Hitting down on driver

[HCC]

Im just wondering how many of you guys hit down to the ball with your driver? Recently i came across this article written by sean foley, hitting down with a driver promotes greater consistency like tiger and Hunter Mahan do. So i hit a few balls with trackman and realised that I do hit down on driver, attack angle was like -0.05%. maybe thats why im not as far as other pplayers.

Not planning to change my swing anytime soon. Just curious.

For anyone thats interested: http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2012-02/sean-foley-down-driver

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks.

[Puji]

-0.05%?

is that supposed to read 0.5*? Sorry I am not completely proficient in these stats.

Prior to some swing changes I am going through, I used to hit down 1*. I used to get the ball out there, but I was inconsistent. Hitting down on the driver made my miss an ugly hook.

Since working with my pro, I have worked on hitting up on the ball. the results are so much better. MUCH more distance, much more consistencies. And now my misses are the fairway rather than the whole hole.

[davepuppies]

personally i think its a bad thing to do with driver......... will give lower launch angle and more spin......... like 20 years ago.

I try to hit it on the up...... higher launch and less spin... allows a stiffer shaft

i hit down on my mid and short irons

[PeteyD]

I just hit the bugga.

[Jarro]

I just hit the bugga.

Same

[TheTrueReview]

Yep, I hit down on my driver on the 1st tee yesterday. It popped up in the air, travelled 30 metres & then buried into a fairway bunker. I'll try to avoid doing that in future ...even though I didn't intend doing it in the first place. :-/

[HCC]

but its strrange that Sean Foley is trying to promote hitting down with a driver. My personal opinion, I do get consistency off the tee atm.

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instr...ey-down-driver

[Dotty]

Yep, and I have perfected the straight 180m drive.

[Yossarian]

Tiger is amazingly consistent with the driver.

I consciously try and hit up on it with the driver, but I am a complete hack.

[matty]

Obviously a half-swing Dotty.

[matty]

You lose distance and increase spin. Saw a Trackman reading from one of Els drives. 2200 spin, 168 ball speed, 11 or 14 degree launch (can't remember which), 280m carry. Not too shabby.

[razaar]

What Foley means by hitting down with the driver is catching the ball just before the bottom of the swing arc on an inside path and rolling the forearms at impact. This has the effect of keeping the loft from looking up as the club head rises after impact. It ensures that the right hand is being used effectively and the left is still in control. Basically it prevents the club face from tilting skywards and losing distance to trajectory.

[razaar]

I should mention that Foley teaches a swing which has a pronating action from takeaway to past impact. The tendency with this type of action is for the left arm to work open through impact. By hitting down with all the clubs the contact is always with a closed club face (on normal shots). This traps the ball at impact and ensures it stays on the face for the longest possible time, which is what controlling the ball means.

[simmsy]

i purposely avoid any articles by Sean Foley. Did know one see Tigger with driver in the open? YUK!!!


The best thing that came out of Scott's meltdown is knowing that Tiger would be kicking himself for that stuff up in the bunker. had he taken a drop or just tried to edge it out he may have got away with bogey.

[razaar]

That's a shame, simmsy. Foley is teaching fundamentals of the golf swing, that got lost around the 1950's. By lost, I mean written instruction began moving towards what was viewed through the lense rather than focusing on what players deliberately did to cause the swing movements. Champions cashing in on their celebrity in print entailed engaging wordsmiths to write instruction books. This is most likely where instruction went pear shaped with focus on the wrong things. Every instructor puts his spin on the true fundamentals or/and teaches his swing; it's no wonder golfers have difficulty understanding what it is all about. I doubt that there is another sport where there exists such differences of opinion.

[idgolfguy]

I've always believed that hitting down is correct in order to get full extension and release. Probably the TGM coming out. The better players already do it with out thinking.

From a Physics perspective, a change in direction means deceleration. Hitting up or sweeping on the up is a change in direction before impact. Most of probably hit down to varying degrees without realising if we are playing the ball inline with the forward shoulder joint or less - closer to middle as many do.

More a perception than reality that we hit up. Only way to do that is to have the ball past the leading foot or reverse pivot or both.

[idgolfguy]

That's a shame, simmsy. Foley is teaching fundamentals of the golf swing, that got lost around the 1950's. By lost, I mean written instruction began moving towards what was viewed through the lense rather than focusing on what players deliberately did to cause the swing movements. Champions cashing in on their celebrity in print entailed engaging wordsmiths to write instruction books. This is most likely where instruction went pear shaped with focus on the wrong things. Every instructor puts his spin on the true fundamentals or/and teaches his swing; it's no wonder golfers have difficulty understanding what it is all about. I doubt that there is another sport where there exists such differences of opinion.

Golf has a lot of myths. Perception and reality are not the game's strong virtues. Think how many ways one person can score a Par. The reality of whether it was a well executed Par or a lucky one does not get recorded unlike most other sports.

[simmsy]

I hit down on the driver. I'm still a crap golfer.
I was just having a bit of fun razaar.

I don't really get caught up in all the dos and donts. Too much info out there. If things get too pear shaped I get someone to look at it if not I just tinker myself and get it back to rough enough.

[Stuartd147]

All I know is I hit down at 105mph and my mate hits up at 100mph and he is 10-15m longer than me, especially in to the wind. His spin rate is so much lower and his carry is better....nuff said!

[idgolfguy]

All I know is I hit down at 105mph and my mate hits up at 100mph and he is 10-15m longer than me, especially in to the wind. His spin rate is so much lower and his carry is better....nuff said!

A lot more to consider than hitting direction.

[PeteyD]

That's a shame, simmsy. Foley is teaching fundamentals of the golf swing, that got lost around the 1950's. By lost, I mean written instruction began moving towards what was viewed through the lense rather than focusing on what players deliberately did to cause the swing movements. Champions cashing in on their celebrity in print entailed engaging wordsmiths to write instruction books. This is most likely where instruction went pear shaped with focus on the wrong things. Every instructor puts his spin on the true fundamentals or/and teaches his swing; it's no wonder golfers have difficulty understanding what it is all about. I doubt that there is another sport where there exists such differences of opinion.

Is that the'shut faced swing' I have read about?

[PeteyD]

I've always believed that hitting down is correct in order to get full extension and release. Probably the TGM coming out. The better players already do it with out thinking.

From a Physics perspective, a change in direction means deceleration. Hitting up or sweeping on the up is a change in direction before impact. Most of probably hit down to varying degrees without realising if we are playing the ball inline with the forward shoulder joint or less - closer to middle as many do.

More a perception than reality that we hit up. Only way to do that is to have the ball past the leading foot or reverse pivot or both.

It is a rotary motion not linear so the change of direction is an acceleration ??

[idgolfguy]

It is a rotary motion not linear so the change of direction is an acceleration ??

Not much into physics, just high school level. You are correct, however because it is on a inclined plane, there is gravity.

My logic tells me that there is gravity pulling down at 90 degrees as well as the force we apply downswing. Momentum push our hands through impact but we also lift them to finish.

My perception and reasoning could be wrong. Have not Googled yet and will wait to see the responses.

No doubt, Virge and others more schooled in the golf swing will lend their weight. I'm sure this has been discussed before.

I remember reading a study that should the best players in the world hit down. The study showed that the players doing that often thought they were doing the opposite. It is conjecture until that research shows up.

[dave1]

Same

Same - tee it high then club it

[razaar]

Is that the'shut faced swing' I have read about?

There are lots of versions of 'shut faced swing', depends on the wording. Same with the one plane swing which in reality has two planes.