Hands ahead of the ball.

[tn-golfnut-from-nj]

After months and months of frustration with my driver, I think I have figured out my problem.(
I hope I did, because this is just getting really annoying.)

I was hitting OK the last few weeks, then all of a sudden, I just couldn't hit anything decent.
The ball was all over the place.

After my 18 in 35 degree weather, I walked on over to the range with driver in hand. Freezing my butt of, but I didn't care. Something has to be done.
I tried all different tee heights, different stands everything I could think of.

Then I moved my hands in front of the ball.
It felt kind of awkward at first, but when I made contact, the ball flew nice and straight with a decent distance.

I tried it again, figuring it was a fluke.
It did the same thing.
I went and got another bucket, by this time I was out the first one.

I stood up to ball just like before, and wouldn't you know it, a nice straight ball flight.

I hit about 30 balls in a row, this way.
Not one slice, not one hook, just perfect shots one after another.

Can someone explain, why is it that when I had my hands in front of the ball ,I couldn't miss, then when the hands were even with it, I was hitting all kinds of stupid shots?

I really hope I stumbled onto something here, because I'm getting really tired with this crap.

 

[gregfletch]

I'm in the same boat. I seem to hit the driver much better if I make a slight forward press before I swing. I've heard that the driver should be hit on a slight upswing and that to me seems impossible if your hands are ahead of the ball. I'm not a long driver by any means so accuracy is really important to me. Having my hands ahead seems to really help me.

I also read somewhere that your hands are supposed to be ahead of the ball and you need a forward leaning club shaft for EVERY shot EXCEPT a short high lob wedge shot. Makes sense to me because I know that you are supposed to hit "down" because that is how clubs are designed to be used. I have a difficult time hitting "down" and I am much better with fairway woods. I think you ask a really good question here and I'm really interested on what the better players have to say.....

 

[SilverUberXeno]

I'd agree with Greg saying that your hands should not be in front of the ball on a good driver shot. De-lofting in order to achieve compression is okay on iron shots. Not for the driver. You don't want your 10* becoming a 7*.

I think maybe you had your hands way TOO far behind before, and now that they're ahead of where they USED to be, it seems like they're ahead of the ball? When I put my hands ahead of the ball I can hit straight shots all day but they don't go anywhere because they don't get up (driver shots, that is)

 

[tn-golfnut-from-nj]

I've heard that the driver should be hit on a slight upswing and that to me seems impossible if your hands are ahead of the ball

That's what I was thinking as well, but it seems to be working.
I'm like you, that I dont get a really good distance, so hitting it straight is a lot more important then long and wild.

I get a pretty good roll on it, since I switched to a 9.5* driver.
If it ends up anything over 200 yards , I'm happy.

 

[SilverUberXeno]

200 yards? You're robbing yourself, my friend. I could take potshots at good guesses as to what you're doing wrong, but you should get some lessons. Make sure your body isn't sliding left on the downswing with the driver. That will screw up your trajectory bigtime.

I can hit 200 yards with a 4 iron. And I'm not that good.

 

[tn-golfnut-from-nj]

I can hit 200 yards with a 4 iron

Didn't realize this was a contest.
Congratulaions.
Your prize is in the mail.:horse:

 

[SilverUberXeno]

I'm just saying, hitting a driver more than 200 yards is not a feat, brother. I sincerely believe you're VERY capable of doing that. I think your swing is flawed in some way that's preventing you from getting the distance you should.

And of course it's a contest.

 

[tn-golfnut-from-nj]

I never said it was a feat.
I was just looking for some answers.
To me, hitting the ball 200 yards or more down the fairway, on a consistant basis, is much more important, then hitting it 250 plus yards, all over the frikkin place.

I sincerely believe you're VERY capable of doing that.

How do you know that? Maybe I'm 97 years old, and weigh 300 lbs.

And of course it's a contest.

Only between the course and myself.
I couldn't care less ,if you can hit a 1 Iron through a mosquito's ass, at 200 yards, it makes no difference to me.

 

[ManchesterGolfer]

I saw a feature on Darren Clarke a couple of weeks ago. his coach was on Golf night and they were talking about his swing. His coach said one of the faults they've been working to eliminate was him having his hands two far behind the ball at address. He said he needs to remember to move his hands a little futher forward so they 'covered' the ball. With his hands too far behing his wrist break to early in his back swing and he's fighting to get things back on track. when he 'covers' the ball his take away is far better and gets him in a great postion to hit solid drives. Maybe your doing something simlar.

 

[SiberianDVM]

OK, boys, let's play nice.

All of us hit the ball different distances. I am a relatively short hitter, but I'm old, short, and fat.

But.... I never stop trying things that might help me get more GOOD distance. That's distance in the right direction.

tn-golfnut-from-nj: if you are of average size, not elderly, and have average athleic ability, you should be able to drive the ball off the tee 230 yards or so including roll. I think SilverUberXeno was just trying to say that there might be some relatively easy ways of increasing your distance.

Just last week, a guy showed me one thing that I was doing wrong that helped me a lot with the driver. I couldn't figure it out on my own, but it was easy for him to see it. I love having someone knowledgeable watch me swing. It saves me MAJOR time.

But it is up to you entirely.

I do think that having the hands ahead of the ball, SLIGHTLY, especially at impact, is very important. (Except on the lob or sand shot.)

 

[SilverUberXeno]

That's precisely what I was saying. Old men with no backswing can break 200, methinks. What I'm telling you is not to lose hope for distance. You probably have a massive power leak somewhere.

 

[tn-golfnut-from-nj]

What I'm telling you is not to lose hope for distance. You probably have a massive power leak somewhere

.

All I'm saying is, that for now, I am thrilled to stumble upon something, that gives me consistant drives, that land on the fairway.
Of course I would love to hit the ball 250+ yards each time, but I'm much happier hitting it 200 yards, and getting it on the fairway.

Thanks for the advice, and I apoligize if I mistook it for something else.
Peace.

 

[GettingInShape]

tn-golfnut-from-nj

Are your hands ahead of the ball at impact?

My thought would be that by starting with a little bit of
a forward press you are getting a head start on getting
your wrists cocked.

I'm always being told that I need to get my wrist cocked
sooner. And it would seem that by starting with your hands
a little ahead of the ball that this might help me in doing so.
And as long as you get back to even at the point of impact
it might not be a bad thing.

Just my $0.02 worth.

 

[Crossfire]

TN, I think because of the forward press, your hitting down on the driver imparting way more backspin then you need. This is causing very straight shots, but also short. If your happy with somewhat short but in the shortstuff, power to you. But you will never acheive maximum launch conditions with a downward strike on a driver. A big change came when I got a comprehensive launch monitor and realized I hit the ball on a downstrike too, I started increasing shoulder tilt as well as really trying to hit up on the ball (which I though i was already doing, but was wrong) and I have gained distance. An average person <50 should be able to drive the ball 250, period. I am not very muscular, I do have very broad shoulders and a solid build and I somehow bring the club over 110. Im not turning this into a contest of whose c*ck is bigger, but there is no way a hardass trucker should worry about driving over 200.

 

[eli_yates]

turns out its pretty impossible to hit the ball on the upswing unless the ball is that far in front of your leading foot. bobby clampett says no matter what you should alway hit the ball on the down swing if not then the last second before you start the upswing. cmon guys even bubba watson doesnt actually hit the ball in the upswing. look at his swingvisions look at most golfers swingvisions they arent hitting on the upswing they are hitting on the down swing. i could be wrong but bobby clampett is a genius of the swing and probably knows a little bit more than most. just look at swing visions of the longes hitter even vijay def hits on the downswing.