This is a great way to make sure your driver is set up neutral . I see plenty of players sitting up with driver closed as well. I had one friend who would set up perfectly and then just before Takeaway he would tighten his grip so much the face would close dramatically. All his shot were low line drives left. Even with irons. I tried to help him but he just couldn’t stop it. Old habits are hard to break.
Hi Paul, Liked the tip on the sole of the driver. A while back you said you were going to review a new driver. Still going to do that? Thank, Mary Smith
It’s coming. I have had a few women try it and they loved it. Definitely hit it longer than theirs. I will let everyone know once I get the word it is ready.
I have never seem an amateur hover the club right. The get tight or the move it back and forth. I like it on the ground. Then you turn the arms off before you take it back.
I hold it very gently so it soles itself on the ground. Hovering it won’t ensure it’s square. Try it on a hard, flat surface and you will see it will sole itself. Then carefully place your grip on the club.
Paul ,I set up my driver and fairway woods or hybrids as you say in this video ,sole flat on the turf .
Then , when I start my swing ,I use a trigger, which is a slight forward press of my hands ,so as to not “snatch ” the club when going in the backswing ,and I go into the backswing smoothly .This works perfectly for me ,but considering what you say in the delofting of the clubface ,it may be an error .If it is what do you suggest as to initiate the backswing very smoothly ?
You have to be very careful with the forward press. If it’s not that much I am okay with it but if you move it enough to change the face then that would be a serious issue. I bounce club club very slightly up and down compressing the grass just before I take it ball so I don’t press it. When I was a kid I pressed it and changed my grip to a stronger position and this was a disaster. So the next time you play really watch the face and make sure it is not opening or closing just before you take it back.
I bounce the club a couple of times only when it’s the putter .For the other clubs ,I still prefer the forward press ,making sure I do not deloft the club face
Paul,
I have just copied other players at my club who all hover the club near the ball. If i ground the club this really is new for me. How far back from the ball should I let the sole rest on the ground? If I ground it near the ball I fear that as the club is so much lower than normal it will not go well.
Best regards,
Derek
I put mine on the ground a few inches behind the ball. I do this so I don’t know it off of the tee. Most have it right behind but when you’ve teed up as many balls as I have knocking a ball off the tee is one more bend I don’t need to be doing.
If you want to get rid of the hover you will just have to practice it. I let it sit. Just before I take it back I shake out my arm strength to remind me to not hit hard. Then I think about coiling to take the club back. So you might want to think like this. If you are thinking about coiling to take it back you are not worrying about how you are taking it back with the hands. Give it a try and see what happens. If you sky it with driver just keep your head behind the ball as you hit the ball. From there you will never sky it.
The club is not flush due to clubhead droop. When you hit a ball the club bows. If it sits flush and it bows you will hit toe first leaving the face open. We have the toe up slight so when it comes through and bows it will be flush.
Pau recommends soling with iron and keeping the toe up I don’t understand why . I do agree when chipping to keep the club more vertical and toe down and heal up to keep from snacking on the way back through. However I have no issue with a club snag on the way back into the backswing after selling an iron or away.
When you swing a golf club the shaft bows through impact. If it starts flush and it bows you will hit toe first leaving the face open. So you start with the toe slightly higher so it is flush when you hit the ball.
Paul ,I don’t “toe up’ ,neither the driver, nor fairway woods ,hybrids or irons and I haven’t noticed any mishit due to the toe catching the turf .But my swing speed is not that fast for me to bend the shaft .Should I take this into account ?
If you are not noticing anything on your shots then you may be lowering as you hit the ball. I would assume you have the right shafts for your swing speed so they should be bowing. Hit a bunch of balls then look at the grass/dirt lines on your clubs. These lines should be parallel to the grooves. If on an angle there is something wrong. Need to hit quit a few balls without cleaning your clubs and you will see it.
Is it so that The shaft then bows in two directions 😕
-down
-backwards
The lines I see on the sole of the clubhead are those of the tee when I tee up the driver or the fairway woods or the hybrids :they are not usually exactly at right angles to the clubface .
