• 06-19-2006
    bad putt
    Draw Drivers - Do they really stop the Slice?
    Hi,

    I am a 15 handycap golfer and often fade the ball. I can never draw a ball no matter how hard I try.

    I get the occasional slice and hit the ball miles into the woods.

    Would a Draw driver such as the Taylor made R5 or the R460 with movable weights help or is it just another marketing gimick to make me go out and spend my hard earned cash on another driver.

    I currently have the Cobra 440SZ. Should I save my cash and spend it on lessons instead!

    Thanks for any advise.
  • 06-19-2006
    Gussie
    Not Marketing Gimmicks....
    but they are not going to turn your golf swing into a "draw swing" overnight. If you hit fades and the occsaional slice a club like the R5 D will minimize the fade and slice, but it's not going to let you hit long, high draws right away...you'll need lessons to correct your swing faults. The R7 460 will do the same thing, but it's a more forgiving club than the R5 D, so your off-center hits won't produce as much fade/slice...more straight.
    There is no, repeat no, substitute for lessons though. There isn't a club on the market that will take the place of lessons to correct swing faults.
  • 06-19-2006
    Boomhauer
    [QUOTE=Gussie]but they are not going to turn your golf swing into a "draw swing" overnight. If you hit fades and the occsaional slice a club like the R5 D will minimize the fade and slice, but it's not going to let you hit long, high draws right away...you'll need lessons to correct your swing faults. The R7 460 will do the same thing, but it's a more forgiving club than the R5 D, so your off-center hits won't produce as much fade/slice...more straight.
    There is no, repeat no, substitute for lessons though. There isn't a club on the market that will take the place of lessons to correct swing faults.[/QUOTE]

    Well put. GD did a test with various driver set-ups, and the draw enhancing drivers showed a marked improvement for slicing golfers and a robotic swing machine set to slice. (if you trust their results). Lessons are the only investment that will will bring about significant, lasting improvements....that and a HiBore...:p
  • 06-19-2006
    emc
    Get lessons, and then get a new driver fitted to your game as a reward to yourself. (Go on, you deserve it!)
  • 06-19-2006
    golfnut86
    Also be wary of using draw drivers if you have a natural fade/slice swing. That striaght ball flight sometimes has a knuckling effect which can kill carry distance.
  • 06-19-2006
    Chip
    weighting is not a gimmick, but it is not a cure all....i had a comp 454 that i could still fade when needed despite being 1 or 2 degrees closed. same with my r5 tp---set up to draw, but doesnt prevent a fade. A draw weighting does one and only one thing---If you are putting a draw swing on the ball, the weighting will be working with you: i.e. the face will resist closing less than if there was more weight in the toe of the club (which would be a fade setup). In other words---until you learn how to swing from the inside (and finish somewhat outside) the weighting will do nothing 4 u. Swing over the top, cut acroos the ball with 2 degrees shut and 12 extra grams in the heel? you'll still slice.
  • 06-19-2006
    Boomhauer
    [QUOTE=Chip]Swing over the top, cut acroos the ball with 2 degrees shut and 12 extra grams in the heel? you'll still slice.[/QUOTE]

    ...sad but true:(
  • 06-19-2006
    ROLLMSTR8
    Inside Approach !! Invest in it !!
  • 06-19-2006
    ezra76
    Problem I have with the closed face is once in a while the fade setup results in a double-cross. Trust me, a slice would be welcomed compared the OTT pull-hook.
  • 06-19-2006
    bdgiant
    A slice is cause from three things: 1) you keep the club face open 2) you block your left arm 3) your swing plane goes from front right to back left across your body. These so-called shape bias drivers only make is easier to open or close the club face at impact (and very little to do with center COG or MOI). They only work if you have good ball striking with a consistant swing and hit the ball straight. If you block you left arm or your swing plane if off, it what matter what your holding in you hands, you gonna slice the ball. The club head can't "push" the ball in the right direction. It only makes it easier to fix one aspect of a bad swing.
  • 06-19-2006
    SDB1
    [QUOTE=bad putt]Hi,

    I am a 15 handycap golfer and often fade the ball. I can never draw a ball no matter how hard I try.

