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Joined: 5/12/2008
Posts: 20
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Posted: May/14/2008 9:05 PM PST
I've been playing for about two years and am in the 100 range on a good day. Lessons have helped me a lot with getting my swing fairly consistent and fairly straight. It's not all that uncommon for me to be complimented on my swing by someone who is better than I am.
The problem is that I have no length at all. My swing works well for irons up to the 5i but not for the woods, which I slice horribly. (My irons go pretty straight with minimal slice.) I don't own any hybrids and can't seem to get around on the long irons. So the longest club I trust is the 5i, and I carry it only about 140. I'm similarly short for other clubs -- 120 for the 7i, 85 for the PW, etc.
I'm 6'1", 40 years old, and in average shape. My swing has a fairly consistent rhythm that I'm comfortable with. While I don't always make great contact, I do often enough that I know what it feels like, and I put in a lot of time on the range. I've asked my teacher about being so short and his basic response is don't worry about it, the length will come. Obviously being able to hit the woods would help, but that's another project.
So I guess my question is, are my lengths within the normal range for someone of my build and experience level? It sure seems like everyone hits it farther than I do, from little scrawny guys, to beginners much worse than I am, to senior citizens.
In case it matters, my irons are Ping i-3s which I got used but which seem to fit me pretty well. I know that these clubs are designed for better players, but I got a good deal on them and am comfortable with them now.
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Santa Cruz ca.
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 316
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Posted: May/15/2008 12:18 AM PST
So the longest club I trust is the 5i, and
I carry it only about 140. I'm similarly short
for other clubs -- 120 for the 7i, 85 for the PW, etc.
your coach is right... don't worry about distance.
that is not the key, it will come with time...
so my guess is that you play maybe a couple times
a month..??? cause for most people I would think
in 2yrs you should have seen maybe a bit better result.
everybody is different and your very close. so I
think maybe its just you need more time on the range
to get conferable with your swing...
don't give up getting some coaching to on your swing.
there may be things we can't see that are holding you back.
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Houston
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 15
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Posted: May/15/2008 6:30 AM PST
I have been playing for a year now. I also have taken lessons and practice at least twice a week. I am 5"6' and 190 lbs. I am 33 years old. I hit a 6 iron 175-165 7 iron 165-155 8 iron 155-145 9 iron 145-125 pitching wedge 125-100 56 degree 100-65 60 degree 65-to the cup.
My biggest change in length was torquing my legs. On my back swing I would bring my left knee in about 2-3 inches, but not raising the foot and place some weight on the big toe. On the forward swing push off on the right leg with weight on the right big toe. That is only way I can explain it. I played baseball in school and college. It is almost simialr to planting and pushing off from the back foot to drive the ball. I hope this can help you a little bit.
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Joined: 5/12/2008
Posts: 20
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Posted: May/15/2008 10:14 AM PST
Quote: Originally posted by blue_crush so my guess is that you play maybe a couple times a month..??? cause for most people I would think in 2yrs you should have seen maybe a bit better result.
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I'm sure you're right, but unfortunately I've always been athletically impaired. My body works fine, but there are basic things about balance and mechanics that always mystify me, no matter what sport I've tried to play.
Also, I didn't start the lessons until about six months ago, so a lot of the time before that was wasted. Oh, and I've had my real clubs for just over a year -- before that I was using scrap heap junk that didn't fit me at all.
In a typical week, I hit about 500 range balls and play maybe 27 holes. The local course is a 9-hole par-31; I play a true 18-hole course more rarely.
But the thing is, I'm hitting the ball pretty well right now, if you look past the distance problem. I'd say everything from 120 yards in is at the level of a bogey golfer, maybe even a bit better (except putting, but that's a different problem). So I've definitely gotten better, but when you have no hope of reaching even a 320-yard par-4 in two, it puts a lot of pressure on the rest of your game.
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Louisville, KY
Joined: 8/28/2007
Posts: 58
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Posted: May/15/2008 1:32 PM PST
Before a scramble last Saturday with a good buddy of mine, we were warming up on the range when he asked to hit one of my new wedges. I recently purchased a new gap wedge and sand wedge and really like them both. I hit the gap wedge around 115 tops, 110 comfy, and the sand wedge 95 tops, 85 comfy. I've been playing for about 25 years and I'm around a 6 handicap. My buddy doesn't get to play very often, so on his best day, he still struggles to break 100.
So with that said, he proceeded to take one of the wedges, and on five consecutive swings, hit it around 140 yards. I said, "I can't believe you can hit that gap wedge that far." He said, "I'm not," and held up the club to show it was the sand wedge. He hit three more and did the same. He looked like he wasn't even swinging at it. I took it back from him, hit three balls with it, and couldn't fly it to the 100 yard marker.
