Cannot get my drives in the air

[Marengo]

Hi Andy

I was fitted and I have a SS of 91. For some reason I just cannot get the ball in the air. My normal shot is a draw and miss with a hook. I cant get enough elevation on the ball to clear trees however. I think my hands get through the ball before the clubhead. Do you know any drills or tips that may help me release the clubhead?

 

[GolfTEC]

If your normal shot is a draw and the miss is a hook, it doesn't sound like the issue is release in the sense that the club is squaring up to closing. Don't mistake release for letting the club head pass the hands, because that is technically a "flip" and is not a desirable way to get the ball in the air.

First thing to check is the impact position on the face- most pro shops or golf stores will have impact tape that will adhere to the face of a driver or iron. If the pattern is predominantly low on the face, that can reduce the launch angle significantly. At your club head speed of 91, ideal ball speed is 135ish; launch angles for that speed range from 13-16 depending on spin rates. I mention that because if you're already on the low end of that with a solid strike, a hit low on the face can reduce the launch upwards of 4 degrees, reducing total carry in the 24 yard range.

The second would be ball position (not just relative to the stance, but the whole body). With a driver it should be roughly inside left heel, but often neglected in ball position is where the hands/hips/spine/head are. From a front ball position, the belt buckle should be middle of stance, hands just left of belly button and top shirt button several inches behind center. If you are facing a mirror, a line drawn up the shaft should continue straight up the spine.

Last thing to check would be upper body slide during the swing. Check this in slow motion first by placing a ball on a tee such that the logo is barely visible from setup on the back side (where you'll strike the ball). Take a mock swing and keep the bottom most part of the logo visible and make sure you don't lose sight of that spot as you start swinging down (again in slow motion). If the logo disappears because your head has slid to the left, it typically means an upper body lunge forward. Do this drill slow at first, always keeping your eye on that logo until you can reach full speed without sliding.

Hope that helps,

Trevor Broesamle, PGA
GolfTEC Santa Barbara

 

[NebHusker]

My brother had a problem with this also. I watched him swing a few times and notices that his right shoulder(right handed) was coming up instead of staying low and through the ball. Once he figured this out, he was bombing them 230(only 13 years old). Hope this helps.