Issues hitting a fade with driver

GreeBo

Hey lads, just wondering has anyone had a similiar experience.
At the moment Im pretty much unable to hit a fade off the tee with my driver. I can hit it straight or draw without any problems but as soon as I try to hit a fade Im 90% guaranteed a high, straight block to the right.

Typically I open or close the face at address to move the ball and this works fine for all other shots/clubs.

I'm hitting a 9* Stiff King Cobra.

cheers!

stockdam

Sounds like your swing is very in-to-out but I don't understand why you can hit a fade with other clubs and not the driver. Sounds like you need to open the face even more and then to adjust your aim so that you are aiming further left than you have been. I guess your shoulders and hips are aimed down the right and then you are opening the face.........maybe the face is now just square to your aim. I'd start by aiming your hips and shoulders left and then open the club face (and then grip - don't grip then open the face; open and then grip).

I'd advise that you get a lesson for help.

GreeBo

stockdam wrote: »

Sounds like your swing is very in-to-out but I don't understand why you can hit a fade with other clubs and not the driver. Sounds like you need to open the face even more and then to adjust your aim so that you are aiming further left than you have been. I guess your shoulders and hips are aimed down the right and then you are opening the face.........maybe the face is now just square to your aim. I'd start by aiming your hips and shoulders left and then open the club face (and then grip - don't grip then open the face; open and then grip).

I'd advise that you get a lesson for help.

To be honest my swing is pretty straight on, my natural shot is a 5-10 yard draw. The more I open the face the worse it gets, I have a feeling that when I open the clubface I am subconsciously swinging along this line, the ball doesnt even fade, its just a straight block. (I only have one hole that I need it so dont get to practice it much)
Its probably more subconscious that anything, but very frustrating to hit the same poxy trees 20feet off the same tee every Saturday, especially since its a short par 5

cheers!

stockdam

GreeBo wrote: »

To be honest my swing is pretty straight on, my natural shot is a 5-10 yard draw. The more I open the face the worse it gets, I have a feeling that when I open the clubface I am subconsciously swinging along this line, the ball doesnt even fade, its just a straight block. (I only have one hole that I need it so dont get to practice it much)
Its probably more subconscious that anything, but very frustrating to hit the same poxy trees 20feet off the same tee every Saturday, especially since its a short par 5

cheers!

Maybe you need to change how you visualise the shot. Your "target" should be the middle of the fairway......that's the target where you are aiming at and it's the line that you want to hit the ball towards. If anything you want to try to swing slightly left of this (cut across the ball). Now, at the last second, open the clubface and then take your grip. You still want to swing towards the "target" in the middle of the fairway but the open face will help to cut the ball round the corner.

Some of the modern drivers make it hard to cut the ball as they are "draw" biased and you really need to swing across the line to get them to cut.

Go to the practice ground and aim left and then swing further left with an open face until it happens. Try to exaggerate by aiming way left; take the club back outside the line and cut across the ball. Also experiment with a lower tee as that tends to help. Try addressing the ball off the heel of the club and that may help to promote an more out to in swing.

Also be thankful that you have difficulty cutting the ball.......most players obviously struggle with it.

carman2011

a lot of those Cobra drivers are heavily offset, to stop a fade, maybe this has something to do with it

GreeBo

The driver isnt ofset (well fractionally but its not a draw bias or anything)

Im thinking its mental at this stage as I can often cut it from the tee on straight holes (the difficult hole is a dogleg right and Im trying to cut it around the corner)
I actually used to be able to do it quite well, then I got a lesson that removed the necessity for so much timing/hands in my swing and since then Ive had problems...

stupid game.

Tones69

I was the opposite, always fading/slicing the ball, i found out it was my initial setup (and my grip a little bit too) i was subconsciously aiming to the right setting up for it (im a lefty). Now im getting the setup a lot more square and im hitting it a lot straighter, ur the opposite to me though, uve obviously built the draw into ur daily game so a few lessons and plenty of practise would probably help you out, the longer uve been doing it then the harder im guessing it will be to change, the most exciting and frustrating game ever, dunno whether i love it or hate it ha

BorderGap

I had a similar probelm unitil i changed my driver shaft fro flex to stiff and this cured the problem.

PRAF

GreeBo wrote: »

To be honest my swing is pretty straight on, my natural shot is a 5-10 yard draw. The more I open the face the worse it gets, I have a feeling that when I open the clubface I am subconsciously swinging along this line, the ball doesnt even fade, its just a straight block. (I only have one hole that I need it so dont get to practice it much)
Its probably more subconscious that anything, but very frustrating to hit the same poxy trees 20feet off the same tee every Saturday, especially since its a short par 5

cheers!

GreeBo - based on what you have described, it sounds like your swing path is following your target line rather than going parallel to your feet / hips / shoulders. I've had this problem myself and it often comes back to haunt me.

I'd suggest the following:
- Aim your hips and shoulders about 45 degrees left of your target
- Aim your clubface about half that (say 22 degrees of thereabouts) left of target
- Use your normal swing. Pay particular attention that you swing along the lines of your feet / hips / shoulders and not your target line
- Pick an intermediary spot somewhere between your ball and along the line of your feet / hips / shoulders. Look at that spot and don't look at the target (it'll put you off)

Don't think that you have a special 'cut / fade' swing. All the adjustments should be in the setup.

This should get you fading it quite nicely. You just then need to experiment to get the control you are looking for.

Spudmonkey

Tee the ball lower, this promotes a fade.

In much the same way teeing it high allows you to hit a draw.

whizbang

I have almost exactly the same problem, -except of course when i try to bust it!

- try to lift your toes in your shoes while swinging, so that your conscious of the weight on your heels, and not falling forward when following through.
also try standing further away from the ball, and keep the hands lower to the ground.

but you might not like the results:P