1-iron vs. driver? Ten Points?

Question

I have been golfing for 5 years now. I'm 16 and I can't hit my driver. I completely smash my 1-iron its straight and long. So my question is why can't I hit my driver? I have a Callaway Big Bertha 454 driver. Its 11* loft and has a RHC light shaft. I don't know my exact club head speed but it isn't that fast. I choke down on every club in my bag including my 1 iron. I hit my 1-iron 200 yds and my driver goes 50ft. then drastically turns right. should I even bother with my driver anymore?

Answer 1

Yeah, the driver is a difficult beast to tame. But trust me, as you progress hitting a good driver is vital to your game. Hitting the driver requires a larger flatter swing path. Have you taken lessons before? Are your swinging on plane? You want to make sure because it is very likely you have a very steep swing. Plus the driver is weighted different than your irons. You see the ball all nice and teed up and you just swing for the fences. It causes you to loose proper mechanics and make poor contact. Make sure you're swinging the club smoothly and in tempo. It should help you make better contact. If your duffing your ball and it goes very short, does it go straight up in the air or run along the ground? Typically the ball should be placed inside your left heel (for righties). If the ball shoots straight up in the air then you have it teed too high or have the ball located to far towards your left foot. If it rolls along the ground or has a low flight then you might have it teed too low or too far towards your right foot. Ideally you want half the ball showing when you set the driver down behind it.

Now when it turns "drastically right" you're slicing the ball. It is one of the most common problems for golfers. It means that the club face is open during impact. It tends to happen more when you swing harder. By swinging harder, you're not allowing the club head to close. Try staying in tempo. If the problem still occurs then it means you're not rolling your right wrist over the left enough. Think about a baseball swing. As the batter swings he rolls his right wrist over the left. You need to do the same thing. Stand up straight and take a few swings like a baseball player. Feel the right wrist rolling over the left. That's the feeling you want then you hit a golf ball.

You can also use a 3 or 5-wood and have the ball teed up very low. It'll force you to swing slower in order to hit the ball and because the club is more lofted it should slice less. Once you get comfortable with hitting your woods then you want to try the driver again.

This advice is based on general knowledge and what most golfers do. Give it a try it might just fix it. But since I'm not there to watch your swing, the very best fix is to get an instructor and take lessons. The golf swing is a bunch of things happing at once, if just one thing is a little off it can screw up the whole thing. Finding a good instructor will help you fix that and any other problems you might have. It is the best investment in the game you can make. Good Luck

Answer 2

Driver Vs Iron Swing

Answer 3

The easiest way to learn golf like a pro is by following "The Simple Golf Swing" program. It's primarily a 31 page eBook that teaches golfers how to make solid contact with the ball, how to avoid hitting fat, how to avoid slicing, how get more power, accuracy, and consistency in your swing. Consistency being the number 1 golf skill.



You not only get the eBook though, you also receive a ton of extra material including video, lessons on putting, driving, chipping, sand play etc. Here is their official site: http://www.golfswingguru.net

Answer 4

I don't know any people that play with a 1-iron. Maybe your swing is way off for the driver. Your swing for the driver is very different from your swing for irons. And if you've been playing for 5 years and the ball only goes 50 ft. with your driver, there is a major problem.



Here is a page with many videos on how to hit good drives and add power to your tee shots:

http://www.golf.com/golf/special_feature/0,31941,1898319,00.html

Answer 5

The swing between irons and driver for me has always been slightly different. I try to keep the driver near the ground as long as possible during my backswing, this allows me to have a better plane to hit the ball on the follow through.

Answer 6

You hit a 1-iron? Impressive. 2 things with the driver. You're not squaring it at impact like you do your 1 iron. Get your weight through the ball and square your clubface and you'll hit your driver like you hit your 1 iron.