A light bulb has gone on...

I take naturally to irons- hit 'em reasonably well; always have. The semi-upright swing that a short iron requires seems absolutely natural to me.

Woods on the other hand- hate 'em! Can't hit 'em for stink most days. My wife, who is even newer to the game than I am (After a 35-year-layoff I started in Feb. and she started in April) hits woods effortlessly. She hits her driver 160-170 yards right down the middle of the fairway with the easiest, most gentle swing in the world. (Which isn't bad for a beginning woman nearly 60 years old).

She said to me tonight at the driving range, "I LOVE hitting driver. It just reminds me of when I used to play baseball and softball as a kid; just like swinging a bat!"

I'm thinking, "Like swinging a BAT?!? It's not like swinging a bat! It's like swinging a... well... a golf club!"

But I walked over to the tee and I thought, "A bat?!? Hmm!"

Suddenly I began blistering driver down the middle like I've never hit it before. And suddenly I could FEEL IT- like a BAT! A VERY horizontal swing- not at ALL upright like a shorter iron! Just like a baseball bat- only a little more "downhill".

Those are probably the wrong words to describe it, and it's probably so obvious to the rest of you that I sound like an idiot. All I know is I started walloping driver. Then I started smoking 3-woods off the deck; same sensation- baseball bat!

Can't wait to work with this more. I suddenly realized I've ALWAYS been trying to hit the woods on too upright a plane. It needs to be more horizontal. I was choking up on driver to try to make it easier to swing on a more upright plane. WHAT A DOPE!

Just thought I'd share my revelation. The other one which has been helping is I've been reading and re-reading "The Impact Zone" by Bobby Clampett. In particular his section on "trigger finger" and learning to feel the lag. Both VERY helpful concepts that are becoming easier to feel as I practice.

That's it- my two epiphanies for the day- Baseball bat and trigger/lag.

Carry on.

I had the exact same thing happen to me last night. I was reading somewhere about imagining a baseball swing. I hit my irons and hybrids very well but also struggle with driver and woods. I just got a new 3W and was hitting it ok. Last night on a par 4 I tried to simulate the feeling of swinging a bat and hit the 3W farther then I probably ever hit a driver and right down the middle of the fairway! I then proceeded to get my 2nd birdie ever. I also tried to feel lag.

Amazing what such a little thought can do...congrats Pinged!

ya with hybrids/woods/driver you will find that your swing will be a lot more like baseball. essentially the golf swing is like a baseball swing, just on a different plane. you may even see a few draws here and there now that you are possibly on a little bit flatter line if you haven't already. glad to hear you guys found some magic. its really sweet to find something simple that really works wonders in your game