Unable to draw driver

[Grizpharm]

Background: play to a 9 handicap. Play a consistent draw with all irons but can only fade with driver. Not a slice. But a fade. The way I've gotten better over time is to know how to hit all types of shots with every club. I really like playing the fade but want to learn to hit a draw as well. Any advice?

 

Link to YouTube video since it's not letting me post here:

 

 

 

[sroest]

Make sure your clubface is closed to your club path or hit the ball more on the toe of the driver face.

 

On the video it looks like you swingpath is slightly out-to-in at impact.

[Grizpharm]

Make sure your clubface is closed to your club path or hit the ball more on the toe of the driver face.

 

On the video it looks like you swingpath is slightly out-to-in at impact.

 

It does feel sightly out to in. However, I've played around with trying to get it more in to out and it seem like there is no room for the club to move more from the inside on the downswing. Also feels like by the time the club gets to the ball since it is more forward it my stance, it's already starting to move back to the inside. Also feels like my body is so open at impact there is no way to get the club more inside.

[robrey85]

 

There ya go! Looks like you're going over the top with a path to the left to me, but I'm not an expert by any means.

[llewol007]

Play the fade.

[Santiago Golf]

Are your divots with your irons long and deep?

[robbohank]

Robrey is correct. Nothing wrong with that move it's just not conducive to a draw, particularly as you're playing the ball more "up" in your stance with the driver (relative to the irons).

 

It is about face to path so one thing you might try is to set up with a VERY closed stance so your body lines are pointing quite a bit right relative to the target line. This may allow you to still play the ball up in your stance but get the path shifted enough to the right (relative to clubface) to promote a draw. I also don't think it hurts to just move the ball back in your stance (more than you might ever do) and try and hit some low draws. I think you have to get familiar with the things that help you move it R-L and then you can dial things back. You're at the driving range so don't be afraid to experiment with some very exaggerated setups to see if you can find a way to draw it without over-hauling your motion.

[Chris Wedgie]

Get on a grass range, tee up your ball then put another longer tee a few inches infront and on about a 45degree angle to a straight path.

 

When you swing try to hit the seccond tee after contact with the ball. Stand with your right foot slightly behind square at address.

 

Exaggerating the in to out path will help you feel what the in to out path should feel like. If you are blocking a lot try to get the face closed more.

 

I would suggest you make sure you have at least 4 range sessions / 500 balls before you take it into a comp. otherwise you will probably got back to your original swing path.

 

 

[Kuuuch]

Hopefully Monte or dan will chime in but my amateur opinion is you lack width and possibly depth too at the top of your backswing. Right arm seems to bend early making swing too long.

[Grizpharm]

Hopefully Monte or dan will chime in but my amateur opinion is you lack width and possibly depth too at the top of your backswing. Right arm seems to bend early making swing too long.

 

I would love it if they gave me a quick observation as well.

[Grizpharm]

Seems like the common theme is that I am sightly out to in with regards to swing path

[Grizpharm]

Are your divots with your irons long and deep?

 

No I've always been more of a picker of the ball

[gripandrip]

Make sure your clubface is closed to your club path or hit the ball more on the toe of the driver face.

 

On the video it looks like you swingpath is slightly out-to-in at impact.

 

It does feel sightly out to in. However, I've played around with trying to get it more in to out and it seem like there is no room for the club to move more from the inside on the downswing. Also feels like by the time the club gets to the ball since it is more forward it my stance, it's already starting to move back to the inside. Also feels like my body is so open at impact there is no way to get the club more inside.

 

Not an expert, but this video might help with the feeling that you have no more room to come from the inside.

 

 

Check out Guilia's comments around 3:45

[SadTrombone]

Lucky.

[proguy]

Stay away from wanting the driver draw.. She always cheats on you with mr hook.

[Buzzkill]

Play the fade.

 

Wish I had that shot!

[YoungJedi]

As a couple others mentioned, your path at impact is left. The reason you hit a fade is that your path is left, and your face is open related to that path.

 

You need to get the club swinging more towards "right field" and have the face closed ever so slightly related to that now right path.

 

The more the face is closed, the more it will draw (generally speaking)

 

Ideal draw would be path 2 degree to right, with face of 1 degree right.

 

That -1 degree difference will promote a beautiful draw.

[Grizpharm]

As a couple others mentioned, your path at impact is left. The reason you hit a fade is that your path is left, and your face is open related to that path.

 

You need to get the club swinging more towards "right field" and have the face closed ever so slightly related to that now right path.

 

The more the face is closed, the more it will draw (generally speaking)

 

Ideal draw would be path 2 degree to right, with face of 1 degree right.

 

That -1 degree difference will promote a beautiful draw.

 

And I've tried moving it more to the right but I feel like there is no room for the club to come farther from the inside. Early extension? Might be hip movement like the other instruction video was talking about?

[Chris Wedgie]

Your move between 12-14 secs is part of the reason in my opinion. Then after that it all points left of target through impact due to the start of the down swing. I have not had this issue but I was helping a guy out with a similar issue and the old two tee thing worked pretty good. You can't swing over the top if your target after the ball is way right.

 

I can't really see if your shoulders are neutral or slightly open at address. Shutting the shoulders a little may help you to feel like you can drop it inside on the downswing.

 

 

 

[Ri_Redneck]

Robrey is correct. Nothing wrong with that move it's just not conducive to a draw, particularly as you're playing the ball more "up" in your stance with the driver (relative to the irons). It is about face to path so one thing you might try is to set up with a VERY closed stance so your body lines are pointing quite a bit right relative to the target line. This may allow you to still play the ball up in your stance but get the path shifted enough to the right (relative to clubface) to promote a draw. I also don't think it hurts to just move the ball back in your stance (more than you might ever do) and try and hit some low draws. I think you have to get familiar with the things that help you move it R-L and then you can dial things back. You're at the driving range so don't be afraid to experiment with some very exaggerated setups to see if you can find a way to draw it without over-hauling your motion.

 

If you're going to choose one post to read, Robbohank has it. You want to BE ABLE to hit a draw, not change your stock shot to a draw. I would presume that you play your irons quite a bit more back in your stance than your driver. This places the ball further back in the ellipse and the club path, at impact, is actually from the inside. Moving the ball further out front with the driver puts it at a point in the ellipse where the club has passed the low point and is beginning to come back left (out-to-in) at impact. Adjusting your body more right changes your path without changing your swing. All you have to figure out is how much right to adjust your stance and where to aim the clubface to get the result you want. Try it and you will see what I mean.

 

BT

[Grizpharm]

Robrey is correct. Nothing wrong with that move it's just not conducive to a draw, particularly as you're playing the ball more "up" in your stance with the driver (relative to the irons). It is about face to path so one thing you might try is to set up with a VERY closed stance so your body lines are pointing quite a bit right relative to the target line. This may allow you to still play the ball up in your stance but get the path shifted enough to the right (relative to clubface) to promote a draw. I also don't think it hurts to just move the ball back in your stance (more than you might ever do) and try and hit some low draws. I think you have to get familiar with the things that help you move it R-L and then you can dial things back. You're at the driving range so don't be afraid to experiment with some very exaggerated setups to see if you can find a way to draw it without over-hauling your motion.

 

If you're going to choose one post to read, Robbohank has it. You want to BE ABLE to hit a draw, not change your stock shot to a draw. I would presume that you play your irons quite a bit more back in your stance than your driver. This places the ball further back in the ellipse and the club path, at impact, is actually from the inside. Moving the ball further out front with the driver puts it at a point in the ellipse where the club has passed the low point and is beginning to come back left (out-to-in) at impact. Adjusting your body more right changes your path without changing your swing. All you have to figure out is how much right to adjust your stance and where to aim the clubface to get the result you want. Try it and you will see what I mean.

 

BT

 

I'll play around with this, thanks

[9stick]

Make sure your clubface is closed to your club path or hit the ball more on the toe of the driver face.

 

On the video it looks like you swingpath is slightly out-to-in at impact.

 

It does feel sightly out to in. However, I've played around with trying to get it more in to out and it seem like there is no room for the club to move more from the inside on the downswing. Also feels like by the time the club gets to the ball since it is more forward it my stance, it's already starting to move back to the inside. Also feels like my body is so open at impact there is no way to get the club more inside.

 

Not an expert, but this video might help with the feeling that you have no more room to come from the inside.

 

 

Check out Guilia's comments around 3:45

 

Very interesting concept. Mike is right, it's the complete opposite of what many popular theories are on GolfWRX.

 

 

[Grizpharm]

Just got back from the range. Aiming body right and club face still facing target caused a push fade or even slice so that's no good. I'm thinking it might be my swing is too long? Too hard to get the body and arms in sync then? Club face not having enough time to close slightly?

[Tiemco]

Just got back from the range. Aiming body right and club face still facing target caused a push fade or even slice so that's no good. I'm thinking it might be my swing is too long? Too hard to get the body and arms in sync then? Club face not having enough time to close slightly?

 

Here is something to try that works well for me. Set up with a slightly closed stance, face aiming at target. Now before you start your back swing open the face by rolling your wrists to the right, DO NOT change your grip. Focus now on the direction the face is pointing and swing with the thought of your path moving in that direction. I think this works for me because my pigeon brain doesn't allow my body to swing in to out when the face is not facing right due to the contradiction of visual cues. The open face shouldn't cause a fade if you do this correctly because it is artificially open, and what I mean by that is it's not open via your grip but by rotating your wrists. When you swing through with a full release the face will be in the position dictated by the grip. Your wrists should naturally roll away from the ball anyway on the backswing, this is more or less a headstart. Don't forget to keep your back to the target as long as possible and release the club at impact.

[Ri_Redneck]

Just got back from the range. Aiming body right and club face still facing target caused a push fade or even slice so that's no good. I'm thinking it might be my swing is too long? Too hard to get the body and arms in sync then? Club face not having enough time to close slightly?

 

Could be you are unconsciously swinging the cluhead at the target instead of along your bodyline. Did your swing feel different? Also, did you have a "launch at" target that was not the flag? I try to pick out a tree, pole or something else to "aim" the club at and not the flag. An example of how I line up for a draw is body aligned 10 yds right and clubface aimed slightly left of that and just swing where my body is aligned. Good luck.

 

BT

[Chris Wedgie]

You know what is happening, now it will just take a lot of practice and experimenting to get the face closed and get the right to left shape.

 

When I am going to play a course that I need to hit a driver fade I practice it at the range that week. Alternating between a fade and a draw on ever shot to try to get the mind set that I can easily do it on command. If you just hit draw or fade all the time in practice it is much harder to call it up when needed (consistently)

 

 

 

 

 

[Hondabuff]

Grip the club more in the fingers with the right hand and rotate it clockwise like two clicks. Put a line on the ball and two dots like this * | *. The line is the target line and focus hitting the inside dot. Right now your hitting the outside dot with a slight out to in swing. Its all about the ball flight laws.