Even after trying just about all the tips on this site, I still have two driver shots.....the start right and drift off the planet, and the smother hook. My irons with SnT have been great. I can hit a fade or a draw, but I can go 18 holes and not hit a fairway with the driver.
Tom's "Power Fade" video on youtube has been helpful, but too many shots start left and go a little more left....the power's there but the fade isn't.
I have read that even Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau complain about not being able to draw modern drivers with control so the slight fade seems like a reasonable goal.
What's the best way to keep the face from closing so the ball can fade?
Looking forward to doing your follow-up V1, @Howard Pennington. Sounds like you're making some nice progress!
In the meantime, should you wish to have a look there is some content on early extension/casting in the Fixing Common Swing Problems section. Here is the diagnostic video, and that is followed by two drill videos specific to this issue.
Tom
Tom....I took a V1 video and have signed up for a follow up lesson. I'm about halfway between my old swing and a SnT swing. 1. Weight is more forward on my set up. 2. Backswing still isn't really connected but my clubface is staying square/closed longer than before. 3. Downswing starts with a little over the top move. I did the "swing under the sticks" drill today and got some big high hooks along with some tops, so that must be getting shallower. 4. I'm losing my right arm flex before impact, and my right hand is slamming the club shut (I think). I'm looking forward to seeing your comments.
@Howard Pennington - You will find plenty of great community dialogue on the driver simply by searching for it here in the Forum. @Nocona Colt Abernathy's reply is spot on, and that slight power fade is a wonderful go-to shape for the driver - once you have the downswing working properly....
Below is my typical response when golfers are hitting everything well except for the driver/woods. I say "typical" because this is an issue that I am regularly asked about, and these are the most readily occurring causes:
1) They don't start with - or maintain - enough weight on the front side. In general with the longer clubs we should add a little more front weight load at address - more like 60/40 instead of the 55/45 prescribed for the other clubs. This forward weight should gradually increase to the top of the backswing (70/30) and build further on the downswing - approximately 80/20 halfway down, 90/10 impact, and 95/5 finish.
2) Their hips are not continuing their lateral slide through impact. This is common with the longer clubs as the wider stance means that the hips have a greater distance to travel. If the hips stop moving laterally towards the target on the downswing then their rotation takes over, changing the low point and rerouting the club. This can produce a variety of undesirable results including fat and thin contact, topped shots and popups, straight pulls, and “banana” slices. Here is a drill from the Fixing Common Swing Problems section specific to building in more lateral hip slide in the downswing.
3) They are not allowing the length of the club to dictate the backswing path and are getting too steep as a result. The shaft length of the longer clubs encourages more of an around the body backswing as established by the shaft plane at address. It may "feel" flat as you take it back along the shaft plane for the first few feet, but as long as you maintain the "weight forward, shoulder down, and hands in" components while allowing the club to work around you, it should put you in the proper position at the top so you can attack the ball from the inside. This recent KFC Club members video may help in this regard.
Again, this is a common issue that I am regularly asked to fix, so if yours doesn't relate to any of the above causes - or if it does and you are experiencing difficulty resolving it - we can always arrange for an online lesson or a V1 swing video analysis to pinpoint the culprit and offer an appropriate solution.
Tom
You will always have more "control" with a fade. That's why so many guys on tour play a fade. That being said. It's hard for anybody to determine you issue without seeing you swing.
To answer your question. Maintaining the wedge, even with driver, is the best method I know for keeping a square face through impact. I think a lot of people tend to do good with irons because they are trying to hit a certain distance, but they get flippy with the driver because they are trying to hit as far as they can.