The steel deal

[LowPost42]

Well,

After slicing driver after driver after driver, I've decided to make two (relatively) radical changes. The first is to move to a shorter driver. This comes after a realization that some of the best driving I've done was with a 43.5" driver with an aluminum head - bought from walmart. However, after I caved in the face (silly aluminum!), I went to a 44.75" driver - and was absolutely killing it. Now, the swing was completely unorthodox, but it sure pounded the ball out there!

Now, this season, same driver, bad swing. I thought I'd find the mojo. Nope, no mojo. I thought I'd try a heavier shaft. That seemed better. I thought I'd try a shorter shaft (but lighter weight). that seemed just as good.

The kicker came when I a) made a swing change - a pretty major (for me) one, right after winning my flight in club champ, and b) came across the first set of irons I'd built, and started using the 7 iron to practice with.

I found my practice iron to be much heavier than my playing iron - but it really helped me to fall into the slot better on my swing, making for better ball striking.

So now, my iron play is much, much better. I'm much happier with what's going on there. However, applying the same swing fundamentals with my driver is causing me to go OTT and create these huge slices - even when I feel like I've certainly fired hips first, and left my arms 'behind'!

So, here goes. Tomorrow, I'll be putting a 43.25" steel shafted driver into play. It weighs 363g - 33g heavier than my current driver. I'll report back in a day or so!

[LowPost42]

Re: The steel deal

The first round report:

With no range time (due to no nearby range), I bust this baby out on the first hole.

And proceed to sky it. I hit it straight, mind you, but skied. Encouraging, but not the surge of confidence I was hoping for.

Next time I need to use it I hit a big slice - high on the face. So, I'm quickly learning that this driver is helping me 'bottom out' my swing (and I should hope so!) but it's not solving my OTT move. Oddly enough, the better feeling my swing, the more OTT I seem to get.

Anyway, pull it again, another slice. So I go into 'anti slice' mode. Start closing the stance, strenthening the grip, moving the ball up in my stance, etc. Now I was hitting pulls (pretty standard when I start playing that game). Most of my strikes are high on the face (no more skyballs, however).

The last time I pull it, I figure 'screw it'. I setup normally, and decide to hit with a steeper swing. Sparks fly, but I hit it well, and it fades (my normal driver ball flight).

The other thing I've come to realise is that I hit my absolutely best shots when I take my arms to the top then let them go passive; let gravity drop them into the slot. Long and straight (the 5 times out of 117 that I did it - including my tee shot on the par 3 18th).

So I'm starting to wonder if my issue is with the naturally flatter swing plane of the driver, and over-active arms and hands.

In the meantime, I'm subbing out the driver for a 1 iron hybrid. I can use my fantastic irons swing for a while, I guess, until I sort this driver swing problem out.

[Started2k3]

Re: The steel deal

Since you are a club maker you probably already tried this.
Why not pull the shaft from the Walmart special and insert it into a better head if you thought it was the shaft?

Also, I have been told that steel shafts (like DGS300) actually have a "softer" frequency profile than some graphite. So I hope (and expect) you have taken this into account.

It is so hard to compare any shaft and clubhead. Are you using the same head for the comparison?

I hope this doesn't hijack your thread but:
As far as your OTT swing, from the top drop your lag elbow to your lag hip; keep the shaft inline or just above with your lag forearm then let your arms/wrists release from the forces cause by the rotation of the golf swing.

If you do the above properly you can then analyze your ball flight: If the shaft is too high above your forearm you will end up with an out-to-in path, if it is too low you will end up with a too severe in-to-out path.

Most important thing is that the lead wrist is flat!

Charles

[mhpopp]

Re: The steel deal

I have no advice, I know the feeling all too well, I feel your pain.

[LowPost42]

Re: The steel deal

Hey 2k3,

I tipped a stiff TT TX-90 4.5". In other words, I turned a shaft that plays pretty true-to-flex into a slightly soft XX.

The strangest thing is that on the best 'feeling' swings, I get an even bigger slice. The main thing I noticed when hitting great iron shots is that my shots start to go wayward when I 'activate' my hands and arms. If I simply load to the top and turn through, I hit great, effortless shots. Lazers, really. Long lazers. Star Wars anti-missile lazers. But enough about my irons. So I'm starting to think that I've gotta find a way to swing the driver without using my arms actively. In the meantime, I'm going to videotape my 'armsy' driver swing, and send it to my coach. (At the same time, I'll videotape my 'armsless' iron swing, and send it to my coach, too. I might as well dig for some praise after he tears apart my driver swing!)

mhpopp - thanks for the sympathy. This all started when I really started hitting my irons well, but still couldn't seem to get the driver going (as I've alluded to, I think it has to do with the flatter swing plane/no divot swing).

[bill reed]

Re: The steel deal

hi lowpost
try when at full swing to give the club grip a quick hard squeese with fingers of your left hand, it relaxes them so you dont overpower the grip at inpact and you let the club do the work, i only do that with the driver.
bill

[Started2k3]

Re: The steel deal

Hey 2k3,

I tipped a stiff TT TX-90 4.5". In other words, I turned a shaft that plays pretty true-to-flex into a slightly soft XX.

I figured that you would do something cool.

The strangest thing is that on the best 'feeling' swings, I get an even bigger slice. The main thing I noticed when hitting great iron shots is that my shots start to go wayward when I 'activate' my hands and arms. If I simply load to the top and turn through, I hit great, effortless shots. Lazers, really. Long lazers. Star Wars anti-missile lazers. But enough about my irons. So I'm starting to think that I've gotta find a way to swing the driver without using my arms actively. In the meantime, I'm going to videotape my 'armsy' driver swing, and send it to my coach. (At the same time, I'll videotape my 'armsless' iron swing, and send it to my coach, too. I might as well dig for some praise after he tears apart my driver swing!)

On the "best feeling" swings you may not be rotating your hands enough so that you are not square at impact. I find that I do this, and as a compensation I close the clubface alot at address. The other option may be to try adding a few grams (brass plugs) to the tip of the shaft (this will change the moment of inertia of the clubhead). This may allow you to SUBCONSCIENIOUSLY rotate your hands a little bit faster on the best feeling swings and you won't have to close the clubface at address or even worse CONSCIENIOUSLY rotate your hands through impact.