Driver Consistency

[JonD]

While I've made the turn here recently (I think), I've been struggling with driver consistency as of late. What tips has everyone picked up that has helped them become a more consistent driver of the ball?

The tip that did it for me recently was when a friend noticed that I wasn't clearing my hips, causing a push slice. Since then, I've focused on that and it's starting to come back around.

I know everyone is different, but thought it would be interesting and hopefully helpful to hear what everyone works or focuses on.

 

[blugold]

Weird. because if I don't clear my hips I pull hook.

big thing for me is the create width with the take away and start the down swing by bumping my hips to the target and swinging around my left side.

 

[arydolphin]

Swinging at a pace that feels like 80%. I got in a lot of trouble trying to swing for the fences on every driver swing. I end up making better contact when I swing more in control.

 

[thehackingmurse]

My ball striking has become more consistent after an instructor changed my swing. He made me keep the club face square to the ball as long as possible only taking a 3/4 back swing. It's weird because my face is closed at the top but the more I trusted it the more it has worked for me. Last time I went out I hit 70% of my fairways which is up from about 10-20% My instructor said he taught the Mike Austin method.

Now I need to play some more to get this handicap down.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

Swinging at a pace that feels like 80%. I got in a lot of trouble trying to swing for the fences on every driver swing. I end up making better contact when I swing more in control.

This is what I do, unless I really need to carry a hazard that's fairly far out or something. I am capable of hitting really big pulls and (much less commonly) slices when I try to kill it. My average fairways is something like 55% or 60% right now, so pretty solid - I wouldn't mind some more distance, but I'll definitely take the tradeoff.

 

[Hawk]

Somehow driver is my most consistent club. No idea how that worked. My swing thoughts are a wide takeaway and fire the hips. I think the longer club helps me slow down my tempo a bit compared to irons so I can get my lower body into it.

 

[ryebread]

Swinging at a pace that feels like 80%. I got in a lot of trouble trying to swing for the fences on every driver swing. I end up making better contact when I swing more in control.

+1 to this.

I've improved my tee game drastically. I'm still not all that long due to my swing speed, but my fairway percentages are way up (over 70%).

Key points for me (as a lifetime slicer):
- Same ball position relative to body, every single time
- Same hand position on the golf club, every single time
- Same ball height on the tee, every single time
- Ground club at address
- 1/2 swing speed relative to potential. Note that I'm not saying that I can double my MPH on swing speed, but by thinking I'm only swinging at half speed, I'm a lot smoother. I probably result with 3/4s actual MPH related to potential. For me, that allows me to get the timing down.
- Slow down the back swing.
- Start unwinding the hands immediately after the back swing
- I leave about 1.5 inches of gap between the club head and the ball at address. This ball forward position helps give me a little extra time to close the hands.
- My miss historically has always, always, always been right. After owning about 18 different drivers over the past 2-3 years, I bought one with some built in offset and a stiffer shaft. I no longer miss right. If anything, I miss left now.

The best thing about things above, that when paired with increased practice (and targeting similar clubs), that the results have carried over to the other clubs in my bag. My ball striking in general has greatly improved.

 

[One-T]

Weird. because if I don't clear my hips I pull hook.

big thing for me is the create width with the take away and start the down swing by bumping my hips to the target and swinging around my left side.

in agreeing with you...If you clear your hips too quickly then you will slice/push.

 

[yoopergolfer]

The biggest thing I keep in mind is snapping my wrist through the zone at impact. I have a tendency to pull my right shoulder in (I am a lefty) instead of swinging out at the ball. Making sure to snap through with my left wrist helps me keep my front shoulder on an even plane.

 

[JonD]

Weird. because if I don't clear my hips I pull hook.

big thing for me is the create width with the take away and start the down swing by bumping my hips to the target and swinging around my left side.

in agreeing with you...If you clear your hips too quickly then you will slice/push.

You two may be right. Honest truth is I've been all over the damn place in the last month or so. High push/slice to low pull/hooks, you name it. Had little idea where the ball was gonna go off the tee. All I know is that after he watched me hit a few balls and made the suggestion things started straightening out for me. Still a work in progress though!

 

[Spahrticus]

Not trying to steer the shot is a big one for me. If I overthink it, I'll end up getting too quick or slow with my wrists, losing my line. If I step up, take precise aim, and then swing freely (not at 100% speed, but somewhere around 80-85%), I can find fairways all day long. As soon as I try to hit one easy and guide it onto the fairway, I'm losing it left and right. There are still a couple of holes at my home course where I have to force myself to trust my line. I used to send a lot OB on those, but I've been working at swinging more freely on them. It's been helping... most of the time anyway.

 

[Tbonafide]

- Start unwinding the hands immediately after the back swing
.

Could you expand on this? Are you talking about the wrist hinge? Wouldn't that cause casting or is it just a swing thought to get your to release the club?

