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Some time ago I posted a thread here about improving my driving, inspite of all the advise none of it has made any difference whatsoever except for the likely cause which was pointed out as almost certainly delofting the club. Someone said that they knew someone with similer symptons as myself i.e. I can hit the five wood 200-230 yards with carry no problem but after that I struggle (but I'm improving)to get the 3 wood off the ground and as for the driver I don't think I have ever got the ball as high as 18 inches of the ground.

All in all it seems that I'm delofting the club and that the 5 wood is effectively becoming a 3 wood and so on, does anyone have any drills to overcome this problem, thanks.

Check the follow if you are going to continue to be self taught, but under stand that nothing is a quick fix, It takes at least 30 practice sessions to begin to make a change:

1. Get custom fit with a driver that has more loft is an option:

Go to a club fitter who can put you on camera or video so he or she can track the club during the swing. This way they can tell you if you need another Driver.

2. If #1 doesn't do it check your grip, it may be Stronge (as in placement not strength):

Take a tee and hold it in the V Shape made by the thumb and forefinger of each hands. While holding these tees sticking up and out from these "Vs" when you take your grip, they should be in line more centered on the grip.

You will loose distance at first but to develope a neutral grip which is the correct grip, you will need to do this. The distance will come back once you are get used to the new grip.

3. If #2 is not an issue then work on holding the set or hinge of the hands that takes place in the back swing longer thru impact (wrist cock):

It will feel like you are leaving the head of the diver behind the grip as you you swing through impact.

All so stop half way into your backswing and check that and each wrist should be hindged the same (look at the back of each hand and see if there is a bend and that they are the same, one should not be bent for than the other).

4. Finally on the range before making a shot, swing into the backswing and settle the shaft of the club on you back shoulder and then swing into the finish setteling the shaft on the other shoulder. Do this drill slow and easy- only gentle touching the shoulders. If your swing is too flat this drill will help correct it.


Note: Keep in mind that getting with a LPGA or PGA pro is the best thing to do to make sure you are doing the correct things.

In order to deloft the club, the hands must be well ahead of the clubhead at impact. You want to learn to have your hands in a more neutral position at impact, i.e. not leading the clubhead so much. Keep in mind that angle of attack is a separate matter...often delofting the club and a sharp angle of attack go hand in hand, but not necessarily...you can have a shallow angle of attack and still be delofting the club, although this is less common.

Remember, this is a drill...like corrective lenses, intended to bring you back to basics or to center, not meant to be a permanent swing change. As you move the ball forward in your stance it will be harder for you to lead the clubhead with your hands without falling forward toward the target. So keep moving the ball forward (small increments) until you begin catching the ball on the upswing, just past bottom dead center. I would suggest doing this with the driver and I would suggest swinging within yourself, don't swing hard. Experiment. What happens if you move the ball back in your stance and continue to deloft? That's not a rhetorical question...enquiring minds at GR want to know, so give us some feedback, please. Hint: if you are living up to your username then I suspect you have a sharp angle of attack...moving the ball back will encourage you to shallow your swing (not a sweep, necessarily, tho it may seem so at first). Spend an hour or so at the range, moving the ball forward and back in order to find where the true bottom of your swing is and to train your hands to be more neutral, not leading so much. Hope it helps. Let us know.

Shade

Depending on how fast you swing the club...the driver is very hard to hit for a higher handicap person, since it has the least amount of loft. Its better for a higher handicap player to use a 3 or 5 wood instead.

Put the club on the floor and then apply your grip. Sounds like you are hooding the clubface to a position that is visually appealing to you at address.

Golfdiva always has constructive things to say. Two of my favorites are "don't try to determine what you are doing wrong, instead just do what you should do right" and "swing to the target not to the ball." I say the latter to myself 50 times a round.

I've never had a lesson but when I do it will be in San Diego with her.

OK folks, I've just come back from a guy who has the camera for tracking your swing and so on(although he's not a pro) and clearly after seeing a slow motion of my swing and grip( I'm right handed on top of the left or cack handed as we call it) and compared it to me using the conventional grip that would appear to be the crux of the problem, although not so deep down I knew all along that it probably was but have been most reluctant to change it for some time. Well I've now made the decision to change to the conventional grip starting immediately, whilst I'm not looking forward to no golf for a month or so while I adjust( thats really why I didn't want to try) I do hope it will be worth it in the end, thanks everyone for your replies(especially glfdiva) and maybe I can come back soon with good news.

Big Divot, sounds like all of the great advice you got was correct. Now that you are changing your grip, remember that you will now have to release earlier than you are used to or you will start to slice. The good news is now you can release fully and not only hit the ball higher but straight too!

Thanks Gary, Funnily enough I could hit the five wood as far and even further than some mid handicappers could hit their drivers with the old grip, but I was largely restricted to the five wood for driving, now with the correct grip I am skying the three wood and I might even hit myself with the ball on the chin with the five wood but I'm sure I'm settle down after I become more accustomed to the new grip, I hope.