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Driver shot leaves mark 1' in front of tee

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grathan

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I don't think I am topping the ball. I am pretty sure the driver clubface is making solid contact with the ball. But for some reason it goes only 1 foot in the air before denting the ground. It's got massive spin on it, though I am not sure of the direction, possibly forwards.

Any idea on what might cause this? It seems to happen when I try to dial back for some extra distance.
 
Negative AoA plus topping
 
I'm just not sure how you can make solid contact with the club face and get the results you are talking about. Maybe try to post a video showing what's happening.
 
I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about. It's my miss with my fairway woods. It feels like you've hit the ball in the center of club face, but the ball just dives into the ground and goes about 50 yards.

I can only see two ways it can happen: an excessive negative angle of attack - i.e. driving the ball into the ground, or a top. It may not feel like a top because you still contacted a significant portion of the ball, but it was still above the equator.

If you post some video, Freddie can likely analyze it for you.
 
Attack angle is too steep from what it sounds like but the way you're describing it is a bit confusing. What kind of spin does it have after impact??
 
Check your face angle at impact. Might be really shut.
 
ball striker said:
Attack angle is too steep from what it sounds like but the way you're describing it is a bit confusing. What kind of spin does it have after impact??
Click to expand...

I'd say really steep. Try keeping the club head on the ground for about a foot as you start your backswing away from the ball to flatten your swing. You want to hit through the ball not down on it.
 
Tilt your center away from the ball at address (higher leading shoulder) and swing up and away from you. See how that feels and adjust from there.
 
You are nit catching the ball solid and you are not too steep. You are catching the bottom of the face of the club on the up swing. You feel like you are making a good pass but I think if you check you are short arming, standing a tall and topping the ball.

When this happens to me I pat attention to my take away and make sure I am turning away with the shoulders and keep the chest over the ball through impact.
 
Happens to a buddy of mine too about 25% of the time. He actually has the club face extremely closed at address and has a great backswing and turn. But he tries to kill it. He comes
In steep with a closed face. Literally drives the ball into the ground.

Im but saying that's your problem because I haven't seem your swing but I am 100% sure those are his main issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Tadashi70 said:
You are nit catching the ball solid and you are not too steep. You are catching the bottom of the face of the club on the up swing. You feel like you are making a good pass but I think if you check you are short arming, standing a tall and topping the ball.

When this happens to me I pat attention to my take away and make sure I am turning away with the shoulders and keep the chest over the ball through impact.
Click to expand...
When I do it with my 3w it is this.
 
What most others have said. It is the main reason my dad can't hit a wood to save his life. He will just kill it straight in to the ground with a ton of back spin. He used to hit an old Biggest Big Bertha driver that would start inches off the ground and you could just see the ball slowly raise upward as it went down the fairway. Would only get about fifteen feet or so high and would stop on a dime.
 
I think I am closing the club. Played tonight and didn't top the ball at all so it will be tough to say until it creeps back. It was %50 driver shots the day before..

I tried to implement some of the tips here

-I already keep the club low going back and going through the ball.
-I could be de-lofting the AoA, but I've slowed it down and tried to tried to analyze, but I am not seeing it yet.
-Higher lead shoulder felt really comfortable, I hope to remember to try this some more.
-Shoulder turn, this is something I haven't been doing at all. When I tried it tonight, the ball went into the stratosphere. Easily one of my most impressive drives of the year. I didn't control it on a 2nd try though, this is gonna require some training to get the feel for.
-Keep chest over the ball, I think I stay pretty stationary when I swing, you could probably put me in a phonebooth. Though if I am turning my shoulders, the chest goes with it, so I am not sure what to focus on here? *edit I see now "through impact" I didn't read that right before.


So thanks, possibly fixed, definitely improved.
I plan to try some talcum powder to see where I am making contact on the face. ALso gonna make/get some kinda tri-pod setup for smartphone attachment to cart/bag to see how video looks.
 
I have a dad like that. Thinks he has to pound the ball in the ground with all his clubs. Can't convince him otherwise
 
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