The club comes “in not in a straight line so there is an angle ”
I never check what happens when I “brush off ” the turf ;
Following your suggestion ,I shall do so next time I play
The tee marks on the bottom of a driver should not be straight because the club is making an arc as it swings through impact. So don’t try to get them straight. See what is happening with the irons.
So your are saying the club shaft should bow forward at impact . I was thinking the club and not bow forward until after impact. If in fact we are trying to bowl the club forward just prior to impact by whipping the wrist , I can see how this would be correct. I was under the impression that we were trying to I have the club bottom and more of a non-bold or straight position.
I know this is a little technical for what happened in a matter of microsecond but I am just trying to understand what it is exactly I’m trying to do.
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28 Responses to “Let Your Driver Sole Itself”
November 13, 2018
GLENNWISSEThis is a great way to make sure your driver is set up neutral . I see plenty of players sitting up with driver closed as well. I had one friend who would set up perfectly and then just before Takeaway he would tighten his grip so much the face would close dramatically. All his shot were low line drives left. Even with irons. I tried to help him but he just couldn’t stop it. Old habits are hard to break.
November 14, 2018
Paul WilsonGlenn,
Exactly, I just kept seeing person after person doing this recently so I did the tip. Glad you are not doing it.
November 14, 2018
MarySmithHi Paul, Liked the tip on the sole of the driver. A while back you said you were going to review a new driver. Still going to do that? Thank, Mary Smith
November 14, 2018
Paul WilsonMary,
It’s coming. I have had a few women try it and they loved it. Definitely hit it longer than theirs. I will let everyone know once I get the word it is ready.
Thanks,
November 14, 2018
AnthonyScarfoneHi, Paul.
Wonderful tip great reminder; definitely helps with alignment.
Could you please comment from the perspective of hovering the driver above the ground before the takeaway (a la Matt Kuchar)?
Thanks.
Anthony
November 16, 2018
Paul WilsonAnthony,
I don’t like people hovering it. They never seem to do it right and the get tight and locked up.
November 14, 2018
ThomasBoyerYes, what Anthony wrote, I hover my driver, after soling it to let the dememds out.
November 16, 2018
Paul WilsonThomas,
I have never seem an amateur hover the club right. The get tight or the move it back and forth. I like it on the ground. Then you turn the arms off before you take it back.
November 16, 2018
SteveLundyDo you hover or sole a adjustable driver to try and insure that the face is square at setup?
November 16, 2018
Paul WilsonSteve,
I hold it very gently so it soles itself on the ground. Hovering it won’t ensure it’s square. Try it on a hard, flat surface and you will see it will sole itself. Then carefully place your grip on the club.
November 20, 2018
RaymondCHASTELPaul ,I set up my driver and fairway woods or hybrids as you say in this video ,sole flat on the turf .
Then , when I start my swing ,I use a trigger, which is a slight forward press of my hands ,so as to not “snatch ” the club when going in the backswing ,and I go into the backswing smoothly .This works perfectly for me ,but considering what you say in the delofting of the clubface ,it may be an error .If it is what do you suggest as to initiate the backswing very smoothly ?
November 20, 2018
Paul WilsonRaymond,
You have to be very careful with the forward press. If it’s not that much I am okay with it but if you move it enough to change the face then that would be a serious issue. I bounce club club very slightly up and down compressing the grass just before I take it ball so I don’t press it. When I was a kid I pressed it and changed my grip to a stronger position and this was a disaster. So the next time you play really watch the face and make sure it is not opening or closing just before you take it back.
https://ignitiongolf.com/stay-in-motion/
March 30, 2019
RaymondCHASTELI bounce the club a couple of times only when it’s the putter .For the other clubs ,I still prefer the forward press ,making sure I do not deloft the club face
March 31, 2019
Paul WilsonRaymond,
The press is fine if you don’t deloft it OR change your grip. You can change to a strong grip as you press it so make sure you check this too.
November 20, 2018
DerekSharpPaul,
I have just copied other players at my club who all hover the club near the ball. If i ground the club this really is new for me. How far back from the ball should I let the sole rest on the ground? If I ground it near the ball I fear that as the club is so much lower than normal it will not go well.
Best regards,
Derek
November 20, 2018
Paul WilsonDerek,
I put mine on the ground a few inches behind the ball. I do this so I don’t know it off of the tee. Most have it right behind but when you’ve teed up as many balls as I have knocking a ball off the tee is one more bend I don’t need to be doing.
If you want to get rid of the hover you will just have to practice it. I let it sit. Just before I take it back I shake out my arm strength to remind me to not hit hard. Then I think about coiling to take the club back. So you might want to think like this. If you are thinking about coiling to take it back you are not worrying about how you are taking it back with the hands. Give it a try and see what happens. If you sky it with driver just keep your head behind the ball as you hit the ball. From there you will never sky it.
March 29, 2019
DennisOneilWhat is the purpose of not solving the irons. Why is the toe off the ground?
March 30, 2019
RaymondCHASTELNot soling the club prevents you from snatching it off the ground in a jerky movement when going into your backswing .
March 31, 2019
Paul WilsonRaymond,
I think he was talking about toe up at address.
March 31, 2019
Paul WilsonDennis,
The club is not flush due to clubhead droop. When you hit a ball the club bows. If it sits flush and it bows you will hit toe first leaving the face open. We have the toe up slight so when it comes through and bows it will be flush.
March 30, 2019
DennisOneilPau recommends soling with iron and keeping the toe up I don’t understand why . I do agree when chipping to keep the club more vertical and toe down and heal up to keep from snacking on the way back through. However I have no issue with a club snag on the way back into the backswing after selling an iron or away.
March 31, 2019
Paul WilsonDennis,
When you swing a golf club the shaft bows through impact. If it starts flush and it bows you will hit toe first leaving the face open. So you start with the toe slightly higher so it is flush when you hit the ball.
April 1, 2019
RaymondCHASTELPaul ,I don’t “toe up’ ,neither the driver, nor fairway woods ,hybrids or irons and I haven’t noticed any mishit due to the toe catching the turf .But my swing speed is not that fast for me to bend the shaft .Should I take this into account ?
April 4, 2019
Paul WilsonRaymond,
If you are not noticing anything on your shots then you may be lowering as you hit the ball. I would assume you have the right shafts for your swing speed so they should be bowing. Hit a bunch of balls then look at the grass/dirt lines on your clubs. These lines should be parallel to the grooves. If on an angle there is something wrong. Need to hit quit a few balls without cleaning your clubs and you will see it.
April 5, 2019
RaymondCHASTELIs it so that The shaft then bows in two directions 😕
-down
-backwards
The lines I see on the sole of the clubhead are those of the tee when I tee up the driver or the fairway woods or the hybrids :they are not usually exactly at right angles to the clubface .
The club comes “in not in a straight line so there is an angle ”
I never check what happens when I “brush off ” the turf ;
Following your suggestion ,I shall do so next time I play
April 5, 2019
Paul WilsonRaymond,
The tee marks on the bottom of a driver should not be straight because the club is making an arc as it swings through impact. So don’t try to get them straight. See what is happening with the irons.
March 31, 2019
DennisOneilSo your are saying the club shaft should bow forward at impact . I was thinking the club and not bow forward until after impact. If in fact we are trying to bowl the club forward just prior to impact by whipping the wrist , I can see how this would be correct. I was under the impression that we were trying to I have the club bottom and more of a non-bold or straight position.
I know this is a little technical for what happened in a matter of microsecond but I am just trying to understand what it is exactly I’m trying to do.
April 4, 2019
Paul WilsonDennis,
No the shaft bows down because the mass is outside the fulcrum as it swings.
Toe Up Or Toe Down: https://ignitiongolf.com/setup-toe-up