Driver setup
Original Topic
Reposted — 2022-12-04T00:23:05Z
Richard — June 27, 2014
Hi Ross,
My game has come far since I implemented your system. I got my first back-to-back sub-80 rounds last weekend: 78 and 79. I’ve got to try your putting stroke, as I missed five birdie putts from 6–10 feet!
Anyway, with the driver, do you set up a little to the right with the ball ahead of the front foot to allow for the swing arc? I get a bit of a left pull, albeit with better launch and distance. I hit it straight with the ball just inside my front foot, but with a bit less yardage. Anybody else out there experience this?
P.S. No slice, no hook—just dead-straight shots, hitting more fairways than ever! It’s a beautiful thing!
Discussion (15 Replies)
Reply 1
Ross — 2022-12-04T00:23:46Z
Ross — June 27, 2014
You are getting close! By adjusting your alignment to compensate, you get the job done—putting the ball in play—but you’re trading issues.
I’m pretty sure the reason the ball goes left when it is outside your foot is that your rotation is not continuing to dominate, slightly leading the arms and club. The arms and club pass the body, sending the ball a little left.
The real answer for you, so you get the distance you want, is to focus on turning more, turning faster, or turning with more commitment. It’s like throwing a ball as far as you can—TURN! Don’t worry about hitting the ball; it will get in the way of your commitment.
Ross
Reply 2
Reposted — 2022-12-04T00:24:16Z
Richard — June 27, 2014
Yeah, Ross, I just got home from a round and read your response. I agree, and I actually kind of figured it out on the course today. No round in the 70s, but an 82. Last year, I was happy to break 90, so thanks for your site and teachings!
Anyway, I was watching the tube last night, and the talk was all about teaching with technology, using modern biomechanical tools. They discussed how the pros shift the front hip forward 5 inches, then turn through the shot. Hmm... I feel your system eliminates the need for the “hip bump” by the nature of the setup: weight forward, then turn through the shot.
I had an “Aha!” moment after thinking your video through. I hit it crisp, straight, and into the short grass. I also used your putting technique for the first time. I had good results and will continue with it.
I had kind of a cool moment playing through a foursome after they had hit on a par 3. I was about 30 feet out, with an up-and-down roll and about 3 feet of left-to-right break. I drained it through the side door. I heard one of the gents say, “What a putt!”
It was the only big putt I made, but I had only one three-putt today. I’ve got to spend some time on the practice green. You other members, give this a try.
Reply 3
Ross — 2022-12-04T00:25:46Z
Ross — June 28, 2014
Yes, the pros shift their weight forward 5 inches because they let themselves slide to the back foot. But why? They just don’t know better. When you know better, you do better.
Mostly, it is because it is kind of natural to “step into things,” using your weight going forward to help propel objects, as in throwing. This is great when something is in your hand and you want to move it forward. But in golf, the ball is fixed, and we do not get the luxury of sliding off the ball at all, or we pay the price in accuracy.
We all want to slide back and forth, but we can never be consistent with that move.
Inconsistent moves:
- Sliding.
- Allowing your weight to move to the outside of the back foot.
- Hinging the wrists.
- Rolling the wrists.
- Lifting the arms.
- Bending the elbows—really one of the worst problems and one of the least mentioned.
- Allowing the hands to take over at any time.
- Allowing the arms to help at any time.
- Not setting up in an athletic, balanced position, which causes a balancing act during the swing.
- Moving the shoulders up and down rather than around the spine, except in putting and chipping.
Okay, I’ll stop. You get the point. Golf is tough enough, and the less you move, the more accurate you’ll become.
What’s more important: direction or distance? I’ll tell you that if the ball is straight, you rarely get into problems, and you protect your attitude. You make the call.
Move less... get good!
Ross
Reply 4
Reposted — 2022-12-04T00:26:26Z
Richard — July 9, 2014
I have been using the Ross move for two months now, and I feel it is time to weigh in. I switched to this method mainly due to chronic soreness in my right hip and lower back. I would not be playing golf at this time if not for Ross’s method.
I have been playing this game for 35 or so years, always battling inconsistent contact with the ball. I have never hit the ball so straight, with very few fat shots and no pain!
It does leave me at times due to old habits, but this system works! Turn, rotate—it is that simple!
For me, I have found that the farther I force the turn, the less consistent the contact. If I allow the arms to fold at all in the turn, it leads to bad contact. It feels strange, but the compression of the ball is so much better.
Extend back, extend through, and rotate completely to the left. It gets you up on your right toe, with all the weight on the left side and the right shoulder at the target.
Thanks, Ross!
Richard Martens
Reply 5
Ross — 2022-12-04T00:26:47Z
Ross — July 9, 2014
Thanks, Richard. Great to hear how well you’re doing—and with no back pain. I have heard similar comments about back improvement in the past.
I think it is because we release the back rather than stop and throw the arms across the body, which pulls on the lower back.
Reply 6
Reposted — 2022-12-04T00:28:22Z
davew — July 13, 2014
Hi Ross,
I have a question about whether using the Ross swing would negate the so-called benefits of a driver with adjustable weights in the clubhead.
I can envisage some benefits to fitting the club when using a “conventional” two-lever swing. However, with the Ross swing, we are trying to keep things constant, so changing weights should not, ideally, influence the result.
Am I correct, or would there, in fact, be an advantage to a driver with adjustable weights?
Thanks,
davew
Reply 7
Ross — 2022-12-04T00:29:27Z
Ross — July 13, 2014
My initial thoughts are: Where are the weights placed, and why? Are they also working in conjunction with some other compensation—a closed face, a low center of gravity, perimeter weighting, or an offset hosel—to “help” the golfer?
