What the Ahem!!!!

kid2

kid2

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I have to be the most inconsistent 5 handicapper on the planet.
I've had a pretty decent start to the year but if I don't get a handle on my driving I pretty much think that's where I'll stay.
2 weeks ago I nearly went under par. Finished 2 over but could have been a lot better. Still pleased with the round but like always I'll find something to criticise myself about.
A nice chop to 4.8 and a new low. Cue last night and 5 rounds later and I'm now back at 5.3.

Last night's round was a perfect example. Plodding along nicely + 2 through 11.
Put the most God awful swing with the driver on 12 and hit the biggest push slice I've ever hit.
Same again on 15,16 and 18.

Destroyed what could have been a good round again.
My tee shot on 15 started nearly 80 mtrs right of where I was aiming. 😨
If and it's a bit"IF" at the moment I can keep the ball in play with the driver I'll look like a 5.

Seriously thinking of just playing with my 3 wood from now on and just accepting the distance loss.
I can't understand why it's only a problem with my driver.
I might the odd time over cut a 3 or 5 wood but it's nowhere as off the planet as the driver.
 
Nearly all my problems come from a poor drive, a good drive set you up for the hole, a poor one and you are playing catch up so probable take on hero shots to try and recover.
 
This can happen when you get excited. Subconsciously, you try for a little extra distance.
The leg drive starts a fraction too soon, meaning the upper body falls behind and you can't square up the clubface in time.

If this is you, think of the childs swing changing direction
 
Playing golf just with a 3 wood if you normally use driver can be eye opening.. its a different game when you pretty much know you are hitting the fairway (I am a long hitter and spray it)

Well worth giving a go, if nothing else it will probably show you that you use your driver too much
 
When I started playing golf again a guy at work told me, " make your mistakes closer to the hole". In essence if you don't get your drive away, your gonna struggle. I understand that but when I was 15yd from the pin yesterday after three and was up and down in four, his logic seemed a bit rubbish.
 
bobmac said:
This can happen when you get excited. Subconsciously, you try for a little extra distance.
The leg drive starts a fraction too soon, meaning the upper body falls behind and you can't square up the clubface in time.

If this is you, think of the childs swing changing direction
Click to expand...

I doubt it's excitement Bob.. I never really get ahead of myself score wise. Always staying in the now... My mate spotted last night that I was having a tendency to drive out in front of the ball on the downswing at the start.. he noticed it in a few swings. I get a lot of power from the ground when I swing.
I was having a problem with swaying last season and how I stopped it was to feel like I have a football between my knees at setup and I feel like I'm squeezing it... works a treat with irons and the rest but I've never really did it when driving.

I've tried all different tee heights, ball position, posture changes.
Nothing stays constant. I might hit the odd good one.
The only thing that I do that I don't with the rest of my clubs is I kick the left hip out at address which tilts my upper body.
It was a position a pro got me to do about 5 years ago when I was going through the lessons to stop me from coming over the top as I was "I think at the time" reverse pivoting a little.
Can this cause a push slice.
As a fader I'll always have the slightly open club face but I don't understand why I can hit the woods as well as I do and then spray the driver.
If I'm keeping the ball in play I'll score under or around my H/Cap.
But this driving malarkey is frustrating to say the least...
 
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bobmac said:
Try a few different shafts, they can make a big difference, especially the weight.
Click to expand...

Running enough I tried my pals driver last weekend after having the same problems. I use a 910 at 9.5 with a RIP 60 Stiff shaft.

He has an old 8.5 degree titleist 907 D2 with an X/Stuff Mitsubishi shaft.. I couldn't tell you what model but I was hitting it with a lovely high fade.
It was actually going where I was aiming.

But I only hit it Twice.
Funny thing is when I went looking up the reviews for this club it was being slate as one of the wort titleist brought out.
My mate plays off one and won't part with it for anything. Hits big high draws with it.
I was Hal tempted to get hold of one.
 
This is pretty much me all over.

Classic example on Wed. Played in a society. Shot 33 points. Lost 3 balls off the tee with the driver and hit maybe 1 fairway all round. The rest were either a fairway right or a fairway left.

I go through good driving spells where somehow I hit a decent drive but it feels all wrong. Doesn't happen with any other club in the bag.

I've had multiple lessons with the driver and done all sorts of drills. Spent hours on the range trying to get a swing that works. But nothing sticks.

Drives me mental (Pun intended)
 
Sounds like you're my twin!!! :rofl:

I'm really inconsistent with driver at the moment whilst being pretty happy with everything else.

Only driver though annoyingly, was out last night and just hit 3 wood/3 iron off the tee and, because I was hitting them really well, put in a very "boring" round that really isn't like me!

TBH, because of bunkers being at my driver distance on my course I'm not really losing too much as, depending on conditions, I can hit driver as few as 2/3 times anyway. Played with good players last night and I was only a few yards behind their drives with a 3 wood anyway but in the fairway.

