For many weeks i had been driving the ball terribly. Mainly slicing it and my distance off the tee has always been lacking mainly due to not trying to hit it so hard so i am more accurate.

So i was practising trying to remedy it without success. So at one point i cracked the sags. So i just thought i am going to smack the crap out of this just to release the frustrations.

So i did and to my shock i smacked it a mile and pretty straight. That was interesting i thought.

So i did it again and same result. Then i did it again a third time, same again. Not all dead straight mind you but usually a slight fade but all would have hit a fairway.

So by hitting the drive as hadr as i could i was hitting it straighter and longer.

So i still sceptical i used 10 balls and said to myself if 8 of these are good i will try it in the weekend. And it was.

So that weekend i put my new plan into action. Which was hit my tee shot as hard as i could.

I play of 13 as well.

To cut the round short i was 4 over par off the stick as i stood on the 17th tee. I had the roulnd of my life. I cosed with an 80 my best ever round by 4 shots.

I have since backed it up the next 2 rounds with an 85 (with 38 putts) and an 82 yesterday and i am almost down to 11.

The key has been my driving. I am hitting 8-10 fairways but more importantly 10- 20 metres longer which has helped my GIR.

So i cannot beleive that due to trying to belt my driver as hard as i can i have greatly improved my golf instantly.

I never thought i could do that.

You are probably releasing it properly now rather than steering….good work (oh and nice avatar!)

You are probably releasing it properly now rather than steering….good work (oh and nice avatar!)

down and out…did ya get that?

I have no idea but what you say sounds right.

We encourage people to hit the ball hard. Not swinging themselves off their feet but as hard as they can to maintain balance.

When we really slow down a swing a lot of the forces that help line up a club can be interfered with. Indeed during the workshop last week at The Dunes I proved to the players how hard a short chip shot is to master because of the lack of physics making things “just happen.” You have to make things happen in a short shot.

So you have by the sounds of it stopped trying to get the ball to go straight (steering) and so the club is now releasing properly at the bottom of your swing and allowing the swings forces to close the clubface all on its own.

We encourage people to hit the ball hard. Not swinging themselves off their feet but as hard as they can to maintain balance.

When we really slow down a swing a lot of the forces that help line up a club can be interfered with. Indeed during the workshop last week at The Dunes I proved to the players how hard a short chip shot is to master because of the lack of physics making things “just happen.” You have to make things happen in a short shot.

So you have by the sounds of it stopped trying to get the ball to go straight (steering) and so the club is now releasing properly at the bottom of your swing and allowing the swings forces to close the clubface all on its own.

You obviously know more than me but what you say feels like what is happening. I does feel like it releases better more like coming down on it better in a way. I guess when i try to hit it slower it is more of a push like my hands go quicker than the clubface which opens the clubface.

Just which i had have picked up on this earlier. Or maybe i should have had lessons as i never have had one.

I came to the same conclusion this weekend. I was hitting the ball great on the range then onto the course first two drives were atrocious. One slice and a bloody great hook ( I never hook!). The swings just didn’t feel right. So I threw caution to the wind and just ripped it…straight as a die.

I realised then that I was trying to be too careful instead of just trusting the swing and belting it. I always take a slow back swing and continued to do so, but on the through swing smooth and hard! Worked well for the rest of the round.

Learning to hit it hard and getting comfortable with it helps take your game to the next level. It worked for me!

Learning to hit it hard and getting comfortable with it helps take your game to the next level. It worked for me!

It has already taken my game to the next level, well an immediate improvement anyway.

niceshot

did the same over the past few weeks with my new TM driver – smashing it a long way straight – then a slice crept in from nowhere (well, actually, played a course with open fairways so threw any caution to the wind) then I corrected it with a hook – it’s a cruel game – back on the practice fairway this arvo to rediscover that original feeling you describe so well.

Heh. I’ve gone the opposite way. I used to have a lovely drive and now I’m hitting them nearly 50M shorter and tending to hook the ball. Driving me nuts ‘cos it’s costing be about 5-10 strokes each game.

It’s a good feeling when you nut out a problem though, eh? :)

Im the same…if i steer the club I slice everything

even occosionally I will be off balance…long as it ends up straight who cares

as soon as I try and steer te driver all sorts of bad things happen..if in doubt clout…the big headed drivers are made for some punishment

“if in doubt clout”

Dave, I like that!

Steering means less clubface closure. It is a terrible misconception that you need to keep the face square to the line of flight. That just causes clockwise spin and an opening face as we are swinging on an arc as an overhead view.

Apparently i’ve become a bit of a steerer at late, had a lesson today and the instructor told me to just trust my swing.. It really is amazing that my drives straightened out so dramatically after putting a bit of faith in my swing ;)

Vijay lets the big dog eat every time because he reckons he’ll be more accurate from the rough with a wedge than with a 6 iron 60 yards back up the fairway.

There is a fine line between ripping it and going too hard at it, be careful not to cross the line. You want smooth acceleration rather than thrashing at it.

After all the issues ive been having with accuracy lately with my drive it seemed to have got worse, i think because i had been listening to too many people and had too many things going through my head at the tee.

So like you i decided to throw caution to the wind and just unwind… result… less slice, lots of distance and no more hooks. Still not perfect… infact far from it, but better and no more having to worry about which way it was going to go this time.

One thing i will say, trying to slow my swing down was probably the worse thing i tried, it was all over the place. More time to think of whats happening during the swing and trying to monitor too many things at once i spose rather then having a clear mind.

You know what guys, I’m glad you’re having success with this but having just been reading Carey’s book, I’d have to say it belongs in the “WOOD” category so eloquently described by Jonny Miller – “Works Only One Day”

On the course, instead of trying to swing harder, I try to swing better. This frees me up from trying to hit the ball too hard, whilst preventing me from being too controlled and steering the ball.

Styles- Thats what works for me, if I try to swing harder it goes where ever it wants but when I relax into my swing the control comes back, it feels effortless. The swing is still as fast but not as hard if that makes sense.

Style what Carey wood (sic) say is just swing it on course. ie do nothing different, not trying to hit it harder of softer. Your normal swing as a low capper is going to be “just right, just do it.” Carey is one smart bear.

Certainly smarter than the average one Boo-Boo!