Thanks for the helpful tips.

 

[Wonton]

I am also seeing inconsistency with my driver. But mine is day to day. Some days I hook because I'm not clearing my hips enough so I get too handsy and some days I push because I'm keeping my head down for too long.
I'd say just notice what you can change before the next shot, take some nice and easy practice swings and go for it again. That kinda works for me. It's a mystery!

 

[blugold]

You two may be right. Honest truth is I've been all over the damn place in the last month or so. High push/slice to low pull/hooks, you name it. Had little idea where the ball was gonna go off the tee. All I know is that after he watched me hit a few balls and made the suggestion things started straightening out for me. Still a work in progress though!

Proves it. Golf is hard.

 

[Wongstongs]

My driver is nothing but an untamed beast. It will go low left hook, high right slice or bullet down the fairway. It is literally a coin toss as to which way it is going. It is definitely a work in progress.

For me, what helps is to keep the setup the exact same every time (this is much harder than I thought it would be). That way I can at least eliminate the misses caused by improper setup.

 

[Fryt]

For me the biggest thing is to concentrate on my alignment with my feet. I've had a problem lately where I've got my club face square to the target but my feet are pointing right of it. It's giving me some pretty big draw/hooks. It's taken some work to get it all squared away because when I'm lined up correctly it feels like I'm standing wide open. But when I do manage to get it lined up properly the ball has just the sweetest looking baby draw to it.

That and tempo. If I try and get to quick with the take back it always ends up bad!

 

[Lynchburg14]

For me I keep telling my self pace and do what feels like 3/4 swing. It has been working great and I am killing the ball for me. It keeps me from trying to swing hard and I have cut down on my fade and have been hitting the ball a lot straighter.

 

[DH27]

My driver works beat when I do not think and swing smooth.

 

[ryebread]

Could you expand on this? Are you talking about the wrist hinge? Wouldn't that cause casting or is it just a swing thought to get your to release the club?

Thanks for the helpful tips.

Tbonafide: Let me start by saying that I'm a complete hack, not an instructor. What works for me may be absolutely wrong for someone else. I just want to be up front about that because I know I'm far from an expert.

I've played golf two times in my life with a 10 year gap in between. The first time, I had a pretty fast swing. I was young, in great shape and flexible. I was terrible at golf though despite multiple sets of instruction. When I made good contact, the ball went a long ways but I typically didn't and sliced a lot. It resulted in Army golf (right, aim way left to compensate and then miraculously hitting one straight, etc.). When I returned to the game, I decided to take an entirely different approach. I was essentially starting fresh and decided to just hit the ball really easy. My results have been much better.

That particular piece about unwinding the wrists was based on some guidance that I read from an instructor about eliminating the slice and hitting the ball further. His thought was while lag is great and that the pros strive for more lag, that most amateurs don't have the hand eye coordination to pull it off. For the hacks like me, they can't actually start unwinding the wrists early enough in the swing.

As a result, it's a mental and physical thing. I try to take the club back slowly (admittedly, I'm still too quick sometimes), but then immediately start unwinding the wrists as I unwind the body. The timing seems to come together and I can hit it fairly straight.

 

[tequila4kapp]

Tempo and turn. Better things happen pretty consistently if go slow on the takeaway and transition and get my left shoulder behind the ball.

 

[TripleBogieTim]

Swinging at a pace that feels like 80%. I got in a lot of trouble trying to swing for the fences on every driver swing. I end up making better contact when I swing more in control.

THIS^^^^^^

Tempo and control are the keys to consitant driving success

 

[JonD]

Thanks for all the good feedback in here guys. Tried to slow things down and keep a good tempo today. Was rewarded with a much better driving day. Only lost one nasty slice. Still trying to find the right tradeoff between tempo and speed but I feel I'm getting much closer.

 

[Golfever]

Hand position, next time at the range
Try moving your left hand so you can see 4 knuckles. You will pull hook garanteed.
Next swing move your left hand so you can only see 1 knuckle, you will slice very bad.
Then make small adjustments until you start hitting straight. What I ended up with was,
2 1/2 knuckles on my Driver and 3 Wood and 1 1/2 knuckles on my irons. I'm sure over
time I will have to adjust but right now it is really working for me.

 

[BJV15]

I concentrate on a saying I have to keep my tempo and just my left hand. Before I was 50% the ball in the fairway and 50% the ball needing a flight attendant and flight plan. Much better now.

 

[wadesworld]

You two may be right. Honest truth is I've been all over the damn place in the last month or so. High push/slice to low pull/hooks, you name it. Had little idea where the ball was gonna go off the tee. All I know is that after he watched me hit a few balls and made the suggestion things started straightening out for me. Still a work in progress though!

Stop focusing on your mechanics. Pick your target and swing the club to your target. Mechanics are for the range.