Driver problems

[sion126]

Hi, been playing this great game for six weeks and got a set of clubs the other day, a set of AMF G-speeds. I am 6ft 4 and was pretty badly damaged in a plane crash 3 years ago, so have lots of metal in my legs.

My Iron shots are all quite good, love the 4 and 5 iron managing 150-170 yards with both.

My problem is with the drivers. The 7 wood I can hit 180 or so no problem, the 5, 3 and big driver are bizarre.

When I hit them they go straight up about 120 yards and go about 70-90 down the driving range.

I have tried placing the ball forward, back to the trailing foot, and try to sweep through it as instructed, but no joy. I am using a shallow rubber tee as the tall ones are a joke as I turn my shots into ground skippers with them.

My small brain tells me my leg and hip geometry is causing me to chop down on said wee ball somewhat.

Using no tee at all results in serious right hooks very low that bounce at about 100 yards then run another 100 on the ground.

I would like to hear your opinions on this malady of mine. I am told ball and tee setup for irons is very good. Help!!

[Slingblade61]

Oh, boy.....so many issues.

First, welcome to the board!

Next, get lessons. Your swing mechanics must be addressed by someone who can actually see what is going on.

The driver.....tee it higher, at address the ball should sit about half way over the top of the driver head and be aligned with your left armpit (more or less).
If you tee it high and you hit a worm burner, you're making contact over the top of the ball. Pop ups are from hitting under the ball rather than making solid contact.....move the ball more forward in your stance or tee it up lower.

Don't be overly concerned about the metal in your legs, my pro told me a story the other day about an 80 year old golfer who could no longer use most of his body due to arthritis but could regularly shoot his age using just his arms, clicking it out there straight 120-150 at a time.

But really, get to a pro, somone needs to see your swing to really be of any help.

[wirehair]

One of the most common mistakes beginning golfers (myself included) make is to try to hit the ball too hard.

You may be mentally looking for distance & swinging for a long ball. Your drivers & fairways will ship the ball a long way with a smooth swing & solid contact with the ball. You don't need a great deal of distance to score low. A typical hole is 350-400. An 85 MPH swing will get you 220. A 220 yard drive will leave you 130-150. Easily in your range.

Try hitting some balls at 75% of your swing, but swing all the way around, the distance will surprise you.

[caddyshackgolf]

Could you get a some video of your swing???

[sion126]

Thanks for the advice. I think I need a lesson or sixty. Cured the driver problem, but now I cant hit the 7 wood!!

What I did was move the ball to the center like an iron and just swing slowly from the apex, hardly any power in it. I love whacking the big 410 driver, sounds like a rifle and goes 200 yards in a straight line. Don't hit it very hard. Just a smooth swing.

On Friday I played at Chabot with long grass on the fairway. Man that was a bugger. Won't play there again till I know what I am doing through long grass.

By the way I seem to be able to hit all my irons the same distance including the pitching wedge. All end up at about 120 yards. Every now and again I manage a 180 yarder with the 5 iron. Sand wedge is a regular 78 yarder. Have not tried a 56 or 64 degree iron yet. I notice a lot of folks use these clubs in place of a P.

Oh well, back to the hacking...

[wirehair]

Originally Posted by sion126

By the way I seem to be able to hit all my irons the same distance including the pitching wedge. All end up at about 120 yards.

Oh well, back to the hacking...

Doan sweat it. Just keep "smoothing" that swing through. Don't hit the ball hard, make good contact with a smooth swing. Play what my brudder calls "short golf" and take away the downside. Distances will naturally come over a relatively short time.

Drive - mid iron - wedge - 2 putts. That consistently will give you bogey golf and an 18 handicap. Better than 90% of the golfers.

[sion126]

Mmmm after playing Las Positas a few times a pattern is emerging. 7 and 5 woods very good dependable straight shots, 3 woods and big 410 driver- well, just cannot get it into the air at all. S wedge and Pitching wedge approach shots are outstanding, 7-8-9 irons all pretty reasonable can hit the 5 iron kinda ok, bit the 4 and 6? Forget it. Seem to sping these off the edge of the face quite regularly, suspect power and a short swing need work.


By the way what is the best book/system for learning an effective basic swing? keep getting pointed at some David Nevogt book by pals etc, any comment via review etc?

