My Quest for Total Driving Improvement (and a lower cap!)

[Flavzz]

Driver has always been my weakest club in terms of consistency and I have recently come to a low point where something needs to change. I've tried all sorts of drivers over the years (looking for a quick fix) - even no driver for a while! However I really want to have more confidence off the tee and I don't want to avoid playing a driver anymore.

If I'm honest with myself I would be lucky to hit 3-4 fairways a round on average (most of those with my 4 wood) and I can't remember the last time I hit 50% of fairways in single round. My home course pretty severely punishes you for missing fairways which is killing my handicap as generally my irons and short game are much better than my current 17.6 cap would suggest. My previous low of 11 was when I was a member of a more open course (less trees) which did not punish my errant tee shots.

Therefore I am setting a short term goal over the next 3 months to vastly improve my game off the tee and particularly improve my driver. I feel that even if I could average 50% fairways off the tee I would likely shave 4-5 shots off my cap by virtue of less recovery shots per round.

My current assessment of why I am poor off the tee:
1. Swing Tendancies
I tend to get quite far inside on my backswing and then flip it at impact (not good for consistency when hitting a driver). I think I get away with it with my irons but it shows more in my driving. I do try to counteract this with a wider takeaway and smoother transition but old habits return fast.

2. Confidence
As with anything if you suck at it for a long period of time you lose confidence leading to even worse performance. This has led to quite a bit of anxiety off the tee. I feel much more settled on second shots. I need to turn this around.

I do have a coach who I will see to make some technical swing changes and to work on the mental aspects but I'm not looking to rebuild my swing from the ground up either. This post is more for me to track my journey and keep me accountable to progress. I'll keep my fairway stats for each round moving forward so I can track the progress and report back.

I wondered if anyone has been in a similar situation and turned their driving around to make it a strength of their game? If so what what worked for you?

[thecollective]

Flavzz: on the range try some 1/2 swings by shortening the backswing and slowing down the follow through.


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[Daves]

The Shark was amazingly accurate with Driver, one of the best ever. His tip/mantra "Maintain the V"

[Flavzz]

Flavzz: on the range try some 1/2 swings by shortening the backswing and slowing down the follow through. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Will do mate. I did have a hit at the range tonight and was focussing on slowing down my transition which did help a lot.

[Flavzz]

The Shark was amazingly accurate with Driver, one of the best ever. His tip/mantra "Maintain the V"

Thanks mate. As my takeaway gets quite inside I bet I don't maintain this V.

[Diamonds]

****. I could have written that. Will follow with interest.

I am off half your cap but same driver stats and lose 2-5 pills per round off the tee. The confidence of no stock driver shot is demoralizing.

[Flavzz]

****. I could have written that. Will follow with interest. I am off half your cap but same driver stats and lose 2-5 pills per round off the tee. The confidence of no stock driver shot is demoralizing.

Haha. Glad to hear I'm not alone. It's super demoralising when you don't know which way it's going.By the way my stock shot is a draw. My bad miss is a hook left or a block right.

[Diamonds]

Haha. Glad to hear I'm not alone. It's super demoralising when you don't know which way it's going.By the way my stock shot is a draw. My bad miss is a hook left or a block right.

Yep, flippy flip. Cricketers curse. Too much Mohammad Azzhuradine.

[markTHEblake]

Go and get fit. Easy.

[Flavzz]

Go and get fit. Easy.

That is on the cards but I want to get it on the right fairway first.

[wazamac]

My home course pretty severely punishes you for missing fairways which is killing my handicap as generally my irons and short game are much better than my current 17.6 cap would suggest. My previous low of 11 was when I was a member of a more open course (less trees) which did not punish my errant tee shots.

Your course has improved a lot re: trees. When I was a member there 15 years ago there were double the amount and no clearing of lower branches.

Agree, as I believe my weakness is off the tee too, although it is more distance related than blocks or pulls. Seeing small signs of improvement on the last round by shortening a bit and after looking at a photo of my swing. Now playing with some shafts.

[BobsYourUncle]

My top tip is don't follow tips from amateurs on the internet, find a professional who you like and can work with, and improve your swing that way.

