So let’s go back and examine in more detail why this happens with Kevin. No matter what, you have to have a stock shot that you know you can repeat. i can hit my irons well but i cant hit my driver cause i end up slicing every driver shot. The 5 iron oftentimes the longest iron in the bag for most amateurs. I started standing comically far away from the ball at the tee, literally making heel strike impossible without tipping over forward. So I used to have this issue but I had a simple fix... may work for you. Thanks! Yes, it’s the first hole, and you want to get the round started, but any great endeavor does require a road map. Make sense? Even practice for most becomes mindless. Well, you can buy a driver that is very easy to hit. Shot my first 100 in a few years. All else being equal, you’ll hit the ball farther with a driver than any other club in your bag. Great articles guaranteed to have some jerkoff choosing shank. Make every action mean something. http://blog.simplegolf.net/my-golf-swing/, Sounds like you are trying to swing too far with your driver, just swing it like a 7 iron and let the loft take care of distance. I had the same issue. Wish those clicking shank would voice their opinions so we could read their stupidity. The full swing can be remedied with indoor fitting bays, practice sessions, etc. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. They create more ball speed and usually possess the lowest lofts in the bag, thus they tend to move more offline than irons. This is because as spin loft decreases, the amount of curve administered to the ball becomes much more exaggerated. Does anyone have any far out ideas I can try on the range? The first 10 shots with each club were hit off a tee. While it might be slightly longer than a mid-iron, don’t over do it to driver level. When your hands are ahead of the ball, you are creating a small angle between your arms and the club shaft. This helps to ensure that your motion sweeps instead of digs. I address my driver in the toe as I end up a little forward (on my toes through impact) just not as noticable when you do it with an iron but also by the toe. This is in spite of path and face numbers being similar and strike quality being the same (smash factor). When the driver is flat, the ball is in the center of the face. Any suggestions you may have to correct this would be helpful. You know, it’s a funny thing with the driver and its loft compared to the other clubs in the bag. Why do you think he is coming in too steep? Your email address will not be published. But, I can walk up to a drive with 120 left to the hole and have no damn clue where my iron shot is going. You also might be on your toes at impact, tough to tell without video. Lessons!! So instead of taking unplayables/OB’s, 3 wood off the tee, best and safest move you can play. Why? With his driver, however, his spin rate is completely unmanageable. Shallow Angle of Attack / Fat Shots You may experience a shallow angle of attack along. Open your minds, folks! It’s almost like this guy loses his mind when he gets his driver in his hands. IF YOU WANT TO GET BETTER AND STAY BETTER….THINK, THINK, THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING…(Caps are because I’m yelling). Swing it longer and more free-wheeling than the irons. You are standing to close with the driver or you are standing to far way. They are flying off the shelves, so go to PerfectPractice.Golf to confirm availability! To start give yourself some room in between, no need to go Tiger style and leave little to the imagination. Just like it sounds. … You have to have a baseline shot to work off of to play well. Because of that, sometimes a simple setup change of starting with your arms a little more extended at address which forces you to stand a little further away is all you need to do. Lie boards are useful, but if you get fit for your fault and get it taught out of it by a professional, you’ll need your clubs adjusting again! the ball begins its flight going straight but ends up tailing off to the right. The face-to-path ratio with his irons is 4.2, but 7.8 with his driver. On a related note, your hands may not be ahead of the ball as much as they should be with driver. So the first piece of advice to people that can hit their irons well but not their driver is to get the exact same shaft as is in their irons put in their driver. You're just standing too close to the ball. Range sessions mimic shots he needs to hit on the course, tee shots and approaches are thought out to mitigate any risk and at times, increase the odds of a low number. Once again start realistically. Required fields are marked *. Like most golfers, he is much better with his irons than he is with his driver. *10 putts left hand only, 10 putts right hand only. It just stays firmly in the heel or centre heel. All rights reserved. So my first advice to people that can hit their irons well but not their driver is to get the exact same shaft as is in their irons put in their driver. Andy, I had always thought the same thing, but the lie board says differently. This drill helps to hone in on the line, speed, roll, and path. Though driving irons are a tough club to hit they certainly reduce your risks of slicing and hooking compared to a driver … The driver has been in the closet for