Coach Dad: Help Me Improve My Son's Driver Swing

[campilobaxter]

My son has been playing golf and taking lessons for the last several years. Recently he decided he didn't want to continue with his prior coach. For good or for bad, I have decided to take on the task of helping to tweak his swing as the high school golf season approaches. For reference, he is a Junior and has played on the HS team since a freshman. However, he hasn't improved much over the last two years and mostly shoots around 100.

A big issue of his has been his driver. He struggles to get the ball in the air with the driver. I *think* he is hitting it low on the face (I have some impact tape I will use next time we play to confirm). I am not certain that is the only or primary cause, however. So, I turn to the collective wisdom of THP to help me become Coach Dad and fix my son's swing.

Here is a recent face-on video of his driver swing, along with a still at impact. As you can see in the still, contact is very low on the face. Let me know what else you see, THP!

 

[Chef23]

Unless you are certain of what the issue is I would advise finding a new instructor he likes.

 

[-CRW-]

He definitely clipped the bottom of the face in that swing.

I think the first thing to work on is having him stay more centered over the ball. Your center should move no more than 1-2” behind the ball on the back swing and he’s moving significantly off the ball.

His head is lower at impact than where it was when he started, which is fine. It helps to show that he isn’t extending early in that swing. Early extension can cause topped shots/hitting low on the face.

An early release could cause it as well, but I don’t think that’s an issue either based on the video you posted. He starts to release a little earlier than optimal, but then hangs onto a good angle through impact.

So, based on just this single swing video, I think he just moves too far off the ball and can’t get back in time for a solid impact.

I’ve attached the numbers from the database of the tour averages measured in Gears Golf where “LAP” means left/lead arm parallel to the ground. The lower body shift is measured from the center of the pelvis.

 

[D200]

He's using a full 10 finger (baseball) grip, which is causing him to cast (release) the club just at the start of the down swing. It's more than time to find a new instructor, since his current one has not picked up on this.

 

[tequila4kapp]

A big issue of his has been his driver. He struggles to get the ball in the air with the driver. I *think* he is hitting it low on the face (I have some impact tape I will use next time we play to confirm). I am not certain that is the only or primary cause, however. So, I turn to the collective wisdom of THP to help me become Coach Dad and fix my son's swing.

IMO hitting low on the face is a symptom of other issues, not a really cause of bad driver play.

if you can find another instructor I’d do that rather than try to coach your son. No offense intended but you (nor I with my kids) likely don’t have the skill set to pull this off. I coach one of my kids in a sport I do know some things about. The parent/coach role can be hard enough on its own. Might be better to just be dad and enjoy time together on the course.

 

[campilobaxter]

He's using a full 10 finger (baseball) grip, which is causing him to cast (release) the club just at the start of the down swing. It's more than time to find a new instructor, since his current one has not picked up on this.

His previous instructor in fact taught him the ten finger grip. The instructor was just inducted into the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, so he's not an unskilled teacher. It's just time to move on.

 

[millsan1]

Find a new instructor

 

[D200]

His previous instructor in fact taught him the ten finger grip. The instructor was just inducted into the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, so he's not an unskilled teacher. It's just time to move on.

Maybe not unskilled, but if I can see a big problem from just a video and he has not addressed it, then ???????????

 

[-CRW-]

His previous instructor in fact taught him the ten finger grip. The instructor was just inducted into the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, so he's not an unskilled teacher. It's just time to move on.

Maybe not unskilled, but if I can see a big problem from just a video and he has not addressed it, then ???????????

Check the impact position. He's not casting to the point of flipping. He starts to release early and then hangs onto the angle.

 

[D200]

And by "hanging on" it becomes weak through the hitting zone = no power.

 

[campilobaxter]

He definitely clipped the bottom of the face in that swing.

I think the first thing to work on is having him stay more centered over the ball. Your center should move no more than 1-2” behind the ball on the back swing and he’s moving significantly off the ball.