Although if you don't want to do that, here's my tip (): next time you're at the range, try to hit big slices that start out left of the target. I've seen your take-away, and you do get a long way inside. Put a ball about a metre behind the ball you're hitting and try to imagine taking your clubhead away over that ball.

I made a few changes earlier this year to try to hit more draws off the tee, but I've gone back to my preferred fade, I find it's much more consistent & reliable.

[Flavzz]

My top tip is don't follow tips from amateurs on the internet, find a professional who you like and can work with, and improve your swing that way.Although if you don't want to do that, here's my tip (): next time you're at the range, try to hit big slices that start out left of the target. I've seen your take-away, and you do get a long way inside. Put a ball about a metre behind the ball you're hitting and try to imagine taking your clubhead away over that ball.I made a few changes earlier this year to try to hit more draws off the tee, but I've gone back to my preferred fade, I find it's much more consistent & reliable.

Cheers BYU. I'm well aware of the risks of taking tips from you lot 😅. It's interesting you mention trying to play a fade. One of my good mates mentioned this yesterday. I'll be working closely with my coach primarily and this post is largely to track my performance but I am interested in what has worked for people in the real world. That's a good drill you mention. Will give it a go too.

[Hatchman]

For stat tracking off the tee I prefer to focus on effective drives rather than straight out Fairways hit.
Having a full swing at your next shot from the second cut is not much different to hitting off the Fairway.
Naturally if it's buried in a thick bit of cabbage it's not effective.
This might help reduce some of the frustration that comes from not hitting the first cut much.

One big tip I can give you with swinging the big dog is make sure your leaving 1/2-1 inch of grip space from the pad of your hand to the butt of the grip. Far too many people grip it all the way to the end unconsciously trying for the big wind up arc to smash it a mile. This just results in crossing past parallel and the hands flip back instinctively to recover the lost position/shape.

[Flavzz]

For stat tracking off the tee I prefer to focus on effective drives rather than straight out Fairways hit.Having a full swing at your next shot from the second cut is not much different to hitting off the Fairway.Naturally if it's buried in a thick bit of cabbage it's not effective.This might help reduce some of the frustration that comes from not hitting the first cut much.One big tip I can give you with swinging the big dog is make sure your leaving 1/2-1 inch of grip space from the pad of your hand to the butt of the grip. Far too many people grip it all the way to the end unconsciously trying for the big wind up arc to smash it a mile. This just results in crossing past parallel and the hands flip back instinctively to recover the lost position/shape.

Good tips Hatch. Agree with your thoughts on effective drives too.

[Kelsey86]

Agree about effective drives too. Last round I hit 8/14 fairways but had 3 or 4 missed that were still in good position for a normal second shot, so more like 11 or 12 good drives.

I used to hate hitting the driver because I'd always slice it into the trees. I bought a new one which helped, but also after a bit of research figured out my grip was weak. I changed my grip to be more neutral/slightly strong, and focused on trying to keep my hands out in front more during the initial takeaway. Now I hardly slice it at all, I also have that crappy hook when I miss but mainly with long irons and no other clubs (maybe a takeaway issue?). Driver is either straight, slight draw or a push right, but I have a lot more confidence with it now than I used to.

[Flavzz]

Agree about effective drives too. Last round I hit 8/14 fairways but had 3 or 4 missed that were still in good position for a normal second shot, so more like 11 or 12 good drives. I used to hate hitting the driver because I'd always slice it into the trees. I bought a new one which helped, but also after a bit of research figured out my grip was weak. I changed my grip to be more neutral/slightly strong, and focused on trying to keep my hands out in front more during the initial takeaway. Now I hardly slice it at all, I also have that crappy hook when I miss but mainly with long irons and no other clubs (maybe a takeaway issue?). Driver is either straight, slight draw or a push right, but I have a lot more confidence with it now than I used to.

Nice mate! I'd be stoked with more than 10 effective drives per round. I have a session with coach tomorrow so will report back.

[Kelsey86]

Nice mate! I'd be stoked with more than 10 effective drives per round. I have a session with coach tomorrow so will report back.

Cheers mate. It was my best round for a while with the driver in terms of fairways, but I often miss in spots that still allow a proper second shot. Unfortunately couldn't capitalise on those drives often enough and wound up with a ton 🤣🤣

[Coopers Country]

I had 3 issues with my driver 12 months ago
Grip which is obviously all sticks , both hands were weak and I was to much in the palm of my right hand
a two way miss
and the third was my confidence was shot with it
Changed my grip which took away my two way miss and then my confidence has come back
Also for me I have to make sure I don’t get to quick in transition, I have tendency to not finish my backswing properly I get to quick

[Flavzz]

Cheers mate. It was my best round for a while with the driver in terms of fairways, but I often miss in spots that still allow a proper second shot. Unfortunately couldn't capitalise on those drives often enough and wound up with a ton ������������

As you and Hatchy both noted, it's so important to have a clear line for your second shot, even if it's from the first cut.

I had 3 issues with my driver 12 months ago
Grip which is obviously all sticks , both hands were weak and I was to much in the palm of my right hand
a two way miss
and the third was my confidence was shot with it
Changed my grip which took away my two way miss and then my confidence has come back
Also for me I have to make sure I don’t get to quick in transition, I have tendency to not finish my backswing properly I get to quick

Good to hear those changes worked for you mate, two way misses are not fun. Consistent tempo whatever that may be for the individual is always a key to playing well.

[Flavzz]

Week 1 - I caught up with my coach today for a lesson and to discuss my plan to improve my driving.

As I've been working on my takeaway I hit my first 5 drives pretty well (as you do in lessons). My tempo and takeaway were good but some analysis on the slow mo revealed a few areas for improvement. My inside takeaway is not currently an issue but I did take the club back slightly too far and would get crossed up at the top, creating a lot of work for myself to square the clubface at impact. My hips also tend to get a bit slidy through impact (another tendency I am aware of).

We worked on a few things to help this. Tried to keep the club layed off more at the top (think exaggerated feeling of Fowlers backswing as a reference). Then let the club drop and try and turn the lower body more to clear the left hip (much easier said than done). We also slightly weakened my left hand in an attempt to gain back a little club head control. I'll practice this every day for a week and report back. I did hit some good balls on the range but I will need to ingrain this if I want to see any long term gains. Turning the lower body successfully will take a lot more time I think.

[thecollective]

but I did take the club back slightly too far and would get crossed up at the top, creating a lot of work for myself to square the clubface at impact.

Hence my 1/2 swing suggestion. Hatchy alluded to it as well, too long wind up is the most probable cause of inaccuracy with the driver.

Your sway will also improve with a shorter swing plus you will get more distance

[Hatchman]

My best days with the big dog are always when I feel like I'm only taking a 3/4 swing when in actual fact it is a full or very near full swing and I can feel I wait for the back swing to finish before starting the down swing.
Quick/aggressive tempo and lack of hip turn is always my achilles to maintain through the course of a whole game. Quick transition = lack of hip turn.

[thecollective]

My best days with the big dog are always when I feel like I'm only taking a 3/4 swing when in actual fact it is a full or very near full swing and I can feel I wait for the back swing to finish before starting the down swing.
Quick/aggressive tempo and lack of hip turn is always my achilles to maintain through the course of a whole game. Quick transition = lack of hip turn.

D-type M4 $329 less 15%, perfect for you


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[Flavzz]

Hence my 1/2 swing suggestion. Hatchy alluded to it as well, too long wind up is the most probable cause of inaccuracy with the driver.

Your sway will also improve with a shorter swing plus you will get more distance

Agree mate.

My best days with the big dog are always when I feel like I'm only taking a 3/4 swing when in actual fact it is a full or very near full swing and I can feel I wait for the back swing to finish before starting the down swing.
Quick/aggressive tempo and lack of hip turn is always my achilles to maintain through the course of a whole game. Quick transition = lack of hip turn.

It's hard to resist the urge to transition quickly but it always produces a better shot when I slow it down.

D-type M4 $329 less 15%, perfect for you


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