[rbVmVlQ2]

I think you guys jinxed me with the golf gods stuff. Now I cant seem to find it again. Oh well, more range time.

[DadaSeeva]

Nooooo!!

[GenrieAB]

Neat stuff. But what told you it wasnt your stance, or backswing, et al?

[rbVmVlQ2]

Neat stuff. But what told you it wasnt your stance, or backswing, et al?

I took a lesson a few days earlier from a PGA Professional at Heron Lakes. Thats what he told me. I was just really out of sinc today. Struggled getting a comfortable grip at address and all the liitle pieces of my swing just couldnt get going. Killed the irons though.

[orbidewa]

Good thread burm, we all find it and lose it pretty much in a cycle, it will be back soon.

[rbVmVlQ2]

Years ago when I was playing regularly I never really payed attention to things such as width of stance, different grips, being on plain, hitting down on the ball, etc., etc. Everything just seemed to come so naturally to me. That was 20 yrs ago. I'm 41 now and have been getting back into the game over the last few months. And it seems that golf isnt exactly like riding a bicycle, once you get off for awhile you just cant pick up where you left off. So I have been working on shifting my weight and getting increased power from my lower body. I also have found a different grip that has made big improvement in my irons consistancy.
And as much progress as I have made to get back to the 80's, or even the low 90's, the one thing that has been killing me is my inability to hit a driver. I mean hit it period. Like more than 20 yards. I took a lesson the other day and it helped my swing plain. But my hands still just didnt feel right. I just couldnt connect. I just couldnt get the face open long enough.
Well I went to the range today and made up my mind that no matter how many balls it took, I was gonna figure this out. I knew it wasnt my stance. I knew it wasnt my backswing. I also knew it wasnt my lower body. So I start topping balls and topping balls. I needed my back shoulder to be lower at address but as long as the driver is, I just couldnt get comfortable at address with my hands in a regular grip.
So I told myself to just grip it without interlocking fingers. No good. Then something happened. I rotated my top hand (right hand for you right handed folks) back to the right to where my palm was facing up. That put my thumb pointing down the back side of the shaft. I addressed the ball and my shoulder dropped automatically. I felt comfortable. I took a swing and hit a worm burner. A long worm burner. But it felt good. More natural. I then swung again, this time swinging down the line and making sure I drove through the ball. BOOM! 250 yards just as beautiful as I could have imagined. Straight as an arrow. Could it be that I found yet another grip that helps my game so much? I hit 20 more balls and all of them right at 250 yards with only two of them being slices. I have finally found it. I now have my driver problem resolved. It is all about the little things isnt it?!

[JMLot]

Years ago when I was playing regularly I never really payed attention to things such as width of stance, different grips, being on plain, hitting down on the ball, etc., etc. Everything just seemed to come so naturally to me. That was 20 yrs ago. I'm 41 now and have been getting back into the game over the last few months. And it seems that golf isnt exactly like riding a bicycle, once you get off for awhile you just cant pick up where you left off. So I have been working on shifting my weight and getting increased power from my lower body. I also have found a different grip that has made big improvement in my irons consistancy.
And as much progress as I have made to get back to the 80's, or even the low 90's, the one thing that has been killing me is my inability to hit a driver. I mean hit it period. Like more than 20 yards. I took a lesson the other day and it helped my swing plain. But my hands still just didnt feel right. I just couldnt connect. I just couldnt get the face open long enough.
Well I went to the range today and made up my mind that no matter how many balls it took, I was gonna figure this out. I knew it wasnt my stance. I knew it wasnt my backswing. I also knew it wasnt my lower body. So I start topping balls and topping balls. I needed my back shoulder to be lower at address but as long as the driver is, I just couldnt get comfortable at address with my hands in a regular grip.
So I told myself to just grip it without interlocking fingers. No good. Then something happened. I rotated my top hand (right hand for you right handed folks) back to the right to where my palm was facing up. That put my thumb pointing down the back side of the shaft. I addressed the ball and my shoulder dropped automatically. I felt comfortable. I took a swing and hit a worm burner. A long worm burner. But it felt good. More natural. I then swung again, this time swinging down the line and making sure I drove through the ball. BOOM! 250 yards just as beautiful as I could have imagined. Straight as an arrow. Could it be that I found yet another grip that helps my game so much? I hit 20 more balls and all of them right at 250 yards with only two of them being slices. I have finally found it. I now have my driver problem resolved. It is all about the little things isnt it?!

First of all let me say that I am happy you found something that worked for you and that you're hitting your driver as you had always hoped to do and I was with you right through the whole thing until you wrote: "I have finally found it. I now have my driver problem resolved."

"Ouch!"

I am hoping against hope that the Golf Gods aren't reading this thread tonight and I'll say a little prayer on your behalf to ask that they go easy on you and chalk up your comments to excitement.

Seriously, I'm glad you figured things out and I hope it stays working for you. But dude, it's a Cardinal Sin in golf to say out loud that you've "solved" something. You can say things like, "I hope it will work", or that "It shows promise", but the Golf Gods frown upon declarative statements.

Good luck with "that thing that seems to be working for you"

[carpartsho]

It feels good doesn't it?

I have struggled with a major slice off my driver since I started back playing again a couple months ago. I'm still working on it, with some good days and others not so much. But on the days when I am able to keep my driver's straight down the fairway. There is not a better feeling in the world.

And I will agree with JWLI here, my first day I was able to consistently hit straight drives on the course, I was sure I had my driver swing figured out. Just to go back out and not be able to do it consistently the next time. That's the frustrating thing about golf, just when you think you have something figured out, it goes south on you.

