Totally different swing for the driver? Do you do this?

Wiskey

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Good morning!

I had a lesson yesterday and my instructor (who is very qualified) keeps telling me that the driver is a totally different swing. With every other club, you rotate your shoulders, hit down on the ball, and shift your weight forward.

BUT! He says that with the driver you have your weight totally on your back foot, keep your shoulders back, swing the club flat with the ground going back, then swing along the ground and up into the ball finishing with the hands high and your weight still 100% on the back foot. I'm sure he's exaggerating some for the point of demonstration, but I'm just not getting it.

The point is to keep spin off the ball so you get more roll. That makes sense, but I just can't swing like he's describing. He says that all the tour players do it, but I watch them and they shift their weight and follow through. I don't see them doing anything like this.

The worst part is that whenever I try to do this it totally messes me up in every other club. The weight shift and timing of it is so critical for irons that when I try to grove a swing where I stay back it bleeds into every other part of my game and causes me to start hitting behind the ball especially on long irons.

So,.. My question.
Do you use a totally different swing for your driver? If so, how would you describe the difference? Does one swing interfere with the other?

Thank you,
Whiskey
 
I wouldn't say mine is "totally" different, but it is definitely a different swing, in many of the ways your instructor explained. I certainly don't have 100% of my weight on my back foot.
 
I think @tadashi70 can help you with this but I'll be honest, I try and keep my driver swing just about the same as my iron swings. I know many swing up on the ball with their driver swing. I do not.
 
I really don't limit my backswing with driver. Once I'm loose and making good contact, it's let 'er rip. I'm looking for accuracy with irons & wedges so there's at least some attempt for control. Also with the driver I'm looking for a wide turn, irons are more compact, again to limit the backswing. I'd say fairways & hybrids are somewhere in between depending on if it's a 2nd shot on a par 5 or an approach to the green.
 
I have 14 clubs in the bag and yeah, most clubs are their own swing. Driver is supposed to be hit up on, everything else is supposed to be struck on way down according to the majority of instruction.

With that said, the majority of people actually hit down on the ball with their driver (one of the reasons hackers like me get less yardage than our swing speed would indicate I should) and do just fine, most of us are not trying to be scratch golfers and are okay with the lessened yardage to not jack op the other swings.
 
Good morning!

I had a lesson yesterday and my instructor (who is very qualified) keeps telling me that the driver is a totally different swing. With every other club, you rotate your shoulders, hit down on the ball, and shift your weight forward.

BUT! He says that with the driver you have your weight totally on your back foot, keep your shoulders back, swing the club flat with the ground going back, then swing along the ground and up into the ball finishing with the hands high and your weight still 100% on the back foot. I'm sure he's exaggerating some for the point of demonstration, but I'm just not getting it.

The point is to keep spin off the ball so you get more roll. That makes sense, but I just can't swing like he's describing. He says that all the tour players do it, but I watch them and they shift their weight and follow through. I don't see them doing anything like this.

The worst part is that whenever I try to do this it totally messes me up in every other club. The weight shift and timing of it is so critical for irons that when I try to grove a swing where I stay back it bleeds into every other part of my game and causes me to start hitting behind the ball especially on long irons.

So,.. My question.
Do you use a totally different swing for your driver? If so, how would you describe the difference? Does one swing interfere with the other?

Thank you,
Whiskey

Find a different instructor.
The shaft length and lie angle of the various clubs, from wedge thru driver, will naturally create their own address posture (s) and swing shapes/planes, but these differences are nothing a player should ever "think about". There is a You Tube video featuring Jack Nicklaus demonstrating how is swing the same from wedge thru driver.
 
yeah there are some differences, but those are some horrible swing thoughts IMO
 
I try to keep the general idea the same but it slightly different. I hit down with driver ever so slightly but seem to do just fine with it. I’d rather it be off than my irons.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I am not an expert, by a stretch, but yes, my Driver swing is different than my iron swing, which is different from my wedge swing.
 
Different setup, but I'm trying to do the same things mechanically.
 
Did this instructor also tell you about the 7-4-7 swing thought approach? Is his name, Club Pro Guy?
 
I think @tadashi70 can help you with this but I'll be honest, I try and keep my driver swing just about the same as my iron swings. I know many swing up on the ball with their driver swing. I do not.

Have you ever analyzed your numbers, SS, AoA, etc, Nate?
 
I think due to the physical differences between a driver and an iron and relative ball position, the driver swing will be inherently different. With your ball off your left foot, you will tilt more and be more behind the ball. The length of the driver will make you more upright in posture.

In regards to the weight suggestion. I am seriously questioning this guy. If he is telling you this as a mental key to have you have a little more weight behind the ball going back and trying to keep you from getting stuck or something, maybe I can see that? But, if you have 100% of your weight on your back foot in your follow through, how on earth are your hips supposed to rotate? That is some suspect advice. I hope he is exaggerating the feel to specifically help your situation.
 
