Driver - hitting it everywhere - persevere or leave it in the bag?

[aussieashley]

Once a week golfer. I've never been a straight hitter but lately my driver has really left me. Spraying it all over the place. I don't really have time to go to the range and work on it.
I've recently changed courses and bad drives are punished. It's putting pressure on the rest of my game and I feel like I'm on the back foot right from the get go.

Do you just keeping going with it and hope it comes good or leave it in the bag?

I've had some success with the 3 wood but even that is getting inconsistent. 5 wood or 4 iron is my next option.

[Wardy101]

Having been one to have your issue before I have persevered. I have adopted a consistent setup routine including checking that grip is same everytime and then ensure I dont feel like I am over-swinging the club. At this stage I have lost about 20m but it is much easier getting the lost metres back when you are on the fairway rather than playing out of the bush.

[PeteyD]

Buy a new one in true ozgolf fashion.

[3oneday]

If you find a solution let me know.

You need a driver in the bag, maybe just be more selective and don't pull it every time.

[Captain Nemo]

I've been in the same boat recently and was hitting it so bad I changed coaches for a fresh approach.
Has taken a while but I'm getting back to where I used to be and hitting a draw rather than a week high fade...
Get a lesson, might be something so minor in your setup.

[Yossarian]

Come sway with me. I reckon you are swaying off it rather than turning.

[aussieashley]

Buy a new one in true ozgolf fashion.

Haha, this thought has crossed my mind.

If you find a solution let me know.

You need a driver in the bag, maybe just be more selective and don't pull it every time.

I'm in two minds on some holes. A 400m par 4, where I get a shot - I can hit driver, 6 iron or 7 iron if I hit the fairway & par it a lot of the time. Miss the fairway and it's an unlikely par, probably bogey or sometimes worse.
Or I can hit 5 wood, 5 wood. Probably make some pars, save a few up and downs to make par, but will make a few bogeys hitting 5 wood into the green.

If I'm having a bad round, I feel like I need a par to get one back. But miss the fairway with the driver, and the rot continues.
So do you hit driver and go for the par, or take 5 wood and make the safe bogey?

[Daves]

Get a lesson/swing review Ash, it will something basic in your setup or action, probably a sway or similar like Yoss suggested.

You should also try playing with something other than Driver in any case, so that you have options when you need it. Some of my lowest scores have come when I have left Driver in the bag, and used 3 wood or #1 Hybrid off the tee. These days I use Driver on a maximum of 9 holes in a round. On those holes where a bad drive likely leaves me without a shot, I take a safe option and seem to make par far more often than I used to.

[LarryLong]

Can you hit the driver straighter with a 3-quarter swing? That could be an alternative to using the same wayward swing with the 3-wood (unless you have a 3 wood that you're more confident with, of course).

Mind you, the only thing more soul-destroying than missing the fairway with the driver is playing safe and missing the fairway.

[mrbluu]

I've got a 12* SLDR driver u can buy

Seriously try teeing it lower like u would a 3 wood and try to hit little cuts. Should go low and have a touch of fade and nice and straight.

[oldracer]

I've been in the same boat recently and was hitting it so bad I changed coaches for a fresh approach.
Has taken a while but I'm getting back to where I used to be and hitting a draw rather than a week high fade...
Get a lesson, might be something so minor in your setup.

+1, get a lesson from a good Driver pro, I have found some are good with some parts of the game but not all, I have been told to tee up and hit on the up, has been working, bit of stuff on the interweb that the centre point, i.e. bottom of the swing arc is the sternum so tee the ball inside the lead foot, as usual, but start your swing and therefore the bottom of the arc, 8-10 inches behind the ball, plenty of stuff on youtube along these lines

[live4golf]

Ball will be too far forward in your stance, move it back 3cm. Invoice is in the mail.

[Hatchman]

Can you hit the driver straighter with a 3-quarter swing? That could be an alternative to using the same wayward swing with the 3-wood (unless you have a 3 wood that you're more confident with, of course).

Mind you, the only thing more soul-destroying than missing the fairway with the driver is playing safe and missing the fairway.

This is so true for me. 9/10 safety tee shots end up in just as much trouble some times worse as bombing the driver for me. It does my head in big time and poisons my round.

[markTHEblake]

Choke down an inch or two and swing harder. What have you got to lose if you are already hitting it everywhere?

[driftn69]

I went out last weekend and hit 3 dead straight 280-290 meter drives for the game. Come this week I lost 4 balls in the creek from my driver in 1 hole! I still don't know what I was doing wrong or what changed from last week. After going home and thinking about it I think I was trying to over hit the ball to get the distance....

[backintheswing]

I went out last weekend and hit 3 dead straight 280-290 meter drives for the game. Come this week I lost 4 balls in the creek from my driver in 1 hole! I still don't know what I was doing wrong or what changed from last week. After going home and thinking about it I think I was trying to over hit the ball to get the distance....

290 metres? Is that all carry?

[driftn69]

290 meters? Is that all carry?

I get where your going with this No, total distance. Hopefully by summer ill be good enough to come out and have a hit with some of you all.

[backintheswing]

Not having a go. I just know that the majority of the East Coast has been very wet, so no run. I am in North Qld and we are getting about 2 metres run maximum.

Where do you play?

[driftn69]

SA - but im going to Port Douglas this weekend for a weeks holiday. Hopefully the missus lets me play at least a few rounds up there.

[Kaniss]

290m drives? Try slowing your swing down and think about your down swing more. Seems to me like your trying to hard to hit big drives and your spraying it now. Slow down a bit.

[driftn69]

Im heading back to the range tomorrow. Ive had 3 games of golf this week (AL) and havent hit one good drive in any of them! Ive tried everything and whatever I do i cant figure out what im doing wrong. It was only a few weeks ago i was 100x more consistent and getting amazing distance i ididnt think was possible.

[Lagerlover]

Sounds like you need a 9.5 913 D3 with an ADDI 6S. Might even know someone who could help you out..

[3Puttpete]

Sounds like you need a 9.5 913 D3 with an ADDI 6S. Might even know someone who could help you out..

Is this an EOI?

[Lagerlover]

I think we've had enough of the silliness with all that. Time to move on.

[990B Luva]

290m drives? Try slowing your swing down and think about your down swing more. Seems to me like your trying to hard to hit big drives and your spraying it now. Slow down a bit.

This. 100%. I went through a stage of having playing partners bet how many fairways I was going to miss by (record was 3 holes left). Last time I took my own advice, I hit 11/12 fairways.