skying the driver

[bigbird27]

hey how is everyone. I have a question about my driver. When using the driver i find that i hit the ball straight up about 60 or so yards. I am just wondering what i could do to fix this. I got it teed with the top of the club head at the equator of the ball.
Thanks for the help.

[Mizunoman]

Re: skying the driver

This could be any one of a number of faults BigBird.

Make sure you arent swaying into the ball by keeping your weight back on the right hand side longer. Turn, dont sway. I dont wish to sound rude but I think you may be trying to hit the ball too hard as well, that always leads to a lack of balance.

Tee the ball lower! Surprising as it sounds this is actually a good thing. Many pros say that when they want a little extra control over a drive they knock the peg in another centimetre or so. Try it, make sure the whole ball is going to get hit.

Hit the ball on the up. Make sure when your driver makes contact it has already reached the bottom of the swing path. Catching a drive like this puts a little more topspin on the ball and is great into the wind.

Play the ball a little farther back in your stance. Having the ball too far forwards whilst promoting the last point, can, if combined with a sway into the ball lead to a sky shot.

Lastly......swing smoothly and deliberately. You may have goten into one of those horrible lack of confidence spirals that males you rush the drive because you just want it over with which in turn leads to a bad shot and even more anxiety over the next one. Take a few deep breaths before every drive swing back slowly and keep the head down until the ball is on its way.

D.

[sinuetblue]

Re: skying the driver

Do you mean the ball only goes 50 or 60 yards or does it go to a height of that and then make a decent distance? If it is the latter that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Many people would hit the driver better with a higher ball flight. It all depends how far you hit it . Most problems with the driver happen because people are trying to either do something different or try to knock the cover off the ball. Just tee the ball level with your left heel (or even more forward, especially if you are tall) and swing normally with a good weight transfer to the left at the start of the downswing. You will automatically swing up on the ball a little (in contrast to the irons where your club continues to go down after you hit the ball. Most of it has to do with where the ball is positioned in your stance. Try to maintain the height of your hips and the top of your spine through the swing. The game is complicated enough without trying to make it even more so by adopting different swings for different clubs.

[Mr_Change]

Re: skying the driver

Skys are cause by hitting down to hard on the ball. or by just teeing it up to high, the highest you should tee the ball is so half the ball is above the face of your driver. If the ball it teed up to high the club will just go under the ball and pop it up in the air. If you are swaying or chaning your spine angle you will find that you will come way to steep which will pop the ball up. You could also be doing everything right with a perfect swing but the ball could be to far back in your stance, so the club is hitting the ball on the downswing. remember the driver hits up on the ball on the up swing. fairway woods sweep the ball off the turf. so the need to be closer to your front foot.

[willber]

Re: skying the driver

Usse this drill to establish a perfect set up at address - most problems come in before you even move. I must say that this is not my drill, it is taken from the 'Swing Like A Pro' book by Mann & Griffin.

Place the drive behind the ball, and stand the correct ditance from the ball.

Put your feet as close together as you can, and have the ball positioned off your left toe.

Now turn your left foot out 1/4 turn.

Now take a step sideways with the right foot so that you have the correct distance between your two feet. a little wider than shoulder width.

Make sure your right toe is perpendicular to target line - it cant be turned out at all.

Now kick you right knee in a little, i.e. towards the target - this will open your hips about 15 degrees.

Now grpip the club with the butt in line with your inner left thigh.

Your right shoulder needs to be below the left aswell!!!!!!