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Why you can’t hit your driver as straight as your irons

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Most golfers struggle to hit their driver as well as they hit their irons, which makes scoring very difficult — especially on courses with tight fairways. In this article, I will help golfers understand why many of them are struggling with their driver and what they can do about it.

As an example I’ll use Kevin, who recently came to me for a lesson. Like most golfers, he is much better with his irons than he is with his driver. He’s a good player (about a 12 handicap) with a ton of swing speed (about 110 mph with his driver) that would help him… if he could keep his driver in play off the tee.

Let’s examine his iron and driver swings on Trackman.

Kevin’s Iron Swing

Photo 2

Kevin’s Driver Swing

Photo 1

As we compare the two swings you will note several things of interest.

  • His angle of attack (AoA) with his 6 iron is -2.7 degrees, but gets much steeper (-7 degrees) with his driver.
  • His swing direction (-1.4 degrees) and club path (-0.7 degrees) with his 6 iron is very manageable, but with the driver it becomes almost unplayable. He has a swing direction of -12.6 degrees and a club path of -7.8 degrees.
  • The face-to-path ratio with his irons is 4.2, but 7.8 with his driver.
  • With a 6 iron, his spin rate is above average for his swing speed at roughly 8,000 rpm. With his driver, however, his spin rate is completely unmanageable. It’s more than 4,500 rpm. For his swing speed, optimal spin rates range from 1,700-3,500 rpm, depending on AoA and ball flight preference.
  • Kevin has a tendency to “stand the shaft up” through impact with both clubs, raising his vertical swing plane.
  • The carry distances between his 6 iron (162.7 yards) and his driver (211.8 yards) are only separated by 49.1 yards, yet his driver swing speed is 14.6 mph faster. At his speed, he should be able to carry his driver around 276 yards.

It’s not hard to see that the driver swing I picked was one of his “bad” swings, which I wanted to show to illustrate how things can change the instant a golfer picks up their driver. Why? It’s because the longer swing of the driver usually exacerbates most swing flaws. So let’s go back and examine in more detail why this happens with Kevin.

Why his AoA with the driver gets steeper

  • As the club gets longer, the path tends to become more exaggerated from out to in for golfers who come over the top.
  • When golfers come over the top, which is displayed on Trackman with negative club path and swing direction numbers, they also tend to swing more down. That makes their AoA more down, or more negative.
  • As the AoA becomes more down or negative with the driver, the efficiency of impact decreases in the way of a lower smash factor, an overly high spin loft and increased ball spin.

Why the path gets worse with the driver

  • As the swing gets longer, swing flaws have more “time” to get worse.
  • Kevin’s faulty pivot is causing his poor transition from the top, and as the club gets longer it allows him to move deeper into the backswing and turn his body more, which amplifies his flaws.
  • When swing speed picks up, path issues will also become more of a problem.
  • Anytime golfers “throw” from the top, added speed will cause them to spin harder and it will shift the path farther left, or more negative than with an iron.

Why the ball curves more with the driver

  • The face-to-path ratio is not much different between Kevin’s 6 iron and his driver. Kevin’s driver shot curved offline much more, however. This is because as spin loft decreases, the amount of curve administered to the ball becomes much more exaggerated.
  • All things being equal, the less loft you have the more the ball will tend to curve.
  • Drivers have lower spin lofts than irons. They create more ball speed and usually possess the lowest lofts in the bag, thus they tend to move more offline than irons.

Why the driver spin rate is “off the charts”

  • Anytime there is a severely downward AoA and a big face-to-path relationship (and a ton of club head speed), golfers have a propensity to spin the ball too much.
  • The face to path relationship on this left-to-right shot with the driver is extreme at 7.8, and whenever the face is well right of the path you will also tend to add more loft. The added loft will spin the ball more than normal.
  • Low smash factors show off-center hits, and we know that vertical gear effect (hitting the ball low on the face) can also spin it more.

Why Kevin “stands the shaft up” through impact

  • Over-the-top players also tend to raise the handle up through impact with their driver, holding the club face open. This can also cause golfers to hit the ball off the toe, invoking horizontal gear effect with the driver that helps limit a slice.
  • Irons can be “driven into the ground” with a steeper AoA and still be mostly playable… but not with the driver.
  • A steeper AoA shifts the path farther rightward, or positive, than it would be normally and helps to accelerate the closing rate of the club face reducing the face-to-path relationship.
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Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at [email protected] and he welcomes any questions you may have.

20 Comments

20 Comments

  1. Paul

    Jun 17, 2015 at 10:45 am

    Hi Tom

    Very informative and interesting article, I have the same problem a slight revurs pivot and come over the top.

    Do you have any tips, or video links to cure these faults?

    Many Thanks
    Paul

  2. Tom Stickney

    Jun 16, 2015 at 7:07 pm

    The cure is for him to fix his pivot.

  3. Stretch

    Jun 16, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    For those who want to see the cure study the phrase;

    “Kevin’s faulty pivot is causing his poor transition from the top, and as the club gets longer it allows him to move deeper into the backswing and turn his body more, which amplifies his flaws.

    Cure the faulty pivot

  4. Tom Stickney

    Jun 16, 2015 at 10:40 am

    The article was to show the reasons WHY people can’t hit their driver. Not how I fixed Kevin. Sorry for the confusion.

    • mbc

      Jun 16, 2015 at 11:08 am

      Thanks, Tom, for all of the information, definitely helpful for why this happens. Do you have plans on a follow up article on how to fix the problem?

  5. adam

    Jun 16, 2015 at 7:17 am

    Shot my first 100 in a few years. Driver went away after 9 because it was awful. Cut down to 44″ which gives me a bit more control but I kept trying to muscle the driver. Next 18 at a tougher course, shot a 76 with no driver, only a 3 wood. So instead of taking unplayables/OB’s, 3 wood off the tee, best and safest move you can play. Learn to hit it off the tee if your driver is like mine – unreliable.

  6. dapadre

    Jun 16, 2015 at 6:31 am

    As always great info Tom! Now the million dollar question: How did you or how are you working on fixing this?

    Greeting from sunny Holland/The Netherlands

  7. Birdman

    Jun 15, 2015 at 11:39 pm

    I’ve always felt that the club was too long and guess I hadn’t choked up enough. Maybe Tom is writing that conclusion we all want. Or you have to pay to find out.

  8. Birdeez

    Jun 15, 2015 at 10:25 pm

    Wish those clicking shank would voice their opinions so we could read their stupidity. Great articles guaranteed to have some jerkoff choosing shank

  9. RI_Redneck

    Jun 15, 2015 at 10:03 pm

    Perhaps this is why I was taught to use one swing fro everything and just vary the ball position. It’s almost like this guy loses his mind when he gets his driver in his hands.

    Amazing!!

    BT

  10. Slimeone

    Jun 15, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    Tiger for the pictorial! Harsh – but valid!

  11. Jim

    Jun 15, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    What adjustments will correct the problem?

  12. other paul

    Jun 15, 2015 at 7:30 pm

    An interesting article with no conclusion. The conclusion being how Kevin got better.

  13. MB

    Jun 15, 2015 at 6:03 pm

    Bingo,

    This is my problem whats the fix?

    • Charles

      Jun 17, 2015 at 12:45 pm

      Lessons!! Go find a PGA pro and take lessons, then practice as prescribed. There is no shortcut for a sound golf swing.

  14. Greg V

    Jun 15, 2015 at 4:36 pm

    So, the $1 million question: is Kevin capable of fixing his swing? Or should Kevin play a more lofted, and shorter length club (fairway wood?) off the tee?

  15. Jon

    Jun 15, 2015 at 4:29 pm

    This explains a lot of my problems. I always wondered why at 5’8″ my irons had to be adjusted to 2* upright and why I hit my hybrids and fairway woods more off the toe. The driver has been in the closet for nearly 2 years because I could hit my 4 iron farther so why waste the space in the bag. The only time the driver comes in handy for me is for punching shots under trees.

    • Andy

      Jun 16, 2015 at 10:30 pm

      Hmmm… at 5’8″, I think you would want a flatter lie , not upright

      • Jon

        Jun 17, 2015 at 9:59 am

        Andy, I had always thought the same thing, but the lie board says differently.

      • Christopher

        Jun 17, 2015 at 12:11 pm

        It depends on how Andy’s hands are at impact, some people go higher, some lower and how long his arms are. Lie boards are useful, but if you get fit for your fault and get it taught out of it by a professional, you’ll need your clubs adjusting again!

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Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

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Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

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How a towel can fix your golf swing

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This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

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Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

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