Seriously thinking about leaving it at home for the comp at the weekend.......
 
You're right that your handicap will plateau if you don't sort out the driver but maybe you also need to look at your course management. I'm (usually) pretty decent with the driver and theoretically could use it for 13 holes on my home course but I only actually hit it on 6 holes (sometimes 7 if I want to try and drive the green on the 2nd). On the rest it's either just the wrong play or not worth the risk.

On away courses I always consider on each tee if it's worth it before pulling out the driver. Sometimes you just need the distance but often not.
 
NWJocko said:
Sounds like you're my twin!!! :rofl:

I'm really inconsistent with driver at the moment whilst being pretty happy with everything else.

Only driver though annoyingly, was out last night and just hit 3 wood/3 iron off the tee and, because I was hitting them really well, put in a very "boring" round that really isn't like me!

TBH, because of bunkers being at my driver distance on my course I'm not really losing too much as, depending on conditions, I can hit driver as few as 2/3 times anyway. Played with good players last night and I was only a few yards behind their drives with a 3 wood anyway but in the fairway.

Seriously thinking about leaving it at home for the comp at the weekend.......
Click to expand...

Very like me pal.

Of all our holes 6 of the par 4's I'll hit 3 hybrid or 5 wood off of for control. That leaves me with usually a mid iron into the green and maybe all but 2 a hybrid depending on weather.
We have 4 par fives 3 of which are easily birdie opportunities. It's where I'll usually try get a shot or 2 back.
For the most part wind being an exception I'll only hit driver maybe 5 times a round.
I don't really need it other than that and to be fair id be confident of parring all our par 5's going at them in 3 shots rather than 2. If I'm protecting a scire or the wind is up that's pretty much what way I play them as well...
What I fear mostly is a left to right wind where it hurts a little and I have to hit the driver. Then it's a lottery.
 
FairwayDodger said:
You're right that your handicap will plateau if you don't sort out the driver but maybe you also need to look at your course management. I'm (usually) pretty decent with the driver and theoretically could use it for 13 holes on my home course but I only actually hit it on 6 holes (sometimes 7 if I want to try and drive the green on the 2nd). On the rest it's either just the wrong play or not worth the risk.

On away courses I always consider on each tee if it's worth it before pulling out the driver. Sometimes you just need the distance but often not.
Click to expand...

Id manage my way round out course pretty well.
It's one thing in very concious of.
But there are times when I need to hit driver..
 
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FairwayDodger said:
Indeed! Hence the only thing to do in the long run has to be to persevere with it!
Click to expand...

I'd be pretty stubborn like that... I'll stick at something until I manage to somehow break even with it anyway.
Last year I was driving the ball very well. Very straight.
I was struggling with my irons and needs to change a few things.
Consequently now I'm probably hitting my irons the bag I have in a long time. I have a nice fade going and I have it as far as the 3 wood.
But I suppose loft being my friend in all these had me struggling to get to grips with the driver.
 
bobmac said:
Try a few different shafts, they can make a big difference, especially the weight.
Click to expand...

This couldnt be more true in my situation at the moment. Played the best round of my life on saturday using my Callaway XR with stock Project X 6.0 shaft. hit pretty much every fairway and drove so well. Had a knock about on sunday with my grandad and was trying a few different things so took my titleist out for a bash. Had both clubs in the bag, Callaway big high draw, titleist (913 d2 Stock Diamana Blue 62 S) massive push slice. Couldnt believe it.
 
Hit 3 wood. (I'm going to start copying and pasting this). Being in the middle of the fairway is a wonderful thing. Distance loss? Over rated and not as much as you would expect.
 
possibly could be a shaft issue though looking at the shaft used then possibly not - unlikely over time that a stiffer &/or heavier shaft would be going in the right direction as more likely to exacerbate the club and face being behind a tad too much

any excessive lateral lower body shift could easy play into having the arms/club a good ways too far behind

the comment around the old reverse pivot could be a clue particularly as the issue is with the longest club in the bag

better players although not having the 'reverse pivot' as most folks see that issue can have an over rotation issue which at the very top of the swing has the spine leaning a tad towards target & more likely that would be with the longer shaft of the driver

check out this video (although over long arm swing could play into as well the over rotation issue can happen without that)


[video=youtube;rJNiiDiTIeg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJNiiDiTIeg&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
Just another point that popped into my head here... this seems to be a regular occurance when I get to hit up on the ball as well... if I tee the ball down to where the top of the ball is roughly in line with the top of the driver it's a bit easier for me to hit a fade but the ball flight is then a wee bit too low. 😕
 
Sounds like exactly the same as me.

If I tee it up and try and hit up on it I just get stuck on my back foot and end up leaning back on it. Either massive slice right or I flip it left trying to save it.

If I tee it down and almost try and punch it down the fairway with a 3/4 swing then it's fine, bit of a loss of distance, but it's controllable.
 
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