Driving - Lack of consistency is causing frustration and latterly fear and tension.

[steve_bb2]

I am having a problem with my 460cc driver that is causing frustration, and moving me into an ‘analysis paralysis’ state of reasons why and resolve. Before I describe in further detail I am not posting this in expectation to receive a silver bullet response and resolve to the problem. I appreciate it could be due to a number of reasons but rather than me continue to hypothesise would appreciate some constructive views (Maybe I should go and get a lesson).

I currently play off 21 and tend to play early spring through to late summer, once a week. My handicap will move up but never down which is also a further frustration by fact that I was always an able sportsman from school days, this being rugby, soccer, cricket, racket sports (badminton, squash, tennis).

My scorecard is regularly ruined as follows. I usually start off fine, driving straight down the fairway with my driver. This continues for around 5 or 6 holes. From this point a pull shot starts to creep in off the tee. By the 12th tee I am driving good distance but straight left usually into trouble. By the 16th - 18th hole I have actually progressed past the point of a pull shot with some shots dribbling miserably yards off the tee box from the heel or hosel (very embarrasing).

I attached a golf sensor sticker to my driver a few weeks back. It showed I was hitting all shots at the heel end (obviously getting away with it at times). Next time I played I moved the clubface to address the ball towards the toe end to compensate for the ball being teed up. This worked a treat, with shots coming out of the club face centre, but only for the first 5 or 6 holes before I regressed back to the scenario described above (despite having the ball aligned towards club face toe).

Any views on above appreciated, in particular why the club face would greet the ball back from the downswing with the heel, and worst still the hosel - They do say the face is the size of a ‘piano’ so this is very frustrating!

Supplementary notes are, I do sometimes pull shots with my irons. And I had the same symptoms with my 3 wood off the tee before I swapped for my driver.

[BrianW]

Re: Driving - Lack of consistency is causing frustration and latterly fear and tensio

Hi Steve.

Try this: Tee up a ball and address it with your driver grounded behind the ball and centred along the clubface. Now just lift the club up with your arms a little so that the drivers face is positioned with the ball halfway up the clubface. Now note where the ball ligns up along the clubface, it will be towards the heel. If you ground the driver behind the ball at address you will need to align it off the toe to have it centred at impact. Alternately you can hover the driver face at the ball at setup with it centered on the face.

I would guess that your other problem with pulls is due to you swinging out-to-in with the clubface square to the swingpath at impact. Also make sure you are making a full shoulder turn in the backswing, if you are starting to just let the arms pull back across the chest then this will help towards the snap hooks.

So: Check driver alignment at address. Make sure you are swinging from the inside and make a full shoulder turn.

I hope this helps you.

[kbp]

Re: Driving - Lack of consistency is causing frustration and latterly fear and tensio

You may be getting physically or mentally tired as the round progresses and thuss losing your form.

The left pulls may be from staying on your back foot and/or not turning through the shot. Again, could be from getting a little tired or losing focus.

JMO.

[steve_bb2]

Re: Driving - Lack of consistency is causing frustration and latterly fear and tensio

Thanks for taking the time and effort to respond, much appreciated. Firstly to KBP, the point you make is interesting as a work colleague also suggested this before I placed my forum post. I do not consider that specific tiredness is the case however I do believe that the outcome could be the same, in that after 5 to 6 holes I start to inadvertently / without realising start to swing ‘lazy’ or improper. This is where I revert back to the feedback from Brian as the two responses could be intertwined. The response you provided Brian was where I had pinned my own self-diagnosis, however knowing that one bad action can create a chain of further bad actions I was keen to have and receive a fresh or different view. I have worked really hard over the last 6 months to improve and retrain my swing plane, and as stated it does work for a while. However how do I stop myself from regressing back to the ‘old tram lines’ muscle memory swing after 5 to 6 holes, as the difference from old to new obviously becomes blurred to me?

[golfshooter]

Re: Driving - Lack of consistency is causing frustration and latterly fear and tensio

Is it possible you are gaining a little more confidence subconsciously by the 5 or 6 and begin to swing a little more freely and start your swing a little more "wildly" in to out. It must be really easy to drop into that stroke as it seems to be a problem for everyone at some stage. If we are to believe the experts, it's very close to a great shot so whatever your fix don't over do it.I had heel shots turning into fades merciless for 12 months,even broke the head off an Adams speedline with a hozel shot. I have a TM R9 but the adjustment still could not remedy it. Brian told me to treat it like a 7i or 5w so I moved the ball back a little and it did the trick after all that misery and dread as I walked to the T

[golfshooter]

Re: Driving - Lack of consistency is causing frustration and latterly fear and tensio

Well you can see by the dates this has been a while coming but it felt useless posting again when I had tried every piece of advice from 3 site forums regarding heel shots.I have solved it in the most unlikely way. I decided to do everything wrong. I stood CLOSER to the ball but with an upright athletic stance. I moved the ball back to the center of my club face and stance which made it easier to get my hands in front. I didn't take long in position, just enough to check these off. When a swung the club it was easy back and accelerate down and through, a bit akin to swing a child on a swing let it reach the natural back swing before driving it firmly forward. I now more often than not middle it and have gained 30 meters avg.and can't remember when I last hit the heel. Keep trying and don't be afraid to break the rules. Oh I forgot don't drop the shoulder ,rotate around your spine ( so I did follow some rules) Hope it can work for you.