Weight 100% on your back foot? Yikes! I don't see how you could possibly swing like that.
 
Have you ever analyzed your numbers, SS, AoA, etc, Nate?

Danny Le did at the THP/UST event awhile back when fitting me into the shaft's that I received. Only thing I remember was my smash factor being like 1.50 with my 3 wood swing and Danny saying it doesn't get any better than that. LOL.
 
Danny Le did at the shaft up event awhile back when fitting me into the shaft's that I received. Only thing I remember was my smash factor being like 1.50 with my 3 wood swing and Danny saying it doesn't get any better than that. LOL.

Why would you know - you're just a pure ball-striking natural :)
 
Why would you know - you're just a pure ball-striking natural :)

Ha-Ha, don't know about that but you're right in a sense that I don't get wrapped into my numbers until someone see's something that needs fix'n. It's like going into the Dr. office for a check up. "Everything look good Doc? Ok, see ya next year!"
 
Good morning!

I had a lesson yesterday and my instructor (who is very qualified) keeps telling me that the driver is a totally different swing. With every other club, you rotate your shoulders, hit down on the ball, and shift your weight forward.

BUT! He says that with the driver you have your weight totally on your back foot, keep your shoulders back, swing the club flat with the ground going back, then swing along the ground and up into the ball finishing with the hands high and your weight still 100% on the back foot. I'm sure he's exaggerating some for the point of demonstration, but I'm just not getting it.

The point is to keep spin off the ball so you get more roll. That makes sense, but I just can't swing like he's describing. He says that all the tour players do it, but I watch them and they shift their weight and follow through. I don't see them doing anything like this.

The worst part is that whenever I try to do this it totally messes me up in every other club. The weight shift and timing of it is so critical for irons that when I try to grove a swing where I stay back it bleeds into every other part of my game and causes me to start hitting behind the ball especially on long irons.

So,.. My question.
Do you use a totally different swing for your driver? If so, how would you describe the difference? Does one swing interfere with the other?

Thank you,
Whiskey

There are numerous threads in here where I’ve stated you swing each club in the bag the same. The only thing that changes is the length of the club, the ball position, the length of swing and impact position.

The arms hang from the shoulders, knees flexed and waist bent to match the knees. The feet should be shoulder width if not more, apart.

The sand wedge is played off the back foot. Why? Shortest club and you hit down on it. The arms and shoulders turn to get this club to the top. The 5i is played in the middle of the stance. Why? The length of the club dictates the position. The arms and should turn away the same as the SW but impact is more level, hence middle of the stance. The driver is played off the front toe. Why? The length of club and it’s also where the swing you used for the DW and 5i starts to hit up hill. The arc has already bottomed out and the club is moving upward.

Each swing was made with the same motion with the arms and shoulders. The length of the club changed as well as the ball position. Each club has its optimum strike point with a standard setup. So, based on that, you swing each club in the bag the same.

For the records, the best player of my generation, TW, hit every club in his bag with same action. From the putter to the driver. He can vary it to produce a vast variety of shots but for a stock move he swings them all the same. Most tour pros do and they don’t swing off their back foot. At impact, most have transferred 70-90% to the lead leg. This is why they hit it so dang far.
 
Have you ever analyzed your numbers, SS, AoA, etc, Nate?

Nate’s readings start out like this 127, 4.3 and then - - - for the distance. The machine can’t believe the numbers so it stops working.
 
Is that good? :D

It’s good for 50 past me, every time we play. Or it was because I found another gear and I am killing it.
 
Personally I don’t care if I have a “pretty” swing or a “textbook” swing or a swing that looks the same for every club. I have found what works for me and that is consciously focusing on a “flatter” backswing with the driver, fairway woods and hybrids while my iron swing would be described as more up and then down hitting into the back of the ball.

Basically you can say I’m a sweeper with those longer clubs and more of a “digger” taking a divot with all the irons.

As for weight there is definitely a shift to the inside of the right foot with every club and a push off with the weight shifting to the left though with driver I am hitting more “into” the left leg than shifting weight to the left heel.

I am no instructor and in fact have only a handful of lessons in 60+ years of playing and never taken more than one lesson from any given instructor so take my comments with a grain of salt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have never heard someone say they spin the ball less with driver so you get more roll. To answer the question yeah my driver swing is different but it is to launch higher with less spin so I get more carry distance.

I think all the weight on the back foot is a really weird swing thought.
 
I strive for zero swing thoughts. You think, you stink.

and how about stinking without thinking? Eventually you have to start thinking what your doing wrong if you keep making poorer swings. If you don't you can continue to stink without thinking.
 
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