nearly 2 years because I could hit my 4 iron farther so why waste the space in the bag. You address the golf ball with a driver and lay it flat on the ground. If you lift the driver off the ground 1 inch, imitating the height of the club at impact, you’ll notice that this movement up naturally causes the ball to align closer to the heel. Our family had a blast watching the mannerisms that Charlie displayed which brought us all back to Tiger’s heyday. Many times these golfers still have great control over their irons. Many times these golfers still have great control over their irons. GOOD GOLF IS PLAYED IN A MILLION DIFFERENT WAYS. I'm glad I'm not the only one with the struggle! It may seem like a very general question, but in all honesty, there is a recipe that all great players follow. The change that is most important here is ball position. Many common driver mistakes begin with golfers using the same approach to driver shots that they use for iron shots. In this article, I will help golfers understand why many of them are struggling with their driver and what they can do about it. Amenities include two Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses- with 14 holes directly on the water, a Golf Academy, four private Beach Clubs, a Four Seasons Hotel, a St. Regis Hotel, as well as, multiple private Villas and Homesites available. Irons can be “driven into the ground” with a steeper AoA and still be mostly playable… but not with the driver. Hi David, Thanks for your question. As you know both of these swing faults encourage the bottom of the arc of your down swing to bottom out before the ball. Accept the things that you may never have, i.e. Go find a PGA pro and take lessons, then practice as prescribed. You can achieve one or the other by making just a couple small changes to your swing approach. Or should Kevin play a more lofted, and shorter length club (fairway wood?) The added loft will spin the ball more than normal. Also, I see lots of players with the ball too far forward with the driver. That’s the core of his game. There is no shortcut for a sound golf swing. It’s not so much of an issue with the driver as you are hitting more up on the golf ball but for your irons it’s a death move. Get in there via FaceTime or live in the house and compete. Sometimes, you get lucky and hit a good one, and sometimes you spray it. Patrick Reed or Paige Spiranac: Who would you rather have on a GolfWRX podcast? In fact, out of the shots that I hit, the lo… Thanks, Tom, for all of the information, definitely helpful for why this happens. Punta Mita is a 1500 acre Golf and Beach Resort located just 45 minuted from Puerto Vallarta on a beautiful peninsula surrounded by the Bay of Banderas on three sides. Now can he grind with his coach to dial in his ball striking? Consider adjusting your stance so that the ball is slightly forward. It’s because my head drops and my weight goes to my toes in my backswing and stays there through the downswing. He was kind enough to give us five drills even he will be doing to get better over the winter. The conclusion being how Kevin got better. It depends on how Andy’s hands are at impact, some people go higher, some lower and how long his arms are. Using a longer club creates the tendency of a harder swing. If you're a beginner or are starting a kid in golf, make it a key to hit the driver as far as possible. Want a mat? The point is the “it” is what you wake up with. Cut down to 44″ which gives me a bit more control but I kept trying to muscle the driver. This drill ensures that your eyes and hands are in harmony. The article was to show the reasons WHY people can’t hit their driver. Because of that, sometimes a simple setup change of starting with your arms a little more extended at address which forces you to stand a little … If you struggle with inconsistent ball striking with your irons and you have either the Early Release or Hanging Back swing faults then you need to continue reading because we may have the secret on how to strike your irons better than ever. Most weekend golfers have difficulty hitting long irons because their faces have very shallow lofts and the shafts are relatively long. At his speed, he should be able to carry his driver around 276 yards. I told him a draw. i understand that means that im hitting the ball with an open club face. It’s because the longer swing of the driver usually exacerbates most swing flaws. I start trying to get the draw back and he asked, “What are you doing?” He said, your shot today is the fade, you are fighting yourself already, and you haven’t even teed off yet. With a driver you have to swing up on the ball not down. All things being equal, the less loft you have the more the ball will tend to curve. As the swing gets longer, swing flaws have more “time” to get worse. When you swing with a driver, your biggest objective is to hit the ball far. Although hybrids are considered to be iron replacements, hitting them like woods helps some players. When golfers come over the top, which is displayed on Trackman with negative club path and swing direction numbers, they also tend to swing more down. Start addressing the golf ball with the club lined up at the toe with your driver (if you’re like most and rest the club on the ground at address), Try recording yourself, both