Problems with my driver
 

A practice session with my driver and video camera (and my recent rounds) have revealed the following horrors:

1.My left shoulder and my head dipping towards the ball.
2.A steep ,over-the-top downswing.
3.A total loss of my spine angle at impact. I am practically standing at attention at impact.
4. Very poor contact, including many ground balls and several topped shots. Even the drives on which I made good contact made ball marks on the very bottom of the driver. I even whiffed over the ball one time.

I have never been good with the driver, but I've never been this bad. These ground balls felt like a sudden shank attack. My questions have to do with cause and effect:

1.Does it seem as if one of the symptoms that I have described would cause the others, or do these seem like separate problems? For example, am I likely doing something that *forces* me to bob?
2. What might be the best method and sequence to deal with these problems? Drills? Training aids?

Thank you very much.

teach

Discovering Your Best Golf At Cuscowilla
 

If you can, Teach, come to Cuscowilla.

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=5630

If golf is important to you . . .

If your days are vexed by your golfing ineptitude http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ineptitude and its accompanying frustration . . .

Then come . . .

And experience for yourself the difference in your Game that can be.

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:salut:

Can't make it
 

Yoda,

I can't attend the school. I'd therefore appreciate insight as to which of the above symptoms might be causing the others. Of course, I'd also be grateful for suggestions as to how to fix the root cause. Thank you.

teach

Cause and Effect
 

Isn't that amazing you did ("the following horrors") literally the least you would like to do.

To me, all the symptoms described are the "Effect" of your intent (the "Cause") of "hacking the ball hard with the club", which can be justified by taking the ball out of the way.

"1. My left shoulder and my head dipping towards the ball."-that "akward hitch" down, your style of "Pivot Action" for bringing the Power Accumulators toward the ball.

"2. A steep ,over-the-top downswing.", your style of "Arm and wrist Actions for accelerating and releasing the club toward the ball.

"3. A total loss of my spine angle at impact. I am practically standing at attention at impact.", that "akward hitch" up, your reaction or compensation to the "dipping" and balacing of your action.

"4. Very poor contact, including many ground balls and several topped shots. Even the drives on which I made good contact made ball marks on the very bottom of the driver. I even whiffed over the ball one time.", the anticipated outcome of multiple actions, which collectively do not quite comply with the "Laws of Geometry and Physics" of the swing.

"2. What might be the best method and sequence to deal with these problems? Drills? Training aids?"

It's a matter of, first, if you are aware of the "root Cause" and, second, for the real shot, if you can do exactly you do for your practicing swing, during which that "hacking" intent is not present.

Rx For Certain Progress
 

teach,

Sounds like you've got some significant control issues with the Body (Zone 1 / Pivot). Your left shoulder is going down because your right hip is sliding back (as opposed to turning back). This is causing you to Sway (3-F-7-D / in reverse) and lift the club Off Plane with the Arms (Zone 2 / Power) which almost certainly were not set at Address in their correct alignments (6-B-3-0-1). All this puts you in a hopeless position at the Top from which to attack the ball. Throw in Uneducated Hands (Zone 3 / Direction) and you have a perfect storm.

The cure is to learn a true golf-like motion, ideally under the guidance of a competent professional.

From afar, my best suggestion is to put the driver away, and start a program of the MacDonald Exercises http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=4435.

Begin with the Pivot -- drills #1-#4 and #10-#11 -- to train your body. Then, incorporate Motion -- drills #5-#10 -- and learn to Swing your Arms and Hands (freely from your Shoulders and in timing with the movement of your Feet, Knees and Hips).

When you do begin actual Ball striking, start with Basic Motion -- the chips and short pitches. Learn to keep your Left Wrist Flat and the Club beneath your Hands as you brush On Plane through Impact. Only when you can do this should you proceed to Acquired Motion (half swing) and, ultimately, to Total Motion (full swing).

Good luck.

:salut:

Thank you
 

Thanks Yoda. I will work on the exercises. BTS, you have made a good point.

teach

Legal Tender
 

You're welcome!

:)