The main difference in our swings is the angle of our hands at impact. Clubhead speed is the major factor in determining distance -- that's obvious -- but it's where and how that speed is delivered to the ball. I have a flaw of releasing my hands too early at impact, losing that all-important hand angle at impact, whereas my buddy keeps his hands ahead of the ball well after impact. That trapping action really makes the ball jump off the club.
I've been working with an impact bag from time to time to try to ingrain that hand angle through the hitting area. It's helped, but like all golf instruction, it doesn't stick (mainly because I haven't stuck with it).
Talk with your instructor about how the speed in your swing should increase as you go through the ball through impact. He can probably develop a drill that will help you pour on the speed (and power) through impact while keeping your hands from releasing early. An impact bag drill works well, and there are videos on this site showing how to use one correctly.
But remember, just as with my buddy, distance ain't everything. Knowing your distances and controlling them are far more important than simply how far you can move it. There's no place on the scorecard to write in what you hit and how far. Even Tiger has given up some distance to gain more control, and that's worked out pretty well.
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Richmond, KY
Joined: 10/22/2007
Posts: 76
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Posted: May/15/2008 2:21 PM PST
like dolph was mentioning..the hand positioning can be a pretty big factor...not only in how solid your contact is, but also the loft of your club.
That 5 iron could be turning into a 3 iron or better(just an example) for some people while you could be turning it into a 6 or 7 iron because you have a very early release.
Gotta try to keep that wrist #@!$(thus keeping the clubhead behind the hands) for as long as you can to and through impact and then make sure you are releasing as well.
In the span of six months or so..I've seen my distance increase with my irons increase about 20+ yards just by getting out and playing and getting a feel for the game.
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Joined: 12/05/2007
Posts: 473
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Posted: May/16/2008 5:29 AM PST
i love how c o c k as in wrist c.ock gets edited out! I think you need to start asking your instructor specifically what to do to keep your solid ball striking but get some more distance. For a guy your size and age I think you should definately be able to hit a 5 iron more than 150. You should probably be able to hit your 7 iron 150.
At the same time, if your hitting straight as an arrow i wouldn't be incredibly worried about it. You don't want to start hitting a 5 iron 175 all over the place.
Lastly, I"m biased here being a perosnal trainer but do you work out at all? I'm 6'3" 230 lbs and admiteddly as a trainer got lazy with working out for a bit. When i got into golf I was obsessed with hitting it farther after seeing people half my size hit as far or farther than me. When I got myself back into the gym and just started doing a simple total body workout routine all my distances improved. It may be because I was swinging better but I think it's also that my added strength allows me to keep swinging free and easy instead of trying to swing out of my shoes to hit it far. As a result, I hit it farther now and more consistently.
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Joined: 5/12/2008
Posts: 20
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Posted: May/16/2008 8:36 AM PST
My lower body strength is pretty good but my upper body is fairly weak. It may be that I've taught myself to swing too easy in order to be consistent. Getting stronger in my upper body is one of my summer projects anyway, so now I have multiple reasons to get it done. On the other hand, I have a large frame (also wide shoulders), so leverage should be in my favor.
I do have a tendency to undercut the ball, which "downshifts" my irons as one of the other posters suggested. I don't think it's more than one club, however, since (a) it's something I pay particular attention to and (b) I often take a good divot where I'm supposed to, starting a few inches after the ball, which I think would be pretty difficult with an undercut. Besides, even if my 7i that goes 120 is really acting like an 8i, that's still awfully short.
Thanks for all the responses!
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Maryland
Joined: 3/08/2008
Posts: 125
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Posted: May/16/2008 9:12 AM PST
I'm gonna go ahead and bet all the money I have that you hit everything fat. Probably a real steep swing with abbreviated follow-through. That's why you slice woods. Need to flatten out the swing, maybe move the ball back in your stance some and try to pick the ball clean off the turf.
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Joined: 5/12/2008
Posts: 20
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Posted: May/16/2008 3:03 PM PST
Quote: Originally posted by wheyface33 I'm gonna go ahead and bet all the money I have that you hit everything fat.
I don't think so. As I wrote above, I often take a divot in the right place, and when I do hit it fat, I can feel the difference.
Quote: Originally posted by Probably a real steep swing with abbreviated follow-through. That's why you slice woods.
That's certainly possible, especially the "abbreviated follow-through" part. I've worked a lot on my swing plane, so I know my backswing is in the right ballpark, but I may be coming over the top on the downswing.
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