The most stupid club in the bag

[CrapHacker]

How do you over come a mental problem in a physical game?

I have a poor swing, but I know that, can live with it, and can work on it to a certain extent.

But I just cannot hit a driver.

I overswing, RP, stay back on it, sway into it, dance around it and basically do anything I can to stop myself being able to hit it.

I've tried everything I can to counter it:

1) Don't hit it so hard. I practice a 3/4 swing so it feels perfect. Put the ball down and yahoo at it as usual.

2) Grip it softer / tighter. Fine with a practise swing, Nada with a ball in front of me.

3) Take a wider stance. Fine without a ball, just turns into a RP with the wee white rascal in front of me.

4) Slower backswing. Same old same old. It just gives me more time to panic as I see the clubhead appearing into my peripheral vision at the top of the backswing.

You get the idea.



Ok so things can be slightly better with a 4w or hybrid off the tee, but even these clubs are hit far worse than they would be from the fairway/rough. And I'm such a short hitter that I need to get max distance off the tee anyway. But even if that weren't the case, nobody says 'I'm a poor putter so I'll never use my putter and just do the same job with a hybrid'.

If I could get a similar swing on the driver as I do with the 4w or 3h I'd still hit it badly - but it would be the same quality as all my other faults, so I could work on them all at the same pace.

Where do I go from here?









If noone can come up with a better option, I'm going to say "the pub"

 

[DappaDonDave]

A 3wood?

 

[CrapHacker]

A 3wood?

Nope

I putt with a putter, even when I'm putting badly.

If I were playing an important round, as a one off I could get away with it.

But in the long run I need to get over this.

 

[bobmac]

What's the problem with the driver......contact or direction ?

 

[ADB]

Have you tried shortening the shaft in your driver?

 

[CrapHacker]

What's the problem with the driver......contact or direction ?

Swing.

I just cannot put a decent swing on the club. Forget the rest.

When I swing my hybrids and irons I can get a fairly steady base, some kind of shoulder turn, an ickle bit of weight transfer forward, and (for me) an occasional forward strike so the ball goes in the general right direction.

Put the driver in my hands and I can put a similar(ish) practice swing on it.

But once the ball is there I mentally turn to mush. The swing becomes too long, my knees and hips collapse backwards, I get a RP, my wrist flops about like a skipping rope, and I have to try and then get the club moving in the opposite direction so I barely make contact with the ball at all.

It's a mental problem. I've never had anything like it in my life before.

 

[CrapHacker]

Have you tried shortening the shaft in your driver?

Nope, but I have tried gripping down the club an inch or so.

The club is a good club and was custom fitted for me, I was getting the hang of it last year, but stopped playing over the winter. I've just started this year, and have absolutely no idea what to do with this one club.

 

[freddielong]

Dude there is nothing wrong with your driver if you can hit a hybrid or 3 wood you can hit a driver the problems are all in your head (yes sorry could of added some sugar but whats the point), I would put money on the fact you tense up and quit on it

You need some range time loosen up the grip put your head cover under your left arm pit and hit some balls making sure your head cover doent fall out and you finnish faceing the targo (Seve)

 

[chris661]

Nope, but I have tried gripping down the club an inch or so.

The club is a good club and was custom fitted for me, I was getting the hang of it last year, but stopped playing over the winter. I've just started this year, and have absolutely no idea what to do with this one club.

I know this is the default answer on here by many, but why not go see a pro?

 

[CrapHacker]

I know this is the default answer on here by many, but why not go see a pro?

At the moment....

money

 

[CrapHacker]

Dude there is nothing wrong with your driver if you can hit a hybrid or 3 wood you can hit a driver the problems are all in your head (yes sorry could of added some sugar but whats the point), I would put money on the fact you tense up and quit on it

You need some range time loosen up the grip put your head cover under your left arm pit and hit some balls making sure your head cover doent fall out and you finnish faceing the targo (Seve)

I know it's mental, hence the thread

I'll give the head cover a go. Is that meant to help with an overswing? Isn't it going to restrict the follow through, though?

 

[bobmac]

So it sounds like the contact is the problem.
You talk about long swings, knees and hips going backwards, reverse pivot and something about a skipping rope.