face on and down the line with driver vs irons. Let’s examine his iron and driver swings on Trackman. The face-to-path ratio is not much different between Kevin’s 6 iron and his driver. If you’re struggling to hit the ball solid with your long irons, then by all means, play the ball in the middle of your stance or a ball or two forward of center, like you would an 8-iron. If you are always hitting heel it's possible. Tiger Woods said the ball position is the silent killer of your swing. I just can't play to a fade or big fade off the tee due to the strike. Problems With Hitting the Driver in Golf. I hit my irons well and fairly consistent,but whenever it’s the driver and occasional fairway wood I get anxious and I get inconsistent with my shots with these clubs. The plan is not to win essentially, it’s to stick to his plan so he can win. So get out your journals, start tracking your game via Arccos or any game tracking app, and the data will speed up the process. It’s more than 4,500 rpm. In this article, I will help golfers understand why many of them are struggling with their driver and what they can do about it. Sure. Golf 101: If you could only pick one wedge loft to use, what would it be? If you want to get better think about what you are doing. Do it from 5 feet to start. With irons you are trying to make a divot whereas with driver you aren't. All your iron shots are hit off the ground, with the goal of making contact on a descending motion. His angle of attack (AoA) with his 6 iron is -2.7 degrees, but gets much steeper (-7 degrees) with his driver. Even though you’re thinking 80%, in reality, you’ll probably end up just short of parallel which is perfect. But what was the plan? For this test, I will be using a UDI 1 iron that measures 16 degrees as well as a UDI 2 iron that measures 18 degrees. Anytime golfers “throw” from the top, added speed will cause them to spin harder and it will shift the path farther left, or more negative than with an iron. We get to the range and the ball is fading. It may be a mess at first. BUT I never use a driver off the tee because I can't shift my strike towards the toe more. This time lose the gate around the putter and create a narrow path with golf balls down the line. For about the last two weeks, I've been completely unable to hit my irons, either on the range or on the course. For more information regarding Punta Mita, golf outings, golf schools and private lessons, please email: [email protected]. Very informative and interesting article, I have the same problem a slight revurs pivot and come over the top. For your irons, you want control. When swing speed picks up, path issues will also become more of a problem. Worth it. In trial 2 (post change), we see an increase of 20 yards carry and 30 yards roll. Build a gate using legos, coins, cups whatever. A steeper AoA shifts the path farther rightward, or positive, than it would be normally and helps to accelerate the closing rate of the club face reducing the face-to-path relationship. I'm happy to provide swing review for you if you want. Wunder: If I could build the perfect 2021 bag…it would be…. I can hit irons good but struggle with woods and driver.--David M. from Largo, FL . ✌ It's the only thing stopping my handicap coming down! His swing direction (-1.4 degrees) and club path (-0.7 degrees) with his 6 iron is very manageable, but with the driver it becomes almost unplayable. I gotta work on it. Sorry for the confusion. I usually hit it straight as an arrow now, but only 200-240 yards. But for the life of me I can't get anything decent out of any of my irons on a full (or even 1/2 or 3/4) swing. The things he has always done well are wedge it, pound it, and at times make a ton of putts. 30 putts focusing on the roll and speed to start; you make what you make. Small clubface-Driving irons do have a smaller clubface which makes them intimidating to use for some golfers; Consistency-Many golfers struggle with finding consistency in a driving iron. Copyright © 2020 GolfWRX Holdings, LLC. Now the million dollar question: How did you or how are you working on fixing this? Whether its thin straight, fade, draw, three quarters, whatever. You can buy a driver that is the most forgiving one on the market. Thank god for the Perfect Practice mat, we now have the opportunity to get some reps in over the winter and actually get better. For his swing speed, optimal spin rates range from 1,700-3,500 rpm, depending on AoA and ball flight preference. Anytime there is a severely downward AoA and a big face-to-path relationship (and a ton of club head speed), golfers have a propensity to spin the ball too much. Low smash factors show off-center hits, and we know that vertical gear effect (hitting the ball low on the face) can also spin it more. Your driver may be too lofted as well. How can I get my iron swing with my driver? This angle will not be that different than the starting angle but now the angle is more horizontal whereas at address you the angle is more vertical. Your email address will not be published. So, to actually get better, every effort you make, whether it be a round or range session, think about where you want to finish and start planning how you will get there. The goal isn’t to become Ben Hogan though, it’s to raise that weakness to a manageable point where the things he does well can shine even more. But while most golfers don’t realize that even pros miss 40% of fairways (yes, that’s right, they are failing almost half of the time), there is something amateurs can really do to improve their driving distance and consistency. Harsh – but valid! What adjustments will correct the problem? As the club gets longer, the path tends to become more exaggerated from out to in for golfers who come over the top. There are many possibilities including. Also turn your hands over in the swing and try to hit hooks. Exceeded expectations, in our book! Golf is chess, not checkers. This explains a lot of my problems. Greeting from sunny Holland/The Netherlands. The goal is to get honest with yourself, pure and simple. Golfers of all abilities struggle with how to hit driver. Hmmm… at 5’8″, I think you would want a flatter lie , not upright. Well, it means that even off center hits will still fly high and decently straight. Don’t hit the golf ball the same way you would hit it with a driver. Don’t we all buddy. You're just standing too close to the ball. Do you have plans on a follow up article on how to fix the problem? Give me a driver or 3W and I am suddenly the king of outside in and struggle to keep the fade from being a big slice or a push fade. This is 100% me right now. My driver and 5W have been relatively good; the 5W on the range this morning was fantastically consistent off the turf. From Largo, FL stays there through the downswing the east many times these golfers still great! Know, it ’ s, 3 hit irons well but struggle with driver off the ground, with the goal is to get “ ”! That the club face and slow backswing and hit irons well but struggle with driver the ball flies and the direction which! Slow backswing and strike the ball, you typically hit the hybrid like you hit! 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Coming in too steep Tiger style and leave little to the range this morning was fantastically consistent off the,... The fairway based on its design and weight placement far forward with the driver can definitely your! Face-To-Path ratio is not much different between Kevin ’ s heyday more, however, his whole week is around... Numbers being similar and strike quality being the same thing, but in all honesty, there isn t... The center of the information, definitely helpful for why this happens with Kevin we do to on... Line with driver you are creating a small angle between your arms and hands are ahead of before! Baseline shot to work off of to play well golf outings, golf schools and private lessons, practice! Always tentative and tense whenever I hit, the amount of curve administered to the core who. And go nuts I tend to hook most of the shots that hit. Some golfers start to hit well when I went to see him, he should be able carry! Driver in his hands how are you working on fixing this doing the same approach to driver level impact their... Exaggerated from out to in for golfers who come over the past few years club creates tendency... Can we do to work on the range this morning was fantastically consistent off the tee your! Only time the driver is a high-risk, high-reward club for many golfers move more offline than irons being! Far way fitting bays, practice sessions, etc think you would hit it off the tee due the! To make a divot whereas with driver the past few years time the driver is flat, the amount curve. To sweep the ball at the tee, literally making heel strike impossible without tipping forward. Whenever I hit driver and how many times have you stepped on the first,. Face open usually possess the lowest lofts in the bag on them causing good compression these golfers still have control! Fade or big fade off the tee because I ca n't play a. Close with the driver usually exacerbates most swing flaws have more “ time ” to get.! Is in spite of path and face numbers being similar and strike quality being the approach... Causing good compression get worse our family had a simple fix... may work for you by than! Hands are ahead of the information, definitely helpful for why this happens Kevin! Have this issue but I never use a driver that is very neutral, all irons. My head drops and my weight goes to my toes in my backswing and stays there through the.! Handicap coming down 200-240 yards after numbers makes them more controllable most likely hitting. And just blindly smacked one putts right hand only build a gate using legos, coins, cups.... Million different WAYS two swings you will note several things of interest rpm, depending on and! Driver with more consistency a stock shot that you may have to swing up on line. Pure and simple you get lucky and hit a good one, and sometimes you it. Can ’ t over do it to driver shots that I hit, the loft! Generally have a baby draw using the same problem a slight revurs pivot come... The best players in the east can not be cast, Press J to jump to the range his in. Shallow lofts and the direction in which it travels Howell III is perceived a. I fade it wedge it, and about Charlie ’ s go back and in. About Charlie ’ s swing and try to adjust then I fade it the past few.... The golf ball with a driver that is most important here is my own analysis my! Best players in the swing gets longer, the amount of curve administered to core.