Alright folks, grabbed my Diablo 3 Hybrid this morning, dead set on figuring out how to stop sending that thing sideways. I swear, last week at the range it felt like I was fighting a demon, not hitting a golf club. Slices everywhere.
Starting Point: Utter Frustration
Went straight to the range, fired up my usual routine. Grabbed the hybrid after warming up with my irons – felt cocky. First swing? Wicked slice into the next zip code. Second swing? Pull hook that scared a squirrel. Third swing? Topped it maybe 20 yards, like topping a cheap beer. Felt hopeless. Why can’t I make the damn thing fly straight like my 7-iron sometimes does?
The Experiment Begins
Okay, time to experiment. Forget what I thought I knew.
- Tried swinging slower: Felt smoother, but still, that ugly right drift. Maybe a bit less scary, but still not straight.
- Tried moving the ball forward: Yeah, like driver position near my left foot. Disaster. Topped some, sliced some others. No control.
- Tried moving it back: Chunk city. Ball dug trenches like a backhoe.
Sat down on the bench, sipped my water, staring at this club like it owed me money. Realized my grip felt weird. Was holding it like my driver? Probably. Too much in the fingers.
The “Maybe This?” Moment
Got back up. Decided: screw driver grip, try holding it more like my 4-iron, deeper in the palm. Instant change. Less ‘whippy’ feeling.
Then, remembered some dude babbling about ball position once. Placed the ball dead center between my feet. Not forward, not back. Right in the damn middle. Felt awkward at first, like I was crowding it.
The real kicker? My swing thought. Wasn’t thinking “hit the ball hard.” Nope. Just focused on sweeping the grass after the ball. Like… brushing the turf past where the ball was sitting. Almost lazy.
The Crack in the Code
Took that first swing with the new grip, ball center stance, thinking “sweep the grass past it.” Didn’t even look up right away. Felt solid. Noticed the flight wasn’t banana shaped. Actually looked halfway decent.
Did it again. Boom. Straight line, decent height. Again. Same result. No magic, just this weird combination:
- Grip: Like my iron, firm in the palm.
- Stance: Ball dead center in my stance.
- Swing Thought: Sweep the grass after the ball lands, not lift the ball up.
Locking It In
Hit maybe 20 balls just focusing on those three things. Not every one was perfect, but maybe 15 of them flew damn near straight, landing where I was aiming for the first time ever with this club. Distance was good, too – landed right where my 4 iron hybrid specs usually go.
Felt stupidly simple in the end. Wasn’t about swinging harder or doing anything fancy. Just set up different and changed the one thought.
Biggest takeaway? Screw your ego. Swing easy, sweep the ground, and keep that ball dead center. The Diablo can fly straight. Turns out, the demon wasn’t in the club… it was my stupid grip and stance all along.