Jumbo drivers

Question
QUESTION: My dad gave me a King Cobra X Speed driver and two Titleist 975 fairway woods as a b day present.  The driver has the perfect shaft length at 44"  They all have the same shafts (ProForce 65).  I got the fairway woods wired in pretty short order and I can hit the 4 wood off the worst imaginable lies (and really hit the snot out of it on the tee) and the 7 wood outperforms my 21 degree 5 wood by leaps and bounds.  They all have stiff shafts (even my old 5 wood).

I have an Orlimar 9 degree driver (older style) that I hit pretty well now with a good tempo.

I need some tips on hitting the jumbo drivers (I really want to learn to hit the Cobra, because I can hit it quite a ways on a solid hit).  I found the perfect tee height (about 1 1/2 inches; too high I get under the ball and have dented a few drivers in the process and I would hate to trash a $400 driver) yesterday but I tend to top the ball about 50 percent of the time. That was the same thing with my other large drivers. It is like I can't control my body from coming up too soon.  I don't have this problem with the fairway woods or drivers with smaller heads (maybe I tend to swing slower on these).

ANSWER: Hello Lou:

Topping the ball is usually the result of simply hitting the ball too low on the face of the jumbo drivers.  The "sweet spot" on the jumbo drivers is high on the face, not low.  So if you are hitting up at all when you get to impact, you'll catch it real low on the face and hit it low or top it.  I believe the driver should be moving level to the ball at impact, not up.  So check your ball position, make sure it is not too far forward.  Keep the ball teed high and level out the swing abit to produce a more level strike at impact.  Remember the sweet spot is high on the face, so do not hit up at the ball in an effort to get it airborne.  That should help Lou.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ball position is just inside the left heel.  Tee height is halfway between the first and 2nd knuckle of the index finger for a jumbo driver and slightly under the first knuckle for an earlier model.   

I had a steel shaft Calloway 11 degree that I could hit pretty consistent but the distance was nothing to brag about (I can hit my current 4 wood farther).

I think my biggest problems with the driver (more prevalent with the jumbo clubs)are staying down on the follow through, keeping the arms from coming up, or sometimes breaking my wrists prematurely. It seems like I have to fight the club (mainly I have a hard time slowing my tempo down). I think I have pretty much cured the problem of hitting fat or popping the ball up.


Answer
Lou:
Good, the key to following through and not allowing the club to fold up so quickly is to make sure you keep swinging your arms and the entire club to the finish.  Also, allow the right heel to release off the turf so your body can support the swinging motion.  

Eddie