[Unwiseevove]

Thats awesome dude! I had pretty much the same moment with the same grip, it was like night and day

[rbVmVlQ2]

Thats awesome dude! I had pretty much the same moment with the same grip, it was like night and day

It just seems crazy that something that small can make such a huge difference doesn't it?

[Waymninelia]

Good for you...Wish you continued success....

[limpoporanique]

What a great story hope you really did get this figured out.. Stay consistent with it

[smifatv]

It just seems crazy that something that small can make such a huge difference doesn't it?

It may seem crazy, but it is the way it is for many. It could be as small as foot alignment, grip, chin position, you just never know. It is also cool that you were able to duplicate it right away. Often times those little changes seem so unnatural, or uncomfortable that we tend not to duplicate it swing after swing. I guess that is why focus is so important too, huh?

Edit: Just reread your post, which hand is your top hand?

[Hetgvwic]

Congrats! It always feels good when things click like that, I too will hope the golf gods go easily on you.

[rbVmVlQ2]

It may seem crazy, but it is the way it is for many. It could be as small as foot alignment, grip, chin position, you just never know. It is also cool that you were able to duplicate it right away. Often times those little changes seem so unnatural, or uncomfortable that we tend not to duplicate it swing after swing. I guess that is why focus is so important too, huh?

Edit: Just reread your post, which hand is your top hand?

Absolutely agree. I guess it really helped that I was uncomfortable and when I found the right feel comfort wise, it was spot on with what i needed.
By top hand I mean the hand that is on top of the shaft more, or the cover hand if that makes more sense. I guess your top hand would be your left if you go by which one is closest to the top of the shaft. Thanks for the reply, Beowulf.

[Rounteetepe]

It's funny how different things feel "right" for different people. I have a friend who has a strong grip like you describe (right hand rotated knuckles-down, palm-up), and it works for him. For me it's a different story. When I started playing in my early 20's I was a ten-finger slicer. I refused to "play the slice" and educated myself on what makes the ball curve. Well, did I ever fix that damn slice. I turned it into a damn hook. I don't know how many people hook, but I've heard a saying that's at least half true--you can talk to a slice, but there's no reasoning with a hook.

The problem was that I took a feel that worked and kept going with that feel until I was overdoing it--basically, I was rolling the club face closed by impact and hitting big trap hooks. You can really snap some distance like that, but you don't often like where the ball ends up. So I did the opposite of what you've done. I rotated my right hand (I'm a righty) more over the top of the club so that what felt like a full release is actually more square. I took away anywhere for my right hand to roll the club over. I've been doing that for so long now that it feels natural. Oh, I still have a trap swing and I can still put a good hook on it, and I still fight that hook, but I deal with it in other ways. This grip now feels natural to me, and when I'm in the groove I hit nice draws. I can even fade a few if I have to (although I mostly only try that on the range, or by accident when I over-spin my body).

My swing is an ever-evolving beast. When I find a "feeling" that works, you can bet that I'll look too hard for that feeling and start overdoing it. I envy people who've never completely deconstructed the mechanics of their swing and can just get up there and swing away the same as always.

Cheers.

[rbVmVlQ2]

It's funny how different things feel "right" for different people. I have a friend who has a strong grip like you describe (right hand rotated knuckles-down, palm-up), and it works for him. For me it's a different story. When I started playing in my early 20's I was a ten-finger slicer. I refused to "play the slice" and educated myself on what makes the ball curve. Well, did I ever fix that damn slice. I turned it into a damn hook. I don't know how many people hook, but I've heard a saying that's at least half true--you can talk to a slice, but there's no reasoning with a hook.

The problem was that I took a feel that worked and kept going with that feel until I was overdoing it--basically, I was rolling the club face closed by impact and hitting big trap hooks. You can really snap some distance like that, but you don't often like where the ball ends up. So I did the opposite of what you've done. I rotated my right hand (I'm a righty) more over the top of the club so that what felt like a full release is actually more square. I took away anywhere for my right hand to roll the club over. I've been doing that for so long now that it feels natural. Oh, I still have a trap swing and I can still put a good hook on it, and I still fight that hook, but I deal with it in other ways. This grip now feels natural to me, and when I'm in the groove I hit nice draws. I can even fade a few if I have to (although I mostly only try that on the range, or by accident when I over-spin my body).

My swing is an ever-evolving beast. When I find a "feeling" that works, you can bet that I'll look too hard for that feeling and start overdoing it. I envy people who've never completely deconstructed the mechanics of their swing and can just get up there and swing away the same as always.

Cheers.

Lol. Great post, Think. Yeah, those were the days when I could just address the ball with a clear mind and start the back swing. Now we have to think everything through.

[Jimambol]

I was in a similar position as you about a year ago. I have had a nasty slice that has plagued me ever since I began playing this game. Just last year, I was at the range and experimented with some changes to my grip. I took my left hand (I'm a righty) and rotated it slightly clockwise around the grip. That small change has helped me swing flatter which keeps the club more on plane instead of coming over the top of the ball. It translated over to the course and I have found myself hitting a lot more fairways than ever.

Glad to hear that this small change has been working for you. It truly is funny how something this small can make such a world of difference. For myself alone, the more fairways I hit, the more confident I get and that resonates throughout my entire game. Hopefully, the same comes through for you.

[DadaSeeva]

for a game that suppose to be so enjoyable, it can sure get frustrating. lol Keep up the good work