What's wrong with my driver swing?

[RookieBlue7]

I've always hit my driver well. I'd even venture to say that it's my best club in my bag. That is until this year. I've videoed my swing, several from face on and down the line from both sides. Oh, and sorry for not wearing real golf clothes, I'm in my back yard. I only hit a ball in the last video. The rest I'm hitting a tee placed in the ground and I have driveway markers/alignment sticks down.

 

Other than really needing to cut my grass, what do you see that I'm doing wrong in it? I've been hitting drives really short for me(260ish) this season, as well as hitting a weak fade, which I've always hit a 3-5 yard draw. I've never had a swing coach, and I really don't think I'll start now, as the only one local teaches one swing, from everyone that I know that's worked with him, and it's a big cut. My cousin's swing is fubar'd from working with him recently, and he lost 50 yards with his driver from the swing changes (which he's committed to).

 

I don't want to really change my swing, to be honest, just figure out where the flaws are and fix them. Like I said, I've always hit driver well and I've always hit a baby draw, but now it's a weak 8-10 yard cut that lands like it has backspin on it, cause I get no roll. I occasionally nut one and hit my old draw, but it's rare, and I can't figure out why. I've bought 3 drivers this year and have traded for another that's on the way. I've went back to my old faithful driver, the Nike SQ Tour 460 with Blueboard, for the time being. Hopefully this VR I have on the way with a Whiteboard will be what I've been looking for. Regardless, it's not the arrow, it's the indian.

 

I noticed on a few of the swings, I tend to get happy feet with my front foot, and I also have a dipping problem with my head at times. I can't really feel it when I'm swinging, but I can see I'm doing it. What else do you see, or could this be the root cause?

 

Here's several videos:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3z-B-aHa_U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce4Duj9OA88

[RookieBlue7]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL3_nMDfNXM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAVW8ssQ1NQ

[RookieBlue7]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqnAqhakfr0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0TIxhFKWAE

[RookieBlue7]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO0dLv80DzQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4nH7d5PK78

[RookieBlue7]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uaDemQjTQg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM9oex7BrL4

[RookieBlue7]

Oh, and yes, that's a mgs shirt.

[skihippy]

From what I see you just need to flatten out your swing. And are you using the same driver as you did last year? Just asking to make sure that you are using the same flex shaft.

[JBones]

I have been going through the exact same thing this year. I think what I found is also what is going on with you. I only watched the videos in post 5 and I would almost bet anything that in the first video you would have hit the fade and in the second video you would have hit a draw. I found (with the help of video) that I had everything square at address, except for my shoulders. My misses were massive pull hooks from slamming my hands shut, but most of them were weak fades, with the occasional 10yd draw I'm accustomed to. I have been working on getting my shoulders square or even slightly closed at address and I've been hitting that 5-10yd draw I've hit forever. Based on those two videos, that is my assessment.

[RookieBlue7]

I know two things that are effecting my ability to move the club properly. 1. I gained some weight over the winter, and am just now getting it back into control. I had got to the point where I was drinking more than a 2-liter of soda a day. I'm now down to 24 oz or less a day, and want to get that to 12 oz or less a day. I picked up a nice spare tire around my waist, and it really restricted my swing. That may be part of the reason so many flaws have crept in, because the excess midsection prevented me from doing what I'd always done and compensating creating bad habits.

 

The other thing is that I just can't seem to get comfortable at address. Whatever it is, I can't get there. I've tried different address approaches, different timing sequences to get to address, etc, I just can't get comfortable.

 

From watching my swings again, I did notice one HUGE flaw. I'm not rotating my hips, instead, I'm swaying laterally. It's very pronounced after watching the videos over and over. I also dip my lead leg rather quickly (left leg), like I'm trying to create additional torque at the start of my swing. Another thing I'm doing is pre-cocking my wrists at takeaway, which is making the club laid off. The sway/left knee flexing is creating a reverse pivot and making my right hip extremely high at the top. I dip my head on the downswing about 8 inches or so. I'm kind of bunched up at impact, shruging my shoulders up instead of swinging through the ball.

 

On the positive side, I'm still really clearing my hips and getting them really open at impact like they should be, and I'm really getting to my left side well. Now if I can fix everything before that, I should be good to go. What, however, can I do to get comfortable at address, because to me, that's the foundation to a good swing, being relaxed and comfortable.

[RookieBlue7]

From what I see you just need to flatten out your swing. And are you using the same driver as you did last year? Just asking to make sure that you are using the same flex shaft.

 

 

I can't go flat, never have been able to, I get too laid off and it creates a real handsy motion at impact. The thing is, I'm hitting everything else in my bag dead nuts pure. It's frustrating, because the driver is the ONLY thing giving me fits.