His head is lower at impact than where it was when he started, which is fine. It helps to show that he isn’t extending early in that swing. Early extension can cause topped shots/hitting low on the face.

An early release could cause it as well, but I don’t think that’s an issue either based on the video you posted. He starts to release a little earlier than optimal, but then hangs onto a good angle through impact.

So, based on just this single swing video, I think he just moves too far off the ball and can’t get back in time for a solid impact.

I’ve attached the numbers from the database of the tour averages measured in Gears Golf where “LAP” means left/lead arm parallel to the ground. The lower body shift is measured from the center of the pelvis.

Those numbers are interesting. Thanks for posting them, an thanks for your thoughts.

 

[-CRW-]

And by "hanging on" it becomes weak through the hitting zone = no power.

Not necessarily. My son is 12 and does the same thing, but swings 95 with a driver and with a carry over 240. He hit a range ball here in the Houston area (no elevation) between the 260-270 markers in Drive, Chip, and Putt this year. Most grown men would love to have those numbers. So while I believe it's out of sequence, it works and better than most, and my son doesn't have directional miss issues. So there's no way we'd mess with it right now.

It may be something for the OP to work on with his son at some point, but I don't think it's the top priority based on this one video (assuming it's the common miss). Get the basics down and then work on sequencing since the majority of sequencing issues are results, not causes.

 

[D200]

Your son has great swing speed for a 12 year old and because of that aspect, I find it doubtful that he is doing the same thing as the OP's son. To generate that kind of SS, one must release through the hitting zone and not hold on. The early release (casting) that the OP's video shows, reduces the attainable SS that could be generated with a proper release.

 

[-CRW-]

Your son has great swing speed for a 12 year old and because of that aspect, I find it doubtful that he is doing the same thing as the OP's son. To generate that kind of SS, one must release through the hitting zone and not hold on. The early release (casting) that the OP's video shows, reduces the attainable SS that could be generated with a proper release.

He does. To give you a reference he’s an 8 on Mizuno’s release factor scale using their shaft optimizer and software. 1 is the latest release and 10 is the earliest. The tour average is around 5. I’m currently a 3 at 96 mph with the test iron and was swinging around 100 mph with an iron two years ago with an early release and bad flip. If anything the early release gave me another lever to increase speed, but at a loss of control.

There are just too many factors and moving parts to assume anything in the golf swing.

 

[tequila4kapp]

If his main problem is not getting the ball in the air how about something simple like teeing the ball higher?

 

[-CRW-]

If his main problem is not getting the ball in the air how about something simple like teeing the ball higher?

And if he tries this, use marked tees so he can have a consistent tee height that’s easy to repeat.

 

[campilobaxter]

If his main problem is not getting the ball in the air how about something simple like teeing the ball higher?

We have tried that in the past without success, but mainly just as an in-round adjustment. I will look at it again though.

 

[SunnyWalker]

I would fix his grip, either overlap or interlock and make it more neutral. Next, I would have him work on his pivot. Have him stay centered around his head/spine. At the top, his back should be facing the target and the club should be pointing down the line more or less towards the target. His hands should get at least head high or higher at the top which will get him swinging a little more upright than what he is now. Right now, his plane is too flat so his left shoulder needs to be lower than his right shoulder at the top.

A good instructor should be able to point all this out and give him a progression schedule of where his swing is now, to where it needs to be to be effective.

Good luck!

 

[campilobaxter]

Thanks for the feedback Sunny!

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

IMO, I think his swing looks pretty darn good. In running the video in slo-mo beyond the slo-mo, I can see his arms continue to travel up to the top after he completes his shoulder turn. Now that can work out, but at the same time I think he's becoming somewhat disconnected between arms and torso. What happens after that is his body is "too far ahead" of his arms and his weight wants to "stay back" as the club comes down. It's easy to spot the bottom of the arc being about a foot behind the ball as a result.

Just my 2 cents.