Today's tip stems from a problem two different Surgites are having with their driver and fairway woods. I'll bet that a number of you out there may be having the same problem with your longer clubs. Here are the questions they both posed for the webcast we did at DJ's house a while back.
"Surge,
I have been a rotational swing golfer for the last 40 years (I am 66) and started your swing about 2 years ago. I am still having a tough time with the driver. My irons are doing pretty darn good as well as my hybrids. Is there any advice that you can give to me to maybe make it simpler to hit the driver. I have cut the shaft down to 43" and that helped with my control, but I still seem to lay it off too much. I also played fast pitch softball for 22 years. Would you think that the old baseball swing would be hindering me? Thanks for any help, it's really bugging me." Bill Noell
"Surge, help! Hitting my irons fairly consistently with your swing but feel I can't do the same with my driver and, especially, my fairway woods." Paul Hart
In both of their cases they are hitting their shorter clubs well so my initial thought is that their problem is likely to be one of two things. Either the club is mismatched for their swing (too long, wrong flex shaft, and/or not the right loft) or they are doing something when they haul out the big clubs that they aren't doing with their irons.
Let's take the club issues first. Even though Bill already shortened his driver to 43" he doesn't say whether he was measured on a swing monitor that would tell a certified fitter what his swing speed was along with a whole host of other data on the quality of his hit. It's quite possible that he doesn't have the right shaft to optimize his ball striking. Paul doesn't mention whether he has adjusted his woods or not, but if he hasn't (or you haven't) done that I would suggest that you search the archives on this blog for past tips Doc Griffin and I have done about the proper driver length. I guarantee you it will make a big difference in your shots if you are currently playing with clubs that are too long for you.
Let's now assume that equipment isn't the problem here but rather it's something they are doing wrong with their swing. The most common issue I see when I teach students in person is that they try to wring out an extra yard or two when they hit their woods and in so doing they are rotating past 12 o'clock in their backswing. Instead of being vertical at the top of the backswing, the club is laid off and dangling in the Sacred Burial Ground. As a consequence, their first move is to cast the club up and out past the target line. Then in an effort to get back to the ball at impact they are swinging outside-in and rolling the ball across the club face, imparting a lot of side spin. If the club face is open, it's likely a slice and if it's closed a snap hook is a real possibility. Gentlemen, if you really want to know if this is the root cause of your swing problem, videotape yourself from behind and look where your club is at the top of your swing. If it's laid off, you'll notice it right away. By the way, I see that you both have the PPGS Swing SeriesDVD but I see no record of you owning the Foundations Manual. It's 108 pages of a lot of detail on the proper way to make a good PPGS swing and there are dozens of really good pictures that I've marked up to show you where your clubs and your body need to be at various points in the swing. It's about $20 and it will be one of the best investments you can make if you are serious about mastering this swing.
In closing, I would recommend to all of you who may be having this issue that you practice The Butt On The Wall Drill to help learn how to...
...Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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