Drving problems....

hey,
I have some major tee shot issues. Most of my shots are pushing to the left and going way out of control. I am told that I am probably leaving my club head open, but when I try and fix it, it starts out going straight, and then goes way left again. I have been using my 5 wood to tee off because it goes even farther left when I use my driver. I am really getting frustrated with this, and running out of answers. It is hard to find help for lefty's on the internet, so now I'm here. I just want to either learn how to control my monsterous fade or try and draw the ball.

any help or advice would be appreciated...
Thanks,
Nathan

Hello Lefty Nate.

There's just as much help available to lefties as there is to righties. The only difference is that lefties have to adapt the writing to themselves (welcome to the plight of left-handed people the world over).

So when you see instruction indicating the right hand, right foot, etc, you use your left hand and left foot.

As for your fade, here are two 'quick fixes' for your driver:

First, drop your trailing foot (left foot) when addressing the ball. Make sure your toes are no closer to the ball than the middle of your right foot.

Second, face the club so that it points right of target a handful of degrees (something between 1 and 5 will be fine). Most big headed drivers are actually meant to setup 1° closed, and most folks don't do it, then wonder why they slice.

__________________
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For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

Hi

like you i am left handed . Please take a look at my thread " my first draw ". i think this will help you in a big way.........good luck.

Is the first shot you describe straight left or is it a slice.
Straight left is coming into the ball on the proper swing path but the face is open and the ball may be too far back in your stance. If this is the case, try strenghting your grip a bit to make it easier to release the club or adjusting ball position.

The second shot you describe is an outside in path with an open club face. The only difference between a slice and the second shot is the degree in which the club goes outside in. In this case, as suggested by "teaching pro" in other threads, try to hit the inside quarter of the ball. Or if you need a visual aid, put a shoe box 1-2 inches ouside the target line. This will help you to promote a more inside to inside swing.

In either case, have someone, preferably a pro check your grip.

This is interesting for me as well. I seem to now have the opposite problem, after having fixed the exact same problem you describe above.

I was hitting pretty well for a spell with my driver and later with my fairway woods. I was very happy indeed.

The problem then was that I couldn’t hit my irons to save my life, so all these lovely tee shots were turning into these awful double bogies etc. This has been an ongoing issue for me this last year and a half. Hit the irons well, can’t hit the woods. Woods going well, irons are off.

I’ve been working on the irons again and really stating to make progress. Of course the woods are gone with me hitting them way right, as opposed to left like I was before. It was so bad last weekend that I just forgot my woods and hit my five iron off the tee instead.

I’m totally befuddled now.

Cheers!

First of all borrow your buddies driver. Then get him to hold a piece of 2 x 4 about 2 inches over a teed up golf ball and parallel with your stance. Take a rip at it and try make the club come under the wood. If you do the outside in swing which cause most slices, you'll hit the 2 x 4. If you make the proper inside out swing you will rip the ball right out from under it and hit it straight or with a draw. It will probably bust the shaft on the driver after a couple of misses, thus the reason for borrowing your buddies driver. BUT, it won't take long to correct it!!!! PS, Use something a little softer, like a piece of foam or something. This really works very well in promoting that inside out swing.

Here's what I did and there's no 2x4's involved. Take two boxes that are long and narrow(boxes sets of golf clubs come in are great). Set one on the ground then set the other on top of it with about half the top box hanging over the end of the bottom. Set up your golf ball on a tee under the end of the overhang then set up to the ball so you are parallel to the boxes. Swing at the ball, trying to get the clubhead under the top box without hitting the bottom box. This promotes an inside out swing.

Also, check out Greg Willis' right hand drill. It worked great for me. Here's the link: http://mysite.verizon.net/gregjwillis/LESSON1.htm

__________________
Golf is a game of inches. 36 inches = 1 yard
I think you put that one about 2160 inches too far right. LOL

Classic Tour Highly High Bore (Cleveland HiBore clone) 10.5 degree, Gramman TP440 stiff 3.5 torque shaft
KZG Maraging Power 9.5 degree steel shaft #1 "fairway wood"
Knight Virage woods, irons and wedges
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Cheapest double titanium balls I can find. lol

I will make it simple. Your Monstrous Fade is a slice! But its a combination of (1) the hands are ahead of the clubface at impact, and (2) the swingplane has the clubhead traveling outside/in when the ball gets contact. But consider some of the things that I have come across to get things straighten out.
1.Your backswing should be straight back wide with your shoulders and arms. NOT your hands. You know if your doing it right when the toe of the driver is facing the sky and the clubface is verticle when the grip is pointing at the target. DONT TAKE THE BACKSWING BEYOND YOUR MEANS OF FLEXABILITY. Your chest will be forced back and it will effect your swing plane.
2.Understand the importance of a smooth tempo. If you straighten your wrist too early, your clubhead will close up. Hit the ball on the downswing were your hands were during address because that is the only time that the clubhead was square to the target.
3.This is the most important thing for me. PICK A TARGET AND FOCUS ON THAT TARGET ONLY 100%!!!! CHOOSE POINT LIKE A DIVOT, A BLADE OF GRASS, OR SOMETHING EMBEDDED ON THE GROUND THAT IS ALINGED WITH THE TARGET 7 TO 20 INCHES IN FRONT OF THE BALL. When you hit the ball, your goal is to make sure that your clubhead also passes through that point in front of the ball to encourage the clubface has a straight swingplane.
Number 1 and 2 belongs in the driving range. Number 3 is also in the driving range, but exclusively in the golf course. If you think about 1 and 2 on the golf course, then your screwed! LOL!! I say that because 3 is psychological. That is the most powerful tool ON the golf course. Not talent. That is why not too many people can play for money or never transfer their talents to the golf course.
Definition fo a target: A target is NOT the middle of the fairway. The target should be the smallest point that you can find like a tree, distant bunker, or anything beyond the part of the fairway you want to attack. The higher the target the better. That would be a bit more challenging on a links course.

Recommended Reading: GOLF IS NOT A GAME OF PERFECT by Bob Rotella

Swing easy and play around with the ball position until you start hitting it where you intend to hit it. Driving is actually pretty easy once you figure it out. Go to the range! Pay close attention to how you set up each time so that you can replicate the good set up (once you figure it out) each time. Then you'll be confident on the tee, swing nice and smooth over your shoulder and pow!

Swing the clubhead toward left - center field (as if on a baseball diamond). Easy grip with the left hand and don't slide forward on the downswing. Keep your head behind the ball. Just a suggestion, but worth a try. Good Luck.

Just be sure your're square to targetline and thumb/index v's point to left ear. Smooth back/through to finish on balance. Don't manipulate/adjust club anytime throughout the swing or you'll be off plane which is the problem with all us amatures. I speak from experience. Good luck!