I would think these kinds of clubhead properties would not play much of a role if the clubhead is controlled correctly. We want the shaft in line with the front arm and the clubface square at impact. This can be controlled with grip pressure and by using the body’s mass and rotation to control the arms, hands, and club.
I believe the body’s rotational “dominance” would override any compensations in the clubhead. Now, if the golfer stops rotating and lets the clubhead go on its own, anything goes.
Weights in the clubhead may also affect a golfer using my method who has light grip pressure. They may “fight” the club’s compensating dynamics—its tendency to roll shut or stay open.
Sorry, davew, that’s about all I can come up with. Hope it helps some.
Ross
Reply 8
Reposted — 2022-12-04T00:29:58Z
Jimbohaw — July 28, 2014
Ross,
Would you adjust how far ahead of your front foot you tee up the ball if you were trying to hit either a slight draw or a fade with your driver?
I was playing with this, and since the clubface is open in a fade, it seemed to cause me to hit too high a trajectory. Would I shorten my normal 4-inch distance from the clubhead to the ball, then?
Reply 9
Ross — 2022-12-04T00:30:26Z
Ross — July 29, 2014
Nothing is set in stone about the 4-inch idea; it is a starting point.
One of the main benefits of having the ball “out there” is that the golfer now has the freedom to turn and “go after it” through rotation, rather than having to flip the hands to help the ball into the air. It also kind of removes the ball from view and helps make the golfer turn and trust that the turn will get the job done without help from the hands.
You want to hold the setup shape—a flat left wrist, the shaft in line with the front arm, and a bend in the back wrist—through impact as you rotate! You move the ball with your body turn. If you help with the hands, you will usually add loft and can send the ball right or left.
This might get a bit technical, but it is important information to learn.
Now, you can do different things to achieve different results. You can tee it lower. That will catch the ball in a different spot on the clubface. Ideally, you want to hit the sweet spot every time.
This is also where golfers realize, “Hmm... this 10° driver now hits the ball too high because I used to play the ball in the middle of my stance and was essentially hitting down on every drive, unless I flipped my hands to save the shot.”
So, with this method, the 10° driver now has 12° of effective loft at impact, since the clubface is ascending into the ball and launching it—a good thing.
This is something you want to be aware of. You don’t want to have to tee the ball so that you purposely mishit it to offset the fact that the loft is wrong. We want to hit the sweet spot with the ideal loft at impact for the results you want.
Please experiment with different lofts and ball positions before you run out and buy a new driver. You can put the ball only 2 inches in front and pick it up a bit sooner. You want to play around with this.
You can close or open the clubface slightly before you take your grip. Then, use your feet to line up the clubface with your target. This should automatically change your foot alignment to accommodate the face. If you opened the face before taking your grip, your feet will be slightly open to the target—and the opposite if you closed the face.
Ross
Reply 10
Reposted — 2022-12-04T00:30:47Z
Jimbohaw — July 29, 2014
Regarding a fade or a draw with any club, should I expect added loft when opening the clubface and my stance for a fade? Likewise, should I expect a lower trajectory when I close the face and my stance for a draw?
Reply 11
Ross — 2022-12-04T00:31:03Z
Ross — July 29, 2014
Yes, the loft does change. Any opening or closing of the clubface before gripping the club should be slight.
Remember, a lot of golf clubs—and, I think, golf balls, too—on the market today are designed to keep the ball from cutting or drawing, through perimeter weighting and so on. You may have that working against you.
Reply 12
Reposted — 2022-12-04T00:31:24Z
Jimbohaw — August 7, 2014
Hey Ross,
My driver is really becoming more consistent using your setup. I am hitting it straight and about 190–200 yards. I am getting more consistent with the setup, shoulder turn, and pulling my arms around with my body.
Today, I concentrated on turning my shoulders a little more quickly while really thinking about resisting the turn of my hips. All of a sudden, I was smoking my drives another 30 yards or more—and straight.
I can’t wait to keep adding speed to my rotation and see how far this 57-year-old will be able to drive it. Your method works, and I feel no strain on my body. I wish Tiger would learn your method.
Reply 13
Ross — 2022-12-04T00:31:50Z
Ross — August 7, 2014
Thanks for the nice comments, Jimbohaw. I’m not sure what Tiger needs these days... [confused]
I do know that you can only take your routine to the course, not swing thoughts. Swing thoughts belong on the range, then get practiced as part of the routine—a lot! Then the routine goes to the course, and you trust it.
He used to visualize his shots; now, he’s visualizing swing positions. Being a teacher, I’ve gotten caught up in this kind of thinking with my own game.
A routine focused more on “making golf shots” is his way out, and his body will remember from past experiences.
Reply 14
Reposted — 2022-12-04T00:32:17Z
Jimbohaw — August 7, 2014
One question I had for you concerns my setup for the driver.
I found that if I add a little more knee flex, while still maintaining a balanced, athletic position, I am able to make better and more consistent contact with the ball and brace my hips with my back foot and leg. It also allows me to keep my chin up more naturally.
Also, I pick a spot of grass about 4 inches behind the ball and maybe 1 inch farther from me, and I concentrate on that as I swing—in other words, just beyond the clubface at address. That really helps me keep my chin up, avoid sliding back, and pull my club around as my body turns through.
I don’t stay fixed on that spot past contact, but let my body and shoulders turn my head to face the target.
What do you think about these adjustments? The slightly deeper knee flex seems to help me with all my clubs. It keeps me from leaning forward, I guess.
Reply 15
Ross — 2022-12-04T00:36:00Z
Great. I like all of them.