Driver?

[Patrick]

Granted, I’m only on the 21st day. When do we discuss the driver?

I have seen improvement with my irons (I’m hitting the ball higher) and surprisingly with my hybrids and fairway woods (straight), but my driver, which was good, is slicing it off the course. I kept it in the bag and used my fairway wood.

What are your thoughts?

I realize that this is a work in progress and I feel good about the program.

Thanks,

[Tathata Staff]

Patrick,

Thank you for reaching out. Sorry to hear about your driver but glad you are enjoying improvement with the rest of your clubs. The driver swing is introduced in chapter 4 in the speed and strength section along with the wedge swing. A couple things I would check at this point are your surf to level movements and your hand and arm pressure point movements through impact of the pressure routine.

Surf to Level – When you surf to level, especially when you add speed like you would with a driver, do your knees, hips and shoulders all finish parallel to your target line / aim line? Be sure these body parts are all finishing square to your target line / aim line or even slightly closed (5 degrees) Is your front knee, hip and shoulder slightly higher than your back knee, hip and shoulder? Is your front knee outside of your front foot and back leg a touch straighter than your front leg as your front hip has moved over your front foot?

Pressure routine hand and arm pressure points – When you thrust through impact and finish at the position where the club shaft would be parallel to the ground for the first time after impact check your hand position. Do you feel your back palm (right hand for right-handed players) facing more down to the ground or up to the sky? The back palm should be facing at about a 45 degree angle between facing parallel to the ground and directly down at the ground. To do this, your front hand palm (left hand for right-handed players) should be facing just about parallel to the ground, rather than facing down at the ground at all.

These two things combine should go a long way to helping you correct any type of slicing motion with the driver.

I hope this helps, happy training as you move into chapter 4 and begin working on the driver!

[David]

Patrick – I’m curious how your driver is working after a few additional weeks of Tathata?

[Barry]

I had exact same experience. I feel more time needed explaining difference in a swing to compress ball ( 7 iron ) compared , IMO, to that of sweeping the ball off a tee with, hopefully, an ascending path.

I would also like to know if things improved for you Patrick, they did not for me. However I have a new toy endorsed by Jimmy Ballard which helps train connection and I can now feel what is meant by ‘pressurising’ the pecs thru impact for the first time, so I’m going to over the lessons again (had graduated ) ,with the use of my new toy.

[David]

Barry – Bryan’s description of front arm tricept/lat pressure is exactly what Jimmy’s training aide is trying to facilitate. I have found this to be one of the easiest to follow aspects of the course. Glutes/hips into and out of impact, well, that’s been a struggle even with everything said and written thus far. And God knows I’ve put in the hours! Have you taken video of your swing down the line and face on to evaluate your body movements?