[centralparker]

I'm a beginner at golf and have hacked my way round the local course a few times. I'm making reasonable progress hitting a 5-wood or 3-wood from the tee but when I select the driver it's just not happening.

Basically I can't get any height on the ball with a driver and my shot invariably fizzles out between the tee ground and the edge of the fairway. Does it take time to get to grips with the powerful club or am I probably doing something fundamentally wrong? I've asked playing partners for advice and have been to told to take a wide stance, keep my head behind the ball, tee the ball up higher, keep the left arm straight during the swing, get the body turning, weight on the back foot and push your body weight through the shot. But nothing happens. Maybe I'm just destined to be crap at golf.

Any tips? I don't care about distance, just looking to get it on to the fairway.

This post has been edited by centralparker: 16 July 2009 - 23:00

[seamus]

whats the degree of your driver?
Get a bigger loft driver.
I cant play with a 10 degree but can play with an 11.

[Andy C]

I used to have trouble like this until my auld man advised me that, when using a driver, make sure that the ball is almost level with your left foot.
Works a total treat for me.

[Fuctifano]

centralparker, on Jul 16 2009, 23:59, said:

I'm a beginner at golf and have hacked my way round the local course a few times. I'm making reasonable progress hitting a 5-wood or 3-wood from the tee but when I select the driver it's just not happening.

Basically I can't get any height on the ball with a driver and my shot invariably fizzles out between the tee ground and the edge of the fairway. Does it take time to get to grips with the powerful club or am I probably doing something fundamentally wrong. I've asked playing partners for advice and have been to told to take a wide stance, keep my head behind the ball, keep the left arm straight during the swing, get the body turning, weight on the back foot and push your body weight through the shot. But nothing happens.

Any tips? I don't care about distance, just looking to get it on to the fairway.

The best tip would be to keep hitting the 3-wood until you're hitting it consistently. The extra distance you'll get with a driver at this stage is outweighed by the difficulty of hitting it and the demeaning effect on confidence this will have on you. Probably best to practice driving on the range if at all.

My next best tip would be to not to try and murder the thing. Lots of beginners swing the club back faster than they swing it down, but you don't hit it with your backswing.

My third best tip would be to not try and think too much about the mechanics of it. Paralysis by analysis is the term given to thinking about all the things I've emboldened above

[jupe1407]

I've always lined the ball up with the inside of my left heel. Feet roughly shoulder width apart. Also try setting up your shoulder so your left shoulder is slightly higher than the right, trying to promote an "upward strike" on the ball.

As Seamus says, you might find a higher lofted driver beneficial. If you've just started and you're using a stiff shafted 9 Degree job, you'll find it hard.

Finally, get £20 and get a lesson from a pro, and work like f**k on what he tells you. Best £20 you'll ever spend.

[centralparker]

seamus, on Jul 17 2009, 00:01, said:

whats the degree of your driver?
Get a bigger loft driver.
I cant play with a 10 degree but can play with an 11.

I think it's 10 degrees. I'll try out an 11 and see how I fare with that.

[centralparker]

Fuctifano, on Jul 17 2009, 00:05, said:

My next best tip would be to not to try and murder the thing. Lots of beginners swing the club back faster than they swing it down, but you don't hit it with your backswing.

That's an interesting point. I think I do have a tendency to whip the club back in anticpation of smashing the ball.

[Andy C]

Fuctifano, on Jul 17 2009, 00:05, said:

My next best tip would be to not to try and murder the thing. Lots of beginners swing the club back faster than they swing it down, but you don't hit it with your backswing.

Good advice.
My back swing is slow as anything and even on my downwards swing I'm not trying to make the ball explode.

Get yourself to the golf day Centralparker.

[Kejan]

Fuctifano, on Jul 17 2009, 00:05, said:

The best tip would be to keep hitting the 3-wood until you're hitting it consistently. The extra distance you'll get with a driver at this stage is outweighed by the difficulty of hitting it and the demeaning effect on confidence this will have on you. Probably best to practice driving on the range if at all.

My next best tip would be to not to try and murder the thing. Lots of beginners swing the club back faster than they swing it down, but you don't hit it with your backswing.

My third best tip would be to not try and think too much about the mechanics of it. Paralysis by analysis is the term given to thinking about all the things I've emboldened above

I'd go with this as well, good tips from Fuctifano.

I started playing in 07, and only really use the Driver on the par 5s or holes that have very wide fairways.
Keep plugging away at the 3 Wood/3 Hybrid at present. The Driver is a great club, but too many people bring it out when it is not even needed.

I played a friend a few months ago and won. He is a much better Golfer than me with a handicap of around 10 and Me on 15, we played matchplay, but we were playing a course with a wide fairway and he kept using his Driver too much, on short par 4s at 330 yards and going out of bounds, trying to get on the Green or just before it for his eagle/par.


Look at Turnberry, How many holes need the Driver (Apart from the Par 5s). And, look at the scores today Miguel, Tom Watson all seemed to use Hybrids off the tee.

[PIK]

When I was learning the basics down at Ayr and Prestwick, l was always being told,

1. " keep yur heid still boy"
2. "keep it simple" ..... that's the really difficult one

Best advice is to save up and get a few lessons from a good teaching pro. Alternatively, to save some bucks, many pros give winter evening courses in schools etc. you can become part of a class and save and meet other learners at the same time.

[the jambo-rocker]

my best advice on technique would be to work mainly on the first three-quarters of your backswing. If you can nail that, then 9 times out of 10 you should be able to hit the ball very cleanly. Try sweeping the club back along the ground for the first 12 inches of your backswing. Also make sure that half way through the swing before you break your wrists, the toe of the club should be pointing to the sky. Those tips helped me out big time.

Hope this helps...

[Shengus Khan]

the jambo-rocker, on Jul 17 2009, 08:04, said:

my best advice on technique would be to work mainly on the first three-quarters of your backswing.

I think that's the way forward for a beginner. You won't have the ability to control a full swing just now so just go 3/4 back at a nice tempo and maintain the same speed on the downswing. And once you've connected with the ball make sure you follow through (stop sniggering) fully. Failure to do so will result in the shot simply dying on you and most probably result in a horrible slice.

[the jambo-rocker]

Shengus Khan, on Jul 17 2009, 08:51, said:

I think that's the way forward for a beginner. You won't have the ability to control a full swing just now so just go 3/4 back at a nice tempo and maintain the same speed on the downswing. And once you've connected with the ball make sure you follow through (stop sniggering) fully. Failure to do so will result in the shot simply dying on you and most probably result in a horrible slice.

also even if you can work on the interchange from backswing to the downswing, if you can improve that part also, you ll find that this is where a huge chunk of the power is generated and end up adding about 10 to 20 yards on your driving, not mention the feel of a much purer hit. Maybe getting a bit ahead of myself here, but just take it a step at a time if your a beginner, doin to much though can make you stall or even make it worse.

[Shengus Khan]

Oh, and I think the best advice would be, if you can't hit your driver then don't try. If you can get by with a fairway wood then you'll be fine. You won't be losing too much distance. There are professionals out there who can't hit a driver so you'll be in fine company.

This post has been edited by Shengus Khan: 17 July 2009 - 08:35

[The Phoenix]

Cut and Paste Job -

Tip 1: Make The Club Do The Work

So often, beginners are seen attempting to smash the ball to peices in the hope of increasing the distance of their drive and impressing thier mates. The clubs are designed for different distances, so let your driver do it's thing. A useful golf driving tip here is to concentrate on your swing and the centre of the ball, not the power of your swing.

Trying to hit the ball too hard will result in a slice, an air shot, or even a pulled muscle on your part. Just take your time, get the motion of your swing correct and let the club do what it was made for. Only when you have mastered your swing should you try to hit it harder.

Tip 2: Keep Your Eyes On The Game

The professional golfer's eye line is parallel to the target line. This is a critical alignment to facilitate the club’s correct path approaching impact. If the eyes point to the right of the target, the club will likely come excessively from the inside. If the eyes point to the left, the club will be excessively steep. Matching the eye line to the target line is a great way to get the club on the correct path.

Tip 3: Keep Your Elbow Attached to Your Hip

The correct sequence of motion beginning the downswing creates the proper tilt of the right side. This allows the right arm to bend, creating a powerful position while ensuring an on-plane attack. Keeping the right arm close to the hip encourages the body to drive the arms and club through impact, minimizing the role of the hands during contact.

Tip 4: Keep Your Muscles Supple and Your Grip Soft

Try keeping your hands soft throughout the swing and leaving the club at the top of your backswing for as long as possible. By soft hands, I mean keeping your muscles supple from your elbows through your fingers. Doing this helps promote a quicker, snappier release through impact.

By leaving the club at the top, here’s what I mean:

Once you get your body set at the top of your backswing, keeping your club at the top allows you to begin the downswing not with your hands, but with your larger, more powerful trunk and leg muscles. By driving the downswing with the body and then with the hands, you can achieve some serious lag that’s going to release when your clubhead meets the ball. Stick with these two swing thoughts, and you’ll find that effortless swings are the secret to more distance.

Tip 5: Short Backswing = Longer Drive

By swinging the club too far back, all you're doing is losing width and control.You can get all the power you need from little more than a three-quarter-length backswing, as long as you have a correct wrist hinge and full body turn. With this simple golf driving tip, you will get much more width into your golf swing resulting in more consistent longer drives.

Tip 6: Clear Vision

One golf driving tip is to visualize the shot you want to hit. Feel a smooth swing as you take a couple practice swings and visualize the ball flying to your target. This helps instill confidence and focuses you on execution instead of “what if I top my first tee ball?” Whatever you do don't think about topping off the tee, imagine yourself hitting the ball straight down the fairway and never think to yourself what if. Just feel confident about your shot and it will more than likely come off for you, but you must concentrate!

Tip 7: Aggressive Hip Rotation

Tigers hip rotation on the downswing is unmatched on tour. He can do this because of his extreme core rotational strength and flexibility. Even though you may not be as fit as Tiger, you can still try to rotate your hips aggressive on the downswing while trying to create lag behind you with your club. What this does is created a high level of torque in your core, which translates into a MUCH higher clubhead speed and distance.

Tip 8: Tilt Your Spine Away

Tilt Your Spine Away: Another great addition to our golf driving tips is to tilt or angle your spine away from the target. This enables you to sweep up on the ball giving it more loft and distance. The most common position for amateurs is a straight or reverse tilted spine causing you to hit down on it and losing valuable height and distance.

[mid-table]

My tuppence.

To start with, put next to no effort into hitting it - you won't lose much distance.
Once you've got that then try and slowly build up the power you put into it.
Think about making an arc with the club head. (Jim Furyk missed that lesson at golf school)
Other than that keep it simple.
If you still can't hit it then get a lesson (but most teaching pros will be keen to focus on your irons)
If you still can't hit it after that then don't try.

[ayrmad]

Slowly move your arms and back in one motion,think Faldo's old coach Leadbitter explains this very well.

[The Phoenix]

ayrmad, on Jul 17 2009, 11:05, said:

Slowly move your arms and back in one motion,think Faldo's old coach Leadbitter explains this very well.

I bloody hope he manages it better than you.

(And it's David Leadbetter)

[ayrmad]

The Phoenix, on Jul 17 2009, 11:07, said:

I bloody hope he manages it better than you.

(And it's David Leadbetter)

I can't even get my hands and brains to work in unison.

I'm surprised I was even close,I usually struggle to remember what happened yesterday,perhaps the big chair and bib are not as imminent as I sometimes think.

This post has been edited by ayrmad: 17 July 2009 - 10:15

[Shengus Khan]

mid-table, on Jul 17 2009, 10:58, said:

Think about making an arc with the club head. (Jim Furyk missed that lesson at golf school)

Believe it or not but Furyk's dad was a club pro so i've got no idea where that swing comes from.

[orlandoblue]

jupe1407, on Jul 17 2009, 00:10, said:

I've always lined the ball up with the inside of my left heel. Feet roughly shoulder width apart. Also try setting up your shoulder so your left shoulder is slightly higher than the right, trying to promote an "upward strike" on the ball.

As Seamus says, you might find a higher lofted driver beneficial. If you've just started and you're using a stiff shafted 9 Degree job, you'll find it hard.

Finally, get £20 and get a lesson from a pro, and work like f**k on what he tells you. Best £20 you'll ever spend.

Which presumably you know is exactly the opposite of what you should be doing?

You must hit down on the ball in order for it to go forward and up. Granted with a driver this is less evident, but it is never the less a downward strike that you must try to achieve.

[Cyderlichtie]

Only one tip for you.

Ignore everything above apart from the poster who said go get yourself a some lessons.

I find it amazing beginners will spend £100s on a driver and then baulk at paying a few quid to a pro...

[loyal-blue]

mid-table, on Jul 17 2009, 10:58, said:

My tuppence.

To start with, put next to no effort into hitting it - you won't lose much distance.
Once you've got that then try and slowly build up the power you put into it.
Think about making an arc with the club head. (Jim Furyk missed that lesson at golf school)
Other than that keep it simple.
If you still can't hit it then get a lesson (but most teaching pros will be keen to focus on your irons)
If you still can't hit it after that then don't try.

I struggle a bit with that and cut across the ball perhaps causing my slice.

[mid-table]

You could always buy one of these, a swing trainer to train you the arc a clubhead should go in.
It has 2 purposes, one is to help you swing, and the other is to leave it in your garden and get a nice smiley face welcome from it each morning.

[Jimmy Shaker]

1 - Slow down.
2 - Get lessons.
3 - Keep going over the autumn/winter.