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Disgusted Long Hitter

mbrown1833

mbrown1833

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Aug 23, 2017
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Location
Land of The Wicker
Handicap
8
Since I was young I've always hit the ball a long ways. When I was in HS & college my driver was a pretty predictable 300. Now it's driving me crazy. I'm pushing, hitting heavy draws, and downright snap hooking. If I catch it right, it's 320 and feels so pure. But there is no baby draw anymore. Haven't had it for years. I hit maybe 2 drives per round and rely heavily on a very consistent 250 yard 4-Iron (my iron games very solid). My irons have AMT X100s and I love them. Been bouncing around in driver shafts but seem to find the same issue repeatedly. Latest driver shafts have been AD DI-6x & Diamana D+ 72X in a 917D3 8.5. My 3W is a 917 15 with an AD DI-8x and it's either a 280 yard baby draw or a 50 yard push. I'm okay with those misses right now but I'd love to find my drive again. I spend tons of time working on it but to no avail. It's embarrassing because I'm an 8 handicap. However, if the course is long where I should be excelling, I'm having a hard time breaking 90. Just purchased a AD BB-7x. Wish me luck.

-Frustrated in PA
 
Good luck
Lots of great shaft info on THP.
 
I'm not as long of a hitter as you are, but your driver issues are the same as mine: misses are either big blocks or big hooks. The club path is too far from the inside. You have to figure out why that is. For me, my backswing is too long at times and the club gets stuck behind me on the downswing. I've gotten with my path on the downswing by shortening my backswing. But that might not be your issue. However, one thing you could try on the range is to go to the other extreme: try to hit a slice with your driver, one that starts left and ends up right instead of a push-slice where it starts right and goes more right (assuming you are a righty). I'm guessing it will probably be hard for you to do that at first. Keep working on it and your path will neutralize, then go back to taking your normal swing and see what happens.
 
without sounding like a crap bag...not sure what shaft you were using when you were pounding the ball 320, but I am sure it would not be too hard to replicate, and I am sure it was not magical.

With that said, it sounds to me like you are over swinging...too worried about how far it is goes. I am not saying you should swing slow...that does not work, but you need to swing within your self...once you figure that out, you can take it to another gear.

Try going to the range and focus on a target with the driver....most don't do that they just try to hit it as far as possible.

Pick a 250 yard target and try to get the ball to land near it. Like you do when you practice your irons...you're a good iron player, so my guess is that you could benefit a lot from this with your driver.

Your brain will figure it out...you'll see.
 
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Sigh...I remember when I was young and flexible too...
 
mbrown1833 said:
Since I was young I've always hit the ball a long ways. When I was in HS & college my driver was a pretty predictable 300. Now it's driving me crazy. I'm pushing, hitting heavy draws, and downright snap hooking. If I catch it right, it's 320 and feels so pure. But there is no baby draw anymore. Haven't had it for years. I hit maybe 2 drives per round and rely heavily on a very consistent 250 yard 4-Iron (my iron games very solid). My irons have AMT X100s and I love them. Been bouncing around in driver shafts but seem to find the same issue repeatedly. Latest driver shafts have been AD DI-6x & Diamana D+ 72X in a 917D3 8.5. My 3W is a 917 15 with an AD DI-8x and it's either a 280 yard baby draw or a 50 yard push. I'm okay with those misses right now but I'd love to find my drive again. I spend tons of time working on it but to no avail. It's embarrassing because I'm an 8 handicap. However, if the course is long where I should be excelling, I'm having a hard time breaking 90. Just purchased a AD BB-7x. Wish me luck.

-Frustrated in PA
Click to expand...

Warning! Warning! Warning! Claims of a consistent 250 yard 4i will be met with pitchforks and torches! Lol! I too, ahem, am not short. I'm struggling like you for sure this year. I've always been a fade golfer and left was off the table. Something changed this year and I can't hit a fade off the tee, unless I hit it low on the club face and then it does. Center of the face though goes straight, left, or lefter. I've never hit a hook until this year and now I can do that AND even hit a snap hook. Those are scary. Worse yet I have no clue what's causing it. I've hit a few that everything felt right only to see it go 150 out and 100 left. My normal high fade is gone with driver. Nothing else has changed, my other clubs behave per usual and go straight or a high fade. Not my driver though, it must be a democrat(not political, just left).

You really should try to hit your irons a little further though. Next post, I want to see a 260 5i. Lifting weights might help. :):):):)
 
Take the pressure off and it will come back. Also, just hit the iron off the tee - not many courses you can't manage going 250 off the tee


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Have you considered being fit? Might save you $ experimenting on your own. If I could hit a 4I 250 I just may take the driver and 3w out of the bag. 250 X 2 = 500. Could get around a lot of courses pretty neatly and frustrate opponents at the same time. Just saying. Good luck.
 
Maybe take a lesson. Sometimes its good to hit the reset button and find out what is wrong from a pro.

For me golf is a fickle game and I never let my ego get in the way of a lesson/learning experience (not saying that is the case for you). A pro could potentially also help you identify if the club is actually right for you.
 
Set your driver aside and play your very consistent 250 yard 4 iron or better yet a 280 yard fairway wood off the tee. I play mostly from 6600-6900 yards and on average hit only about 4-5 drivers per round. My 3 wood is only a little longer than your 4 iron, but is plenty long enough to keep me in the short grass and my index down. It took me 20 years of playing to figure out that My scoring was consistently lower when I left my driver in the bag for most of the round.
 
Sounds to me like you are too far inside with your delivery on the down swing. With your swing speed and an inside path, that club face stays square only so long. And on your misses it's square to the right of you intended target. More than likely your upper body is out in front and this is why you're seeing a block.

If you get the club working more down the target line I think you'll find those bombs you speak of and will start scoring better
 
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