    I get the occasional slice and hit the ball miles into the woods.

    Would a Draw driver such as the Taylor made R5 or the R460 with movable weights help or is it just another marketing gimick to make me go out and spend my hard earned cash on another driver.

    I currently have the Cobra 440SZ. Should I save my cash and spend it on lessons instead!

    Thanks for any advise.[/QUOTE]

    Improving your swing is never a bad idea but, what is your swing speed? What stiffness shaft do you play? A weak shaft will accentuate your natural shot shape. For me, when I play a weak shaft my timing and tempo have to be just perfect to hit a straight shot. A stiffer shaft tightens the dispersion and keeps my misses in play instead of OB.
  • 06-20-2006
    bad putt
    I used to use a reg shaft but found it too whippy so I changed to a Stiff one which seems a lot better. Not sure what my swing speed is but I average about 250 yards and on a good day get about 280.

    I might get a second hand R5 and give it ago. I can't really justify the extra money the R7 460 costs.

    Thanks.
  • 06-20-2006
    emc
    The only thing is that the Cobra 440SZ has a closed face to stop you from slicingas well, so the benefits are probably minimal
  • 06-20-2006
    Jimbo1013
    Get yourself a sqare faced driver and learn to hit it straigt, or learn to play your natural ball flight. If you can do that you will be far ahead of where you would be getting a closed driver and band aiding your swing...unless your happy with that...
  • 06-20-2006
    ezra76
    [QUOTE=Jimbo1013]Get yourself a sqare faced driver and learn to hit it straigt, or learn to play your natural ball flight. If you can do that you will be far ahead of where you would be getting a closed driver and band aiding your swing...unless your happy with that...[/QUOTE]

    Problem is a square face is tough to find these days. I did OK with the R7 quad playing a fade. I stuck a 4g in the heel and after a dozen or so balls I had that penetrating 5 yd. draw. Problem is, on the course muscle memory takes over and I always swing out to in. It also the best way for me to comfortably hit the sweet spot square.This is fine for now if I play to it and take a 3 or 5W on the doglegs left. I will be getting a new driver soon and plan to spend some time at the range building a straighter path memory and getting the head turned over. Good advice though.

    PS- Anyone looking for a square face... stay away from Tour Drivers, especially the R7 TP, unless you are scratch.
  • 06-20-2006
    LyleG
    This club will cure your slice

    [url]http://www.bobburnscustomclubs.com/store/item.php?ID=55[/url]
  • 06-20-2006
    xender
    [QUOTE=Jimbo1013]Get yourself a sqare faced driver and learn to hit it straigt, or learn to play your natural ball flight. If you can do that you will be far ahead of where you would be getting a closed driver and band aiding your swing...unless your happy with that...[/QUOTE]
    Excellent suggestion. I pretty much gave up on trying to hit a draw as my natural swing is a fade. I can just about get as much yardage as hitting it straight and I KNOW most of the time where my ball's going to land. when I try to hit a draw, it just messes up my swing for the rest of the round and is quite unpredictable.
  • 06-20-2006
    mpkelley20
    For those of us that don't have the time to actually take lessons and fix our normal swings, draw drivers will help the flaw to a point. I've used the Hogan C-S3 draw bias driver and loved it. I could hit virtually anything with this club but had to change as my swing speed started to improve recently. The regular flex was killing me when I was too quick in my takeaway so I am now using a stiff flex Callaway FT-3 with a draw bias.

    My normal ball flight is close to being straight compared to my normal fade ball flight with my older drivers. My mishits, however, tend to be pull hooks. I don't blame the driver as much as my early release of my hips but it does play a role. With my older drivers, the same swing would result in eiter a bananna ball or a dead block. Now, it is an ugly, low pull hook. Either way, my mishits still s**k
  • 06-20-2006
    LyleG
    I honestly look at this way.

