[Woodywizz]

I used to be able to drive the ball (golf) about 230-250 yards. However - about a month ago I changed my trusty Callaway Big Bertha driver for a King Cobra FSpeed LD Driver....now I cannot get off the tee at all.

My drives are now always being shanked low and left...this has never happened before as I always had a natural fade (slice? ).

The new driver is 20 grammes lighter and has a half a degree more loft.

Does anyone have any recommendations before I trade this in for a different model?? Which I do not particularly want to do, given that the new driver cost me £199.

Personally - as I have a fast swing - I think I need a heavier and stiffer shaft (cue childish innuendo from the likes of Signs and Abbeygoo ).

Matt

[The Dude]

Try a 'quieter' grip maybe ?


rotate your right hand round till you can fully see the first two knuckles....

takes your right hand out of the swing almost completely, very good for curing snappy hooks in my experience.


This is my 'driver grip', it's useless with any other club in the bag, but with big headed drivers works wonders for me.

It feels really weak, (and looks odd too) but if you're hooking with your normal grip, then that's pretty much exactly how you want it to feel.


Go have a waggle about and compare how much less you can move the clubface...

[huwg]

If I hit one or two bad ones, I just go back to basics and ensure I get the set up right.

Concentrate on ensuring your shoulders, hips, feet, knees are square and facing the target, then try to remember that position when striking the ball. I find it helps me to imagine I'm hitting through the ball in the direction I want it to go in; whereas before I was getting too confident and opening my shoulders and hitting across the ball from out to in - a slice (often a shank with irons).

You may get one or 2 blocked or pushed shots to begin with, but it usually works for me. (mind you I'm only a 16 handicapper).

I too have a fast swing, but have had to slow it down because I was slicing/shanking too much, and losing my balance. I also have a stiff shaft (way-hey)

Does the new driver have the same length and flex of shaft and is the head a similar shape? does the clubhead sit nice and square behind the ball or does it's natural position feel slightly open? I think how it looks and feels at address plays a big part in how confident I am at striking the ball.

Can drivers be adjusted to fit in the same way irons can?

[huwg]

I've just re-read your post, "a shank low and left" - are you left handed?
how far is the ball travelling and how far left?

[danaldinho7]

have you tried having a half an hour lesson? about £30-50 and you will fix your swing or atleast improve it as it most probably isn't the driver but you

this is what I'm going to do in the summer to improve my drive because the more I've played hockey and the less golf my swing is terrible and despite being stronger a total loss in technique has seen my drive go from about 200-250 to 150-200 because I've got a faster swing then I used to have

[Woodywizz]

I have decided to book some lessons with the pro at my course.

Was talking today with my mate - who plays off +2 - and I think the problem lies with my grip. I have always tended to point both thumbs straight down the shaft of the club, he has told me not to do this and showed me a different grip.

I will try this weekend.

Hopefully it will work

[Woodywizz]

Update....well I've done it......I've got rid of the King Cobra, I am such a wastrel with money

In it's place I have got this - CLICKY

Traded in the Cobra for £120 (£70 hit on this ), luckily sold my old golf clubs last week for £150 - so the new driver has effectively cost me £9.99.

This time I have been custom fitted, and what a difference that makes.

Firstly the lad at Scottsdale Golf made me hit a few balls with the Cobra - straight away he could tell what was wrong. My grip, stance, and clubhead speed were all bob on, but the amount of spin that I was imparting on the ball was stupidly high. He said that a good drive imparts about 3000rpm on a ball - with the Cobra I was consistently getting spin rates of 6000rpm+. It was this that was causing the balls to erratically hook, low and left. He said that this was not down to the clubhead, but was down to the shaft.

He offered to reshaft the Cobra first, but I explained that I had lost all confidence in it and that I would like a different make. So we tried the new Callaway FT-5 (composite head which was very very light) and the TaylorMade R7 SuperQuad. The Callaway felt too light, whereas the TaylorMade immediately felt good, and the feel of the ball off the face was very very good. Even with the standard shaft in the Taylormade, my spin rate was consistently at 2900-3100. Ball speed was averaging around about 126mph, and trajectory was much better with a higher arc and a much more consistently longer carry - we had changed the loft as well to 11.5, and the shaft weight to 70g (from the 55g Cobra).

He then took a load of further measurements relating to trajectory/load/speed etc...measured my hands so that the grip could be changed, and has emailed all of these off to Taylormade so that the shaft and grip can be custom made. I will get the club within the next 10 days.

I cannot praise "Scottsdale Golf's" custom fitting service enough - the custom fitting, which took about an hour and a half and the hitting of many balls, was free and I was given refreshments. The lad who fitted me was patient, listened to what was going wrong currently, checked - not only the club - but stance, grip, etc.... He has even thrown in 2 free lessons with video analysis after I get the new driver. I even explained that I already had a Taylormade 3 Wood and that I rarely used it - he told me to go and get it from the car and he would analyse that - the club and shaft were fine, but it was my stance and takeaway which were the problem. All in all, I feel much more confident now about my driving and I would highly recommed anyone to have their next set of clubs custom fit.......


Oh, and I can now look forward to drives without that annoying sound from the "King Cobra"

[domtheone]

I guess we can all look forward to seeing you spank the ball 250YDS +++ straight down the middle of every Fairway in Yorkshire in a few weeks then

[Woodywizz]

Originally Posted by domtheone

I guess we can all look forward to seeing you spank the ball 250YDS +++ straight down the middle of every Fairway in Yorkshire in a few weeks then

Erm....cough....erm......yes........