So Trackman proves you hit up with Driver - correct?

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JRJ

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Nice piece last night by Nick Faldo using Trackman at Kapalua showing his smash factor, ball speed, angle of approach, etc. I should probably just search the forum, but don't the stats now prove that hitting slightly up (maybe 2-5 degrees) produces the best combination of launch angle and backspin