    Use what ever the hell works. If a 2 degree closed face driver helps you hit more fairways, then hit the 2 degree closed face driver. If you need a little offset, gets some sticks with offset. We are not pro's, and never will be. Will you ever have a swing like Adam Scott? I doubt it.
    The game is suppose to be fun, and shooting lower scores is fun. Do whatever you can to achieve this.
  • 06-20-2006
    graffixjones
    While I don't have a movable-weight driver, I do have a TM Rescue Dual. I've tried it set up to both 'draw' and 'neutral' (swapping the weight positions), and I hit the club exactly the same both ways... though I 'did' tend to draw the ball a bit more when it was set up for a draw, but I don't know if it's just correlation, or causation. I can draw the ball consistently even with a neutral setup, so that's why I wonder.
  • 06-20-2006
    Chip
    [QUOTE=graffixjones]While I don't have a movable-weight driver, I do have a TM Rescue Dual. I've tried it set up to both 'draw' and 'neutral' (swapping the weight positions), and I hit the club exactly the same both ways... though I 'did' tend to draw the ball a bit more when it was set up for a draw, but I don't know if it's just correlation, or causation. I can draw the ball consistently even with a neutral setup, so that's why I wonder.[/QUOTE]

    read my above post to get your answer
  • 06-20-2006
    ironman
    Inside Approach
    [QUOTE=ROLLMSTR8]Inside Approach !! Invest in it !![/QUOTE]

    i know! i know!
    gotta make time for my pro.

    i hate my slicing..just when i had thought i've fit that..BAM! slice again!..though occasionally i've had some sweet fades...going left like going out of bounds then straightening along the edge real far then curving back to the middle of the FW...man, I''d like to "draw" something like that.
  • 06-21-2006
    underaverage
    Nonononono
    ok, so you buy a draw driver and it stops your slice off the first tee. What happens when you go to hit your iron approach in to the green and you slice it 30 yards from the green?
  • 06-21-2006
    bad putt
    [QUOTE=underaverage]ok, so you buy a draw driver and it stops your slice off the first tee. What happens when you go to hit your iron approach in to the green and you slice it 30 yards from the green?[/QUOTE]


    The strange thing is I can nail my long irons streight and a long way. 7 iron down I tend to push a little to the right. it's just my driver I slice as I am comming accross it to much at impact. The tee marks on the bottom of the driver suggest I am not hiting the ball square. So I am wondering if the draw weighted drivers will help me keep the club sqaure at impact. I might buy a second hand R5 and give it a blast.
  • 06-21-2006
    Boomhauer
    [QUOTE=ezra76]Problem is a square face is tough to find these days. I did OK with the R7 quad playing a fade. I stuck a 4g in the heel and after a dozen or so balls I had that penetrating 5 yd. draw. Problem is, on the course muscle memory takes over and I always swing out to in. It also the best way for me to comfortably hit the sweet spot square.This is fine for now if I play to it and take a 3 or 5W on the doglegs left. I will be getting a new driver soon and plan to spend some time at the range building a straighter path memory and getting the head turned over. Good advice though.

    PS- Anyone looking for a square face... stay away from Tour Drivers, especially the R7 TP, unless you are scratch.[/QUOTE]

    Ping G2 and G5 are both pretty square and neutral. MP-001 400 and 460 are also pretty neutral. When you can repeat your swing, the setup won't matter as much...you will simply play your shot. If you are starting and trying to get rid of a slice, worrying about how well a driver will lend to shaping is counter-productive. Learn to repeat a straight shot - a draw enhanced driver will help this (more so the closed face than the weighting).
  • 06-21-2006
    pmoper
    [QUOTE=bad putt]Hi,

    I am a 15 handycap golfer and often fade the ball. I can never draw a ball no matter how hard I try.

    I get the occasional slice and hit the ball miles into the woods.

    Would a Draw driver such as the Taylor made R5 or the R460 with movable weights help or is it just another marketing gimick to make me go out and spend my hard earned cash on another driver.

    I currently have the Cobra 440SZ. Should I save my cash and spend it on lessons instead!

    Thanks for any advise.[/QUOTE]
    A driver with a draw bias won't cure the ugly slice but it may make it findable.....you aren't going to cure a bad swing with a new stick....learn to get the right swing-path (in to square) and then get the face square to the target.......in other words.....TAKE A LESSON AND PRACTICE......Good luck