13 out of 14 clubs, you can hit. What would you do?

[robrey85]

My friend and I are at the bar and we are having an interesting discussion and now I’m curious, what would you do?

 

There’s a couple different intensifications so lets add em all. Here’s the question; 

 

You are a single digit index golfer and can hit 13/14 clubs, except your driver. You keep slicing it.

 

To intensify it, let add: 

You are a single digit index golfer, you have an A, B and C swing for each club and you can hit them all except your driver. You keep slicing it. 
 

What’s the problem? What would you do? 

[TwistedSister]

8 minutes ago, robrey85 said:

My friend and I are at the bar and we are having an interesting discussion and now I’m curious, what would you do?

 

There’s a couple different intensifications so lets add em all. Here’s the question; 

 

You are a single digit index golfer and can hit 13/14 clubs, except your driver. You keep slicing it.

 

To intensify it, let add: 

You are a single digit index golfer, you have an A, B and C swing for each club and you can hit them all except your driver. You keep slicing it. 
 

What’s the problem? What would you do? 

Dont hit it on the course.

[jhoppmann]

3W in fairway > driver OB

[TheDominator273]

Seek professional help for the driver, work on the changes needed there but keep it in the bag while playing until it's no longer detrimental to scoring.

[jvincent]

This happened to me a few years ago.

 

At a minimum get on a launch monitor. Next step, get with a pro who has a launch monitor.

 

The key here is to make 100% certain that your path and club face are actually doing what you think they are.

[MikeW2]

This isn’t a hypothetical for me except my driver issue was a hook not a slice. Got on a launch monitor and my AoA with the driver was something stupid like +8 and my thought process was to hit it far I have to swing up. Changed thought process to swing down, AoA was down to +1+2 consistently and face contact became more consistent and ball started going where I wanted it to. The difference for some people of “feel” v “real” is huge. My feel is downward but it still produces a positive AoA and it has made a HUGE difference for me.

[NJBigFish22]

I see to options, play with 13 or drop driver and add something I hit well or extra wedge.

[jomatty]

I would do whatever I needed to do to learn how to hit the driver.  Whether that was a lot of practice or lessons, I would spend the time and/or money to get it figured out.  Despite what some people like to say, it is just too important a club to play without if your goal is to shoot low scores.

[Roejye]

Since it's driver, learn how to hit it. It's too much of a weapon when it's used correctly.

[nicoy3k]

I would try and work that slice into a big fade and at least play the driver on open holes that fit the shot 

[gents15]

I’d drop the driver and play 13 clubs on the course until I figured it out on the range or through a lesson or two. actually I’d probably replace it with a 2nd putter…mainly as a Sandbagger move. “Hey Tony, this guy plays no driver and 2 putters. He says one is a draw putter and the other is a fade putter…we should bump up the bet, bro.”  
 

[Jeff58]

Typically, it’s a common error and a relatively easy correction. 
 

Problem- Your address position is appropriate for the other 13 clubs, but not driver.

Correction - Initially address the ball with your feet together and the ball in the V of your feet. Widen your stance by moving only the rear foot back, and allow your upper body (and center of rotation) to move backwards with the rear leg.

 

The tendency is to keep your weight and center of rotation forward, such that the low point of the swing occurs at the ball, as it should with the other 13 clubs. However, when you do that with driver, you’ll push/slice every time. With driver, the low point must occur well behind the ball position. If your position here is correct, it’s really very difficult to hit a slice.

From this rearward position, players may tend to cheat forward anyway, in an attempt to keep your eye on the ball, since if you look straight down, you’re appearing to swing at dirt. Instead, sight the ball by tilting your spine slightly rearward, which moves your vision onto the ball and gives you the optimal spine angle to hit the ball with a positive angle of attack.

Edited August 21, 2022 by Jeff58

[dan360]

You're a single digit.  Stop slicing it. 

[b.mattay]

Aim left lol

[Rhythm&TempoRenzo]

Hello WRXers, this is my first time back on the site since 2018 (Health challenges and COVID-19). This subject isn't a hypothetical - I had a mental aversion to the driver for years. I could crush a 3 wood all day but when i tried to swing my driver all i did was hit a wicked slice slice. I started carrying two 3 woods for a while, then i figured out what my problem was... For me it was the size of the driver head - 460 was just haunting me. I found an old Titleist 983K (3-wood sized head), sent it off to Titleist to have it rebuilt with a modern shaft. That old club head gave me the same perspective at address as my 3 woods and i immediately began pounding drives. Im not saying that this would work for everyone, but for me the smaller head size keeps me in my comfort zone...

Edited August 21, 2022 by Rhythm&TempoRenzo

[ShortGolfer]

Drivers are often sold with shafts that are too long because the longer length typically results in higher TrackMan numbers.

A shorter driver may be a simple fix.  You may need to add lead tape to get the best swing weight.

Edited August 21, 2022 by ShortGolfer

[phizzy30]

There was a period of time where I would hook a ton of my drives and benched it favor of the 3 metal a majority of the time.  What I did was work really hard on my driver swing at the range while still playing.  Eventually the changes took effect and I became better off the tee where now I'm comfortable pulling out driver.  Nowadays, I might have one really bad duck hook pop up per round.  I'd say work on your swing until it comes around and in the meanwhile use your 3 metal more often out on the course. 

[Rbsiedsc]

Get lessons and embrace the driver. Distance off the tee is huge in SG. Master that tool and then you can play shorter irons into the green and therefore be able to get closer to the hole. 

[Chunkitgood]

First, determine whether there is anything different between your regular swing and driver swing, then stop ot.  For example, if you hit your irons with a descending blow (implicit in your saying you can hit them) and you hit the driver with an ascending blow…stop.

 

 

[vman]

Lesson and a fitting.

[northgolf]

I would realize that square with a driver is determined by the topline and not the sole like an iron.

[dhappy42]

Strengthen your grip on the driver.

[hartman29]

Lesson(s) with pro on launch monitor or a proper fitting.

 

If I’m good with 13/14 clubs, then I’m either making a really bad move somewhere with my driver, and/or I’ve got an equipment issue (shaft, Loft/Face angle adjustment, weights, etc.)

[gsrjc]

Get lessons to hit the driver than get fitted for whatever gives you more forgiveness 

[msg]

Happened to me. I fixed it. But when I did not have time to fix it and had a tournament that I cannot back out, I played my slice as ugly as it was. I accepted it since I not good at adjusting and tinkering in the middle of the game. After the weekend, I worked on it and I fixed it. 

[Sean124]

I’m long enough with my 3 wood that I’d just use it until I got the driver figured out. 
 

But my driver is a weapon. I’d do/spend whatever it took to get it figured out. 

[Krt22]

You learn to hit driver, hitting driver well is a huge differentiator, it's largely what separates really good players from everyone else. 

 

If this mythical player is real, since they hit a weak slice, they likely suffer from the "I need a positive AoA and draw the driver" myth, which make's it even worse. 

[getitdaily]

If it's just that round then I adjust my setup and takeaway based on what I know causes me to slice the driver.

 

If it's bigger then I adjust equipment...driver more upright, close the face, adjust weight to heel side.

[betarhoalphadelta]

If you're single digit, you have a functional swing. May or may not be pretty, but it's obviously repeatable enough to hit the ball well enough to be single digit--particularly if you're doing that while being scared of driver all the time. 

 

So if you can't hit your driver, it's because you're doing something seriously wrong. Per @Jeff58, there's a good chance you're setting up wrong. Another explanation could be a swing theory issue--you're trying to do something very different with driver than the other clubs, and you're actually doing what you think you're supposed to (as the AMG guys say, golfers are usually good at doing what they think they're supposed to; it's just that's usually wrong), which is why you're slicing off the planet. Another issue could be mental--you're trying to kill the ball with driver because it's a "distance" club so you're swinging out of your shoes. 

 

Whatever it is, if you're single digit you can fix it, because your swing works otherwise. Find a good pro and figure out what you're doing wrong. Driver is too important to just leave it in the bag forever, especially given that anyone who is single digit clearly has skill. 

[Jeff58]

IMO the other question, particularly for better players is Why? While the actual swing is very similar, the relationship between club, ball, and player just isn’t. Practicing too exclusively on irons can easily result in the situation we have here. It’s not so uncommon.