Although you may now be able to hit a 200 yard drive down the middle of the fairway, you struggle to hit a 100 yard 9 iron to the green.
I am not saying that modern technology has no place in golf, but to improve we must return focus to the foundation of the golf swing, and that is the grip.
Spot the Difference
Every good golf swing should start with a good grip. If you are one of these people then you require a neutral, square faced driver.
The effect of a closed face in the hands of a good player is well documented by the likes of the great golf instructor, John Jacobs. “Almost every swing fault, in my experience, stems from misalignment of the clubface at impact.” he said back in Golf Digest, October 1975.
In my lessons I see golfers of all levels react to the spin and the flight of the ball. Therefore the implications of starting the swing with a closed face (that forces the ball into a right to left arc) are potentially disastrous in the wrong hands.
If you are a golfer who wants lessons or is having lessons, starting off with a neutral face is by far the best choice. Because the hands and the clubface are in sync it will encourage you to release the club through impact, and will reward you for holding it correctly. In turn your whole game will become much easier, from sand wedge through to driver.
“Always take great care in selecting a driver. They may all appear the same, but there are many variations.”
As a beginner the draw bias club is a great way to start as it compensates for a bad grip. Even though you only took the game up 2 minutes ago, you’ve impressed your friends with a perfect draw down
the middle of the fairway.
For a beginner who initially slices the ball (left to right), a closed face can encourage a better swing path. By trying to stop the ball from hooking (right to left) your natural instinct is to develop the ideal in to out swing path to compensate.
If you are somebody who doesn’t have time for lessons, or you are reluctant to change your grip - this type of driver is perfectly suited to you.
Whilst I accept that draw bias drivers make golf a lot of fun, it doesn’t do much for the development of your game. Once you are ready to improve, this club will hinder your progress as you begin to over compensate for the closed face.
On the following pages I explain the effects of a better player reacting to a closed faced driver, and how to develop a good grip more suited to every club in the bag.
“If you don’t have time for lessons modern drivers can provide a quick fix.”
