Where has my driving gone?

[BrizoH71]

I'm hoping this is just down to rustiness, having had only one round this year prior to today, but my driving today was awful when it was the strongest part of my game last season.

Last year I used the big orange castle tees, but in the last round I played (in January), and also a few times today when I used these I was getting really underneath the ball, almost skying the drive. Trying to compensate, I tried dropping to the pink castles, but with these I felt a few times I got quite slappy with the sole of the driver almost bouncing the club off the ground and into the ball.

Don't feel as if I'm shifting my weight forward too early or hitting down on the ball, although entirely possible I am. Got my playing partner (off 6) checked my ball position and setup and couldn't see anything untoward.

Thoughts?

 

[the_coach]

someways there's a degree of more steepness developed in the downswing

although teeing the ball lower is pretty much a normal reaction often times it exacerbates the issue
as 'knowing' the ball is a bunch 'lower' leads counter-intuitively to bunch more steepness

as a norm decent strikes through the bag have left to right flight or right to left?
pulls more of an issue than pushes or vice-versa?

 

[BrizoH71]

someways there's a degree of more steepness developed in the downswing

although teeing the ball lower is pretty much a normal reaction often times it exacerbates the issue
as 'knowing' the ball is a bunch 'lower' leads counter-intuitively to bunch more steepness

as a norm decent strikes through the bag have left to right flight or right to left?
pulls more of an issue than pushes or vice-versa?

That's what I'm thinking the_coach, that I'm getting a bit steep.

Natural shot-shape is usually a slight draw... when I got 'slappy' the draw seems exaggerated, not quite a hook, but certainly a more pronounced R-L flight than is usual. Decent strikes with the driver seemed to give a push-fade though, which is concerning as I rarely hit this shot normally.

Hit a few more fats than normal with my irons, but the ground is quite soft at my course and the on/off mats doesn't help matters.

 

[the_coach]

That's what I'm thinking the_coach, that I'm getting a bit steep.

Natural shot-shape is usually a slight draw... when I got 'slappy' the draw seems exaggerated, not quite a hook, but certainly a more pronounced R-L flight than is usual. Decent strikes with the driver seemed to give a push-fade though, which is concerning as I rarely hit this shot normally.

Hit a few more fats than normal with my irons, but the ground is quite soft at my course and the on/off mats doesn't help matters.

(opposite side of the globe to where I am as a norm, already early Sunday mornin, but before I turn in)

would monitor there's no lateral sway off of the ball

bunch of stuff maybes worth considering

would try to monitor that the trailside (trail shoulder/hip) turns/rotates in the takeback & feel that the lead arm/handle/club arrive at strike in a straight line against a posted but cleared lead hip/leg so not a bunch of weight remaining trailside
- so no lead wrist 'cup' no trail wrist 'flip' into impact - & upper body too has to keep rotating so the trail side comes all the ways through the swing - imagine feeling the right shoulder continuing to rotate towards the lead toes

although playing partner checked driver ball position - would have a re-check either in mirror(window) or video and check not just where the ball is in relation to feet but in relation to the sternum (chest center) and head position

so if ball off inside of lead heel the sternum should be someways around 5"/6" behind the ball so left side of face a good few inches behind the ball in order to achieve this the trail shoulder needs to be lower than the lead, so to get the clubhead to ball at address by pushing the hands/handle/shaft towards the ball letting the right shoulder turn down lead shoulder turn up with shoulders still square
- often times folks can have the ball 'correct' within the lower body stance but then unconsciously angle and move chest and head back up to the ball position - opens chest/shoulders to target line - and tends to lead to more independent arms hands pick-up in the takeaway and because everything feels forwards (upper body/head) can tend to encourage a lateral sway in the body motion off the ball

if at the range tee the balls some 1&12" up and with a 6i (yep 6i not a typo) make some 60% swings to 'sweep' the ball away with a center strike - it's a ways difficult for folks as a norm but stick with it to shallow out the arc again feel at strike the lead arm/handle/shaft is in a straight line - only way to achieve this is to keep vertical posture and rotate/turn back and through - any lateral sway contact will be a ways problematic
if you getting the drift contact wise have some 60% swings with a driver (ball at normal high tee position) trying to 'feel' the same motion as the solid 6i sweeps