What I would suggest is you forget all the stuff that doesn't affect the ball.
There are lots of golfers out there with wonky swings that still hit it well because they are pretty good AT IMPACT.
Stop worrying about the stuff that doesn't matter and focus on getting the club back to the ball facing the right direction.
To help, try this.
To improve the contact, try and stay close to the ball throughout the swing.
If it's a direction problem, check your grip first (although there may be a swing path issue there as well)

 

[freddielong]

I know it's mental, hence the thread

I'll give the head cover a go. Is that meant to help with an overswing? Isn't it going to restrict the follow through, though?

To be honest its not a drill that you can do with a driver (7 or 8 is best) but its all about keeping that connection between what your body does and your arms and then taking those feelings and useing them with your driver

your body needs to drive the swing watch almost all the pro's there left (if righthanded) bicep hardly leaves the body if your arms are driving or in control it makes everything more inconcistant and allows to much variation in where the club head is, it also allows you to tense up and quit on the ball

 

[Matty]

I had a massive mental issue with a 7 iron recently and fixed it by taking just that club to the driving range and hitting balls.

First swing with a half swing until it's going straight and with a reasonable flight and until you get 5 balls in a row that go well. Then increase to 3/4 swing and keep swinging until you get 5 balls in a row again. Finally increase to a full swing and do the same again.

I found that it was essentially my hand position in set up that was off. Ball position, feet width, alignment etc all seemed okay but my hands were too far forward level with my left leg (I'm right handed). Moving my hands back to a more central position has me hitting the 7 with more confidence again.

 

[DappaDonDave]

A 3wood?

Ok ok, try a couple of drivers...might be shaft related. I was hitting my driver high and right! Change my driver for a regular shaft and the ball started going forward again!

 

[Pants]

You haven't been dabbling with the dark art of S & T have you CH?

Definitely try what Bob has suggested but, if all else fails, try setting up and swinging with both feet together. It takes the lower body out of the equation and you might find that you hit the ball almost as far and with a slight draw. If that works, gradually increase the distance between the feet keeping the swing the same simple movement.

 

[SocketRocket]

This may help you.

Forget all about your arms/legs/shoulders/<enter here any other bodypart>

Tee up the ball and make an image in your mind of a nail tacked into the back of the ball and sticking out horizontally. Address your driver then make a swing that will knock the nail right through the ball. Do not consider anything else but the nail being driven through the ball, let your body react naturally to this action just like you would if you had a hammer in your hand.

Repeat many times and see how well you can drive the ball.

 

[CrapHacker]

You haven't been dabbling with the dark art of S & T have you CH?

Definitely try what Bob has suggested but, if all else fails, try setting up and swinging with both feet together. It takes the lower body out of the equation and you might find that you hit the ball almost as far and with a slight draw. If that works, gradually increase the distance between the feet keeping the swing the same simple movement.

No. No S&M for me. I've tried the feet together thing many times with my irons. I didn't think it would work with a driver, but I've got nothing to lose

 

[SocketRocket]

No. No S&M for me. I've tried the feet together thing many times with my irons. I didn't think it would work with a driver, but I've got nothing to lose

Both feet together is a drill to help people stay centered and stop swaying, it's not a way to play golf. Read my previous post about driving the nail, I can gurantee that if you are prepared to forget all swing thoughts and concentrate on driving the nail through the ball it will improve your driving. What have you got to lose?

 

[CrapHacker]

Both feet together is a drill to help people stay centered and stop swaying, it's not a way to play golf. Read my previous post about driving the nail, I can gurantee that if you are prepared to forget all swing thoughts and concentrate on driving the nail through the ball it will improve your driving. What have you got to lose?

I was looking at your earlier post and I've been thinking about it. My first thoughts were basically that how can this help with the problem of the overswing I've been having. The feet together drill can definitely help with that, but I also definitely wont get a full thwack on the ball.

This idea of driving a nail might just give my sad little brain something to concentrate on rather than going so far back I fall over.

Like you say, I'll give it a go at the range - the worst that will happen is that I'll fall over.