Hi
Swing is starting to reach it's completion and just wanted to post a few videos of me hitting my long drive shots.
Made just a few adjustments to my setup because i want to hit the ball more up.
The most amazing thing about this swing is that it just feels so effortless and powerful. I could bomb those drives all day without even breaking a sweat :)
So thanks a lot Tom for your teachings :)
The weight forward thing can be a bit challenging at first for the driver, but it is critical. The wider stance for this club necessitates that the hips travel a longer distance in their forward lateral slide from the beginning of the downswing all the way into impact, so we best give them a bit of a head start by presetting a little more weight forward in the setup.
As for hitting up on it, think of proper impact position - hands leading the clubface, bowed front wrist, "flying wedge" intact. It'd be difficult to retain those angles if we were actually hitting up on it. So, perhaps with the exception of folks with slower swing speeds – or those Long Drive participants using extra high tees and hitting maybe 1-2 balls out of 10 onto a 60-yard wide "fairway" - the path is still ever so slightly down. In fact, believe it or not the PGA Tour average with the driver is actually minus (e.g.: downward) 1.3 degrees - nearly level but slightly down nonetheless! Thus, I do not advocate hitting up on the ball, and trying to do so due to erroneous advice has caused many an amateur significant issues with their driver.
With the proper lower body action the hips will be thrusting forward and upward through impact as the butt tucks and the spine extends. This should be all you need in order to send that ball into oblivion without having to help it get there by swinging up at it (although with a 6-degree driver I can certainly understand the inclination to try to do so!).
Nice dialogue!
Tom