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If I drove, like I drive, I wouldn't be alive... if that makes any sense.

I'm about an 18 handicapper and am fairly competent with irons, short game and putting. But my driving is never consistent.

I'm constantly trying something different each time which probably explains my inconsistency. Should I try move hip movement to start the downswing? Steeper angle of attack. Let my arms drop a bit before accelerating? Wider stance? Right arm more attached to my body on backswing?

I've tried them all, once in a round of 9 I’ll hit an "alright" drive. A few weeks back I thought I had it. I was hitting drives 275yards and quite consistently, but I’ve lost it now.

What are the fundamentals of a good drive? Can anybody help?

Thanks

to get to an 18 handicap obviously you know the fundamentals. Also don't forget that what works for some may not work for others.
When I first started I was slicing the ball 8 times out of 10. Then I started to release the club and the slice had disappeared and started hooking and drawing the ball at best.
Recently I have changed me grip to inter-locking putting pressure on the last three figgers of each hand and made an effort to keep the right elbow close to the body. The hook/draw has disappeared.
For the last two rounds I am hitting 11/14 fairways. Will it last? I don't know.
Bottom line, if you tried everything and nothing works, see a pro. Like somebody said, "your pro can tell you in five minutes what it will take you six months to work out"

Get a pro for 30 minutes, he will find anything wrong with it.

sometimes ( who am i kidding ,sometimes?!) ....when my driving is off... I go back to basics,: grip alignment etc...also go back to my 2 wood. much straighter and easier to groove the swing and about same distance....

Are you

• slicing?
• Heavy fade?
• Topping the ball?
• Duck hooking?
• Hard Draw?
• Skying the ball?
• All of the above?

- Where do you place the ball in your stance?
- Do you tee it high or low?
- What size driver do you use? What shaft flex?
- Do you know your approximate swing speed?
- Are you gripping it in your fingers?
- Can you hit a 3 wood or 5 wood well?
- Do you like watching gladiator movies?
- Do you wear boxers or briefs?

(oK, forget the last two! )

So many things can affect your swing, especially with the driver where you want to hit it hard. I doubt I have all the answers, but I know with some more info, some of these other guys can give you some hints or things to try that you haven't thought of yet!

agreed, a pro "should" fix you up with a quick lesson.
save yourself the time and money and frustration of hundreds of range balls

Methinks you thinks too much...you hit your 5-iron ok?...grip up on the driver and hit it like you hit the 5 till you get it right.

Basically. you answered your question, right there.

Shade

OK, thanks for the replies. I was getting somewhere last night at the range. Made sure I did a full shoulder turn, left shoulder under my chin. And also made sure my hands were in the same position on impact than they are at address. That felt a bit weird, which must mean I'm normally doing something different with my hands on the downswing.

Are you:

slicing? Yes
Heavy fade? Yes
Topping the ball? No
Duck hooking? No
Hard Draw? No
Skying the ball? Yes
All of the above? No

- Where do you place the ball in your stance? Heel of my left foot, sometimes in line with the toe.
- Do you tee it high or low? Highish. So about a third of the ball peeps over the clubhead
- What size driver do you use? What shaft flex? 440cc King Cobra, Stiff Flex
- Do you know your approximate swing speed? No
- Are you gripping it in your fingers? Yes
- Can you hit a 3 wood or 5 wood well? 5 wood quite well, better than the 3 wood.
- Do you like watching gladiator movies? The one with Russel Crowe in is good.
- Do you wear boxers or briefs? Are you female?

OK, thanks for the info. Sounds like a similar problem I've been fighting.

Since the higher lofted clubs (3 and 5 wood) are not giving you problems, and you are fighting a slice/heavy fade, your swing is imparting too much side spin. The higher lofted clubs impart more spin along a horizontal axis, making them less likely to go to the side.

The first thing I had to correct was my take-away. I was coming too far inside, then at the top over-correcting, taking an outside-in swing coming down, cutting across the ball, imparting side-spin. Once I corrected that, I still hit a fade, but it was manageable, as long as I didn't try to kill the ball, at which point I couldn't maintain proper swing plane and the ball goes off to never be found again!

The last thing I've done has really helped straighten out the ball. My last round, where I decided to try this technique for the first time, I moved my right foot back about 4 inches. Not sure what the best way is to describe it, so I made this drawing:


This allows my hips to turn, and made a huge difference. I went to the range yesterday to see if I could still hit it straight, and was very pleased. As long as I remember to swing smooth, don't try to kill it, and take the club straight back, I was hitting 250-270 yards right down the middle, no hint of a fade.

closing the stance some, as Inconsistent has so kindly shown us, will help. the reason for the slices and fades, etc. is because you have an over the top swing plane and the club face remains open, imparting a left to right spin on the ball. along with the stance change, also, keep your right elbow fairly close to your side and start our taking small swings and work your way back.

I'm paying very close attention to this thread, as I have the same problem as Crackdown and it drives me nuts! The only difference is I've been slicing with my fairway woods as well. Then one evening at the range, on a whim, I pulled my wife's 3 wood out of her bag and poof! dead straight. Again, dead straight, and on and on, again and again.
So I was on an executive course the next day and secretly brought her 3 wood along (my buddies thankfully unaware) and every tee shot was perfect. Confident, the next day on a different course, I left her wood at home, choosing instead, my driver and my own woods, and sure enough, the slice was back.
Since, I've tried everything... ball height, ball positioning, weak grip, strong grip, closed stance, open stance, open club face, closed club face, drivers, woods, etc... What makes me nuts is I have a very solid iron game and short game. Granted, this is only my second year golfing, but it's making me crazy. Any help you can extend will be put to the test tonight at the range!

I've got a similar problem as well, its either a nasty slice and when its straight it goes very high and drops down about 150 yards :(

I'm getting so ****** off with the driver its untrue, I hit my irons ok so why do I struggle so much with this bloody club!

I think I've sorted this problem (spent a lot of money, and time at the range).

First I found out my club was 45" long, and ive only got a 36 1/2" wrist height and apparently my club needs to be 1 inch shorter. So I choke down about 2 inches now.

Second, I made sure I do a full shoulder turn, keeping more weight on the right side (right handed) and hold my hips, so theres more tension created.

Third, cocking my left wrist at the top of the backswing should be flat.

Fourth, not swaying towards the ball to start the downswing, but turning the hips, this way I hit the ball up on the clubface, in the center and on the sweetspot.

Just a few tips that has helped me.

Thanks, Crackdown. I'll try it. A few weeks back I tried choking up an inch or two and actually saw some improvement, but truthfully, I thought choking up a bit would hamper my distance and abandoned the theory quickly. Being 5'9" my driver does feel uncomfortably long which may be the reason I was so much better with my wife's woods, and consequently, the reason behind my driving woes.

I was World Champion slicer for a while - Driver Division. It was only a matter of time before I attained 'Boomerang' status - that was until (thanks dad) I started extending the 1-st stage of my back swing "backwards" (sorry, I don't know how else to express it) as far as possible before cocking my wrists i.o.t. get a fuller, 'rounder' arc in my swings' imaginary 'wagon wheel'.