Driver behaving better, but........

[mddubya]

Well, the continuing saga of my driver woes has been well documented on here. My last few rounds it has been behaving much better. I'm gaming the 10.5 FT-5 BB combo now, and be it the added loft, or the stability of the shaft I'm finding more fairways than ever.

But......, I've given up on trying to hit a draw off the tee, and have embraced my Power Fade. But, in each of my latest rounds, I've had at least one, 3 times in one round where I made great center contact, (shown by the mark my putting line leaves on the club face), and put what felt like a good swing on the ball. But the ball starts off a little left of where I was aiming, and then keeps going, and going straight. Never bends/curves around to the right a bit.

What gives here? Any ideas as to what I'm doing right or wrong on these errant but straight, (just not what I was expecting, or where I was aiming), and long drives. If I could get that same ball flight, but down the fairway I'd be in great shape. Any suggestions?

 

[gpo]

You sir have the question every golfer in the world has. Why can't I do the same thing every time I hit the ball. Even the pros can't do it. A golf swing is very complicated and many things can go wrong. Every once in a while you are going to hit a shot that doesn't go where you want it.

That is why pros and teachers talk about taking half the course out of play. Meaning if you hit a fade your ideal shot(if you are RH) should be for the ball to be on the right side of the fairway. That way the few times you do hit it straight hopefully you ball will catch the left side of the fairway of just in the left rough.

 

[mddubya]

True, if my home course wasn't so tight, I'd probably be in decent shape with these errant Tee shots that go to the left. On the 1st hole, to hit driver I have to aim over a building to the left of a slight dogleg left. Then left my fade curve back around over the building and into the fairway. But the last 2 rounds it never came around and ended up in a parking lot OB.

I know, leave the driver in the bag, but where is the fun in that? :laugh:

 

[slickpitt]

Well two things that I know I do to produce errant tee shots:


- Get long in the back swing trying to hit it too far. (long left or short right)

- Get quick with my transition. (low hook)

The only thing I can venture to guess(without seeing your swing)... since your prefered or typical shot is a power fade maybe you take the club a bit outside on the way back and maybe a bit steep as far as swing plane is concerned.. so at impact you could be coming a TAD over the top(and by tad I really mean just barely, you're obviously happy with your launch angle and direction) and generally that'll have the clubface open a little bit producing that fade. If that's the case... then I bet you are just squaring the clubface more at impact. Are the left shots lower at all?

 

[mddubya]

Are the left shots lower at all?

Not really, in fact, they are beautiful shots, very straight with a nice trajectory, just way left of where I was expecting them, :laugh:

 

[BrandonM7]

...Any ideas as to what I'm doing right or wrong on these errant but straight, (just not what I was expecting, or where I was aiming), and long drives. If I could get that same ball flight, but down the fairway I'd be in great shape. Any suggestions?

You're doing it right, you just don't know where to aim. Assuming you're hitting the ball after the clubhead has passed lowpoint, the head is coming up and back in toward you (picture a hula hoop angled toward the ground.) Your normal fade is a result of keeping the clubface pointing toward target, meaning it's open to the path the clubhead is traveling on once it gets up to the ball. On those pulls you let the clubface stay true to its path, thus producing a perfectly straight, perfectly struck drive -- you just had it aimed the wrong way. You just need to angle that plane to the right, so that this leftward portion of the swing (when it gets to the ball) is going straight up the pipe. Unfortunately if you hold off the face and get that usual fade, you'll be good and ****ed.

 

[slickpitt]

Not really, in fact, they are beautiful shots, very straight with a nice trajectory, just way left of where I was expecting them, :laugh:

Interesting... no clue!

 

[gpo]

True, if my home course wasn't so tight, I'd probably be in decent shape with these errant Tee shots that go to the left. On the 1st hole, to hit driver I have to aim over a building to the left of a slight dogleg left. Then left my fade curve back around over the building and into the fairway. But the last 2 rounds it never came around and ended up in a parking lot OB.

I know, leave the driver in the bag, but where is the fun in that? :laugh:

Take if from a guy that hits driver on every par 4 or 5 as long as there isn't a lake or creek in the middle of the fairway, that on that particular hole putting the driver in the bag for that hole is probably the smartest move. It sucks, but what can you do. The only thing I could suggest is making sure you fade the ball by really slicing it.

 

[Clugnut]

Are these pulls when you are trying to give it a little extra? I hit it left and straight when I try to give it a little more off the tee or with an iron. What happens is I get a little over the top, and I square it to the line on the way down. They look great and go forever, usually OB!

 

[mddubya]

Are these pulls when you are trying to give it a little extra? I hit it left and straight when I try to give it a little more off the tee or with an iron. What happens is I get a little over the top, and I square it to the line on the way down. They look great and go forever, usually OB!

Maybe on to something here Clugnut, on the 1st hole I'm not warmed up yet, (driving range is a joke and never open), and don't have my swing dialed in yet for the round. So maybe I am going after it a bit harder than normal. The other hole I generally pull it on is a 306 yard par 4 that I have reached with driver before, so I almost always go for it.