Chopping down with driver

[mariner]

I'm not a bad player, 13.5 handicap, but my driving is pathetic, I'm regularly outdriven 50 yards and more by 26 handicappers, and it's all because I seem to chop down on the ball too much, sending it way too high, almost with backspin it seems, so I get no distance coupled with no run which gives me about 180 - 200 yards.
I don't hit down so much as to take a divot, and I tee the ball up pretty high and the results are usually straight at least.
There are scratches (from range balls) on my driver face going from top to bottom and slightly across from left to right suggesting I'm hitting down on the ball a fraction from the outside, exactly the opposite of what I'm trying to do, which is hitting the ball on the upswing from the inside to impart topspin.
Is there anything I can work on to correct this?

[BrianW]

Re: Chopping down with driver

Hi Mariner.

No ball gets deliberately hit with topspin (Other than a putt), that can only happen if you top the ball and catch it high up with the bottom edge of the club. You have to generate backspin to get a ball to stay in the air.

I would suggest the scratches are made by your tees, golf balls compress onto the clubface and although they do slide and roll it is only a minute distance.

There are a few things you should consider:

Get a fitting session for your driver, you may not have the best shaft for your swing.

Experiment with ball position.

Consider your swing, is it too steep with your driver? Try putting your focus on striking the ball with a more horizontal blow, this will impart maximum ball compression. Here is a drill that may help: At the range take a ball basket and lay it on it's side just behind the ball, lift the basket handle so that it sticks out above the ball on the tee. Make some slow swings so that your clubface approaches the ball under the basket handle on a low arc (Be careful with the basket )

I hope this is of some help.

[mariner]

Re: Chopping down with driver

I played a society day today at a new course and have hardly ever driven better (or putted worse, but hey, that comes and goes)
I think this was down to the fact that I had run out of the white castle tees that I normally use for the driver and had to use the slightly lower yellow ones, coupled with the fact that we were off mats on every tee and I was conscious of having to stay level through the ball for as long as possible.
The other thing I did was to address the ball some 6 inches behind instead of the usual inch or so (something I worked out on the range to promote hitting on the upswing)
The very first one went off like a rocket with a bit of draw on it and there was a lovely big, sharp imprint of a golf ball smack over the sweet spot instead of my usual smudged one.
Drawing the ball is something I just never do, and I wondered why this set up produced that ball flight - must have something to do with having the club 6 inches behind the ball at address as this was the main change I made, but I can't work out why.
Anyway I lost on countback, but if I hadn't 3- putted 5 greens . . . . . .

[bill reed]

Re: Chopping down with driver

hi
like Brian said you cant hit down on the ball due to the loft of the club being offset and you have to hit the ball below the equator and that gives the ball back-spin. one thing you may be doing is concentrating on back the ball of the ball to much and that can make you slow down just as you get to impact. try and pick a spot 3 inches in front of the ball and think of that as your impact point. not the ball! the ball only gets in the way of the club. i think if you do that you will swing through the ball better and stop thinking of hitting down and more of swinging through.
i have found that when on the range i put a tee or a coin in front of the tee i put the ball on and that it what I'm hitting too not the ball and i find i seem to hit sweeter and swing through past the ball much better. i also think like that when in the sand too, think of a spot 2 or 3 inches in front of the ball and i always seem to scoop out the ball as i swing to the spot I'm looking at.
hope this helps a bit.
cheers
bill

[AvidGolfer]

Re: Chopping down with driver

I'm not a bad player, 13.5 handicap, but my driving is pathetic, I'm regularly outdriven 50 yards and more by 26 handicappers, and it's all because I seem to chop down on the ball too much, sending it way too high, almost with backspin it seems, so I get no distance coupled with no run which gives me about 180 - 200 yards.
I don't hit down so much as to take a divot, and I tee the ball up pretty high and the results are usually straight at least.
There are scratches (from range balls) on my driver face going from top to bottom and slightly across from left to right suggesting I'm hitting down on the ball a fraction from the outside, exactly the opposite of what I'm trying to do, which is hitting the ball on the upswing from the inside to impart topspin.
Is there anything I can work on to correct this?

Practice swinging on an uphill lie with your body tilt matching the slope. That will get you pretilted in a position that is like what you want with the driver.

You could also practice swinging on a lie where your ball would be above your feet, which would help train a shallower swing. As would making practice swings with your right foot pulled back behind your left heel.

Finally, you could put a club shaft behind your neck and across the top of your shoulders, and practice making a level shoulder rotation around your spine.