Drivers are depressing

[Yenz]

After playing for a year I can feel all aspects of my game improving except the big stick. I had lessons and loads of practice, sometimes it's alright (never great), sometimes I'm shooting boomerangs.
When I tee off its just basically a lottery and it's killing my game. Zero confidence when I address the ball. I hit my 5 wood fairly OK and I'm just thinking of grabbing a 3 wood. I may not even lose distance and I'll hopefully gain much more accuracy given that my driving is dismal.
What do you guys think?

 

[khaos288]

After playing for a year I can feel all aspects of my game improving except the big stick. I had lessons and loads of practice, sometimes it's alright (never great), sometimes I'm shooting boomerangs.
When I tee off its just basically a lottery and it's killing my game. Zero confidence when I address the ball. I hit my 5 wood fairly OK and I'm just thinking of grabbing a 3 wood. I may not even lose distance and I'll hopefully gain much more accuracy given that my driving is dismal.
What do you guys think?

The game is 100% about consistency. If you can hit a 3w straight off the tee, throw your driver away.

 

[mpeterson]

I know a lot of instructors will have you work w/ shorter clubs first if you go to them, but ask to do a lesson w/ driver with an instructor. We focused on driver for one of my lessons, and it helped more than anything I've ever done working w/ a pro. Going from zero confidence to at least playable is huge.

 

[Shakey]

Before giving up on it. Try a shorter shaft. That usually helps people straighten out their drivers.

 

[Yenz]

I know a lot of instructors will have you work w/ shorter clubs first if you go to them, but ask to do a lesson w/ driver with an instructor. We focused on driver for one of my lessons, and it helped more than anything I've ever done working w/ a pro. Going from zero confidence to at least playable is huge.

I had a lesson with a pro focusing just on driver. After the lesson I can hit it fairly straight but the slice always comes back. It annoys the hell out of me. I feel that I have been practicing what was taught hence my inability to eradicate this problem and at least make my driver playable is soooooooo frustrating.
Golf is just a wonderful torture that I just love.

 

[lightningbolt44]

Driver is the most frustrating spot in the bag for many. Important thing is to keep your confidence. If you talk yourself into a slice before you swing you are going to slice it. The mind is a powerful thing. While proper mechanics are needed you also need to get the mind right.

As far as the mechanics go I suggest taking a video of your swing and posting it in the swing tips section. Freddie will help get you on the right path

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[mpeterson]

I had a lesson with a pro focusing just on driver. After the lesson I can hit it fairly straight but the slice always comes back. It annoys the hell out of me. I feel that I have been practicing what was taught hence my inability to eradicate this problem and at least make my driver playable is soooooooo frustrating.
Golf is just a wonderful torture that I just love.

The biggest thing is to just keep practicing what he had you working on. You'll get there!

 

[emart2173]

Confidence is huge for me with the driver. When it's there I'm good off the tee and when it's not I'm spraying and praying. I try to relax more on the tee to help take that pressure off and swing easy

 

[McRock]

A 3 wood in the fairway, even at 20-25 yards less, is far more valuable than a driver in the trees.

~Rock

 

[Golds]

If you didn't get fitted for the driver, I would strongly recommend a fitting. If you don't want to spend the money on a fitting, I would definitely look into cutting the shaft down. A lot of drivers off a retail shelf are around 46" and even 1/2" off of the length can help your contact, consistency, and even distance.

 

[DH27]

After playing for a year I can feel all aspects of my game improving except the big stick. I had lessons and loads of practice, sometimes it's alright (never great), sometimes I'm shooting boomerangs.
When I tee off its just basically a lottery and it's killing my game. Zero confidence when I address the ball. I hit my 5 wood fairly OK and I'm just thinking of grabbing a 3 wood. I may not even lose distance and I'll hopefully gain much more accuracy given that my driving is dismal.
What do you guys think?

Wow did you write this for me??? Exact same problems. Driver is killing me. The only time it works is when I stop caring. Then and only then do I hit it well.

 

[CBaker]

I used to absolutely hate using driver. To the point where I would only use it on wide open par 5's. Now I love it.

Best thing I did was stop trying to kill the ball. I went from 112+ swing speed to about 105, and the results were night and day.

 

[Yenz]

If you didn't get fitted for the driver, I would strongly recommend a fitting. If you don't want to spend the money on a fitting, I would definitely look into cutting the shaft down. A lot of drivers off a retail shelf are around 46" and even 1/2" off of the length can help your contact, consistency, and even distance.

My current driver shaft is 44.5. Which adds on to the depression. I'm running out of excuses lol.

 

[OITW]

I'm an iron player, not a wood player. Build up your strengths than manage your weaknesses.

 

[Yenz]

I used to absolutely hate using driver. To the point where I would only use it on wide open par 5's. Now I love it.

Best thing I did was stop trying to kill the ball. I went from 112+ swing speed to about 105, and the results were night and day.

I do agree with you that the drives are usually better when I slow down my swing. But it feels very deliberately slow to the point that it doesn't feel natural. And I don't try to kill it because I know it's a guarantee mishit.

 

[McLovin]

a fitting might be in order

 

[RNG]

I wouldn't quit but when I reach the level of frustration that you seemed to have reached I might suggest taking a couple of weeks off and coming back with a fresh point of view. Just a thought!

 

[The_Dude]

Confidence is huge for me with the driver. When it's there I'm good off the tee and when it's not I'm spraying and praying. I try to relax more on the tee to help take that pressure off and swing easy

^^^^^This^^^^ If my driver is on I can step on the tee box and let er rip. When it's shaky I try to guide the club and it's disastrous. Biggest key for me is minimal swing thoughts and TEMPO.

 

[jshim]

After playing for a year I can feel all aspects of my game improving except the big stick. I had lessons and loads of practice, sometimes it's alright (never great), sometimes I'm shooting boomerangs.
When I tee off its just basically a lottery and it's killing my game. Zero confidence when I address the ball. I hit my 5 wood fairly OK and I'm just thinking of grabbing a 3 wood. I may not even lose distance and I'll hopefully gain much more accuracy given that my driving is dismal.
What do you guys think?

Hang in there! Things do get better (eventually) if you keep working at it.

Here are two things that I've tried that have worked for me:

1. If you are struggling with a slice or a hook, try to get the opposite ball flight so you can get the feeling of what is needed to compensate. My big miss was a slice, so my instructor had me do whatever I needed to turn the ball from right to left. For me, that meant taking ALL of the tension out of my hands (probably the biggest change for me) and swinging way in to out with the feeling of completely flipping the club over with my hands (it may be helpful to review ball flight laws as well, I found Adam Young's book The Practice Manual as a great source for this). Once you start to see the ball go right to left, you can start doing fewer extreme things to "find the middle." Put more succinctly, my instructor had me try to create the opposite miss so I could find something between my usual slice and my manufactured hook. In general, I have found trying to find what it takes to hit different kinds of shots a good learning experience for better understanding my natural swing tendencies (and I think it's more fun!). Once I figured out how to hit a big snap hook -- it was a really strange feeling for my body since I had ingrained in the opposite feeling -- I realized that hitting a straight ball would be that same feeling just not quite as extreme.

2. I also struggled with driver (still do!) but hit 3 wood reasonably well off the tee (and actually had kind of the opposite miss). What I tried was to create 3 wood setup conditions with my driver. For me, that meant not having the ball teed up as high, not having the ball as far forward, gripping down on the grip a touch, and not having as much tilt behind the ball -- for you it could be different. The idea behind this is to try to create the conditions that work for 3 wood except use your driver.

I think most of us have been in your shoes at some point in our golfing histories so hang in there! Best of luck!

 

[Yenz]

Really appreciate all the replies. The level of support in this forum is too damn high!

 

[Nate]

Drivers are the easiest club in the bag to hit. Yea, I said it! :shock:

They even give you a tee to "loft up" so you don't even have to take a divot! Not to mention they built it with the biggest hitting surface to use on every swing.

In all seriousness, you should hit up Freddie Kong : http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?29-Swing-Tips-With-Freddie-Kong

I bet he'd give you some great things to work on. Post up a video of your swing and he'll get ya on track!

p.s. I hate this avatar.

 

[Rory's Swing]

A 3 wood in the fairway, even at 20-25 yards less, is far more valuable than a driver in the trees.

~Rock

I preach this so much. Accuracy over distance for me any day.

 

[KEV]

Your statement sounds exactly like a comment that would have come out of my mouth about 3 years ago. I feel your pain man.

What I ended up doing was going almost strictly with 3 wood. The only time I would bring out the driver was if it was a completely open hole that there was zero chance of me getting in trouble. Once I got my confidence built with that I started sprinkling the driver in a little more often.

I also looked for a driver that just by looks alone, gave me confidence. That ended up being a Cobra Amp Cell in bright blue. Once I found something that I loved looking at and gave me confidence, my bad swings didn't happen as often.

I'm still not completely confident with driver and use 3 wood quite often, but I don't dread using a driver anymore.

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[MrDC]

Don't give up on driver, sure some can get a 3W out there just fine but most casual players are losing distance with a wood, and we need all we can get off the tee.


Go buy a cheap used driver and cut the shaft down to about 44.5", and tee the ball down a bit and move it back in your stance, I bet you'll find much better control and with better control and confidence comes more swing speed, and with more swing speed comes distance, it works for the Pros why not us? the average driver shaft length on tour is about 44.75" and they don't tee the ball way up and really forward in their stance, because it's too difficult to find fairways like that.

 

[kb1042]

Have u tried a mini driver?
I was like u and basically gave up on golf because I couldn't hit anything above an iron off the tee. When I got back into t last year, I really struggled but really just worked at it. Now I feel like it's a strength for me in my game.
I brought up the mini driver and for me that is an awesome club to have. Plus an aero burner mini can be had super cheap.


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