[sion126]

Last year I bought Andy Brown's swing guide material on the web and changed my swing dramatically as I could not control where my ball was going. Well once I learned the three basic points in this routine my irons started getting quite interesting. First to go was my "loose grip" which was a eye opener. For me his firm grip thing was the way to go. The loose grip thing still today is the cause of many of my problems as my left hand releases it's grip at the top of my swing if I do not force myself to grip it like a vice.

Now my irons (up to 5 iron) go where I want them to and the distance....well it is amazing. And my divots are dead straight as well. I had to get a 60 degree ping tour wedge and I have 5 different swing types with this club. Max distance 105 yards, accurate for close range chipping from any distance from 5 yards up. This has left my sand wedge unemployed. It is however good for very high launch shots that stick where they land, however I prefer the lob wedge for sand and 105 yards range. My Pitching wedge now has the range from 120 to 150 yards, which is a problem for my 9 Iron as I can only hit his club a few yards further than the wedge and the wedge is far more accurate. The 8 iron is my most used club for the 160 yard range, if its uphill or into wind I go with my 15 or 11 wood. My 7 iron is my 170 yard club and it can get to 185, my 6 iron is solid for a constant 188-196 yards every time. The 5 iron is a 200 yarder and the 4 iron a 230 yarder. I also have a 7 wood, 9 wood, 5 wood and 3 plus wood in the bag with a Hybrid 2 Iron with a steel shaft.

As my club numbers get lower the worse the accuracy. With my irons I hit a fantastic draw shot every time that curves out right and swings back in to the left, the woods are a different story, they roar off like rockets climbing with energy as they go, but these do nor draw like my irons, they go 30 degrees right and straight to the landing zone. These guys do not fade or draw. Of my Irons my 8 iron is the favorite and with my woods the 5 wood and 7 wood vie for top spot with the 15 wood.

I do however have a serious issue. With this new technique my drivers are so bad I threw them ou of my bag and my 3 wood can also no longer be struck well.

My conclusion is that the one swing for all thing is garbage. If I **** my wrists with the 3 wood and driver disaster happens. I was getting 240-270 yards out of my drivers and 3 wood before I learnt this new swing. The problem is that unless it is my 60 degree wedge with a sweep shot, I am unable to swing these suckers as the auto movement kicks in for a full swing.....(**** wrist first)

I think I need to test a 2 iron and maybe a 3 to fix this issue, however my 4 iron is a peculiar beastie. Good for 210 every time off a tee, I am noticing that off the grass its not so good.

How many different swings do you folks have is my question?

[Slingblade61]

Seems like pretty good results since we last saw you, all things considered.

You haven't take any lessons yet, have you?

[sion126]

I have had a ton of golf lessons, all of them completely contradictory and futile from my vantage point. The most I have learnt about golf is from that Andy guide thang. An eye opener that confirmed my suspicions about what most of these instructors teach. I personally feel they are con artists in the "untouchable" category. Shameful are the only words I can use to describe the raft of contradictory instruction I have had. I doubt I will ever have one again......

[Eracer]

I smell a very cleverly sauced can of:

[charnockpro]

Originally Posted by sion126

I have had a ton of golf lessons, all of them completely contradictory and futile from my vantage point. The most I have learnt about golf is from that Andy guide thang. An eye opener that confirmed my suspicions about what most of these instructors teach. I personally feel they are con artists in the "untouchable" category. Shameful are the only words I can use to describe the raft of contradictory instruction I have had. I doubt I will ever have one again......

Who exactly are you describing as con artists? there are plenty of cases where the pupil does not gel with the teacher, Butch Harmon and Justin Leonard being a case in point, soon after Leonard returns to his old swing coach his results improve, i would say there is no universal way of teaching the game and everyone is built in a different way and therefore the teacher has to have flexibility in the way they teach and adapt to the player more than forcing a certain system upon them, i have read Andy's ideas and whilst they have some merit they may not fit everyone, which re-iterates my case in point.

I would hope you can find someone who matches your needs and applies the health restrictions to his ideas of what road you will take.

[MCDavis]

Originally Posted by Eracer

I smell a very cleverly sauced can of:

I agree, but 3 years is a long time....

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by MCDavis

I agree, but 3 years is a long time....

Failed to notice time frame. Some....kind....of.....time warp......Captain.

[DaGris]

welcome to the game of golf!....kiss your sanity good-bye!