 

As far as the driver, last year, I was using the 9032LS with Matrix F7M2 LTD in strong flex. I pounded it well. The new 9064LS came out and I had to have it, so I sold my old driver (knowing I still had the driver in the video that I pounded for a few years very well. It's a Nike SQ Tour 460 with an S flex Blueboard that's been tipped 1/2" and plays withing 1 CPM of the F7M2 LTD). My swingspeed has gone up 2 MPH from last year, and is right at 115, after having it checked again. I was averaging 113 with a top speed of 117 last year. This year, I'm averaging 115 with a top of 120. I've bought and sold the 9064LS twice now. First, I went back to the 8.5 loft with an 83 gram blueboard, and while I pounded it when I hit it well, I didn't hit many great with it. I also have an F11 with a 73 gram Grafalloy Epic, which is a great stick, but just not perfect, I need to tinker some more, and I think it may work better with the 83 gram Talamonti shaft I have on the way. I bought another 9064LS, but got the DFS model at 9.5 degrees, and equipped it with both a R.I.P Alpha and Miyazaki C.Kua 39. The C.Kua, while swingspeed went up, just wasn't my cup of tea, it was too light. The R.I.P, I just didn't like the feel of, it was boardy to me. Now, I've traded the 9064LS DFS with the Miyazaki for a Nike VR Tour with a Diamana Whiteboard in X-Flex. It should be here tomorrow or Thursday. I've always liked Nike product, so I'm hoping this is the one for a while. If not, I'll dump it and go searching again. I've tried twice now to buy the 9032LS back from the guy I sold it to and he still wants to get in a LM with it before making a decision. That said, my post above this one, I posted flaws I've spotted.

[JBones]

The other thing is that I just can't seem to get comfortable at address. Whatever it is, I can't get there. I've tried different address approaches, different timing sequences to get to address, etc, I just can't get comfortable.

Again, the same exact thing that I was going through. What I did was get in my normal address, keeping everything square (or what I thought was square), then turning my shoulders until they were way closed. From there I just gradually opened them until I felt comfortable. I then realized that it was my open shoulders causing me to feel uncomfortable, because I knew my clubface, feet, and hips were square, yet I felt way offline. Unlike you, I wasn't hitting everything else pure, I had gaps in what I was hitting pure. I could kill my 2H-6I and PW-60*, but I was horrible (and uncomfortable) with D, 3W, and 7I-9I(don't quite know why only these irons).

[Kanoito]

I picked up a nice spare tire around my waist, and it really restricted my swing. That may be part of the reason so many flaws have crept in, because the excess midsection prevented me from doing what I'd always done and compensating creating bad habits.

 

LOL, so that's why I can't swing properly! I guess I'll have to go on a diet as well

 

I've been having similar problems as well. Last week's round played pure draws (even won the longest drive hole) and this week pure slices, balloons, worm burners, etc...

 

It seems like when my feet are aligned, I slice... but when I pull my rear foot back by 1 inch, then it's better.

[Kanoito]

I have been working on getting my shoulders square or even slightly closed at address and I've been hitting that 5-10yd draw I've hit forever. Based on those two videos, that is my assessment.

 

JBones, when you say closing your shoulders, do you mean front shoulder slightly forward compared to the back shoulder?

 

Sorry, new to the game and this open, close, etc gets me confused xD

[JBones]

JBones, when you say closing your shoulders, do you mean front shoulder slightly forward compared to the back shoulder?

 

Sorry, new to the game and this open, close, etc gets me confused xD

The short answer to your question is yes, but here it is in a little more depth. If you hold a shaft across your chest/shoulders and they are pointed well left (for right handed players) of where your feet, hips, and clubface are aimed, that is open; if they are pointing right of everything, they are closed. Closed shoulders promotes an in to out swing path. In my case, with the open shoulders, I was either getting the club "stuck" and hitting a push fade or I was coming over the top with an open face or worse yet, I was coming over the top and snapping my hands shut and hitting a massive pull hook. When I make sure my shoulders are just ever so slightly closed, it allows me to swing naturally (which is in to out for me) and clear my body, hitting that beautiful 10yd draw.

[MmmmmmBuddy]

Well, here it goes.... I don't teach golf, but I do spend all day looking a golf swings and judging ballflight so I might have a little insight..(or I might know nothing). If I had to guess, I would say that your impact is too steep, and too much from the inside. I think that this might be what is causing the inconsistency in your shot pattern. It is tough to tell not actually being there, but that is my guess..

 

Good Luck.

[Kanoito]

Thanks JBones... I'll give it a try on the range and see if it fixes it!

 

Sorry Rookie, didn't mean to hijack your thread But since I'm having similar problems, hopefully that closed shoulder tip can fix it for both of us