on in the mini driver swing to figure out the problem, so I tried to swing it real slow, at what felt to be like probably 60% of my 'full swing'.

Boom. Dead straight and not that much shorter.

Just try it out, swing as slow as you possibly can without losing your rhythm, and then slowly build up your speed until you notice you can't control it anymore.

PS: I do find it hard to swing my hybrids like my irons, they just feel too different...

 

[the_coach]

So.... encountering a spot of bother atm. I have come on leaps and bounds the last few months with my irons, and I am now hitting my 4/5i off the deck and off the tee dead straight.

The problem comes when I try hitting my hybrid, 3w, driver off a tee and I have a wild slice.

the issues you experiencing will be all around a bunch of stuff. path of the swing - out to in. swing direction - left through impact. face angle - 'open' with too big a difference in º's between this & the path & aim. & an AoA that's too steep.

reason the irons work better (as the clubhead delivery will be similar throughout the bag) is both about more clubface loft & the ball position being more central so given the steeper AoA V shape of clubhead delivery it's a little ways easier to get a more workable strike. less lofted driver up on a tee with the forwards ball position needs a shallower clubhead approach angle with the low point of the swings arc being some 4" or so before the clubbed arrives to ball.

the longer end of the bag the driver you need a shallower swing shape, setup & ball position, posture & spine angles plays into this, & real important to impact with any club is good timed sequencing, where transition starts from the lower body leading - not starting down from the arms & shoulders as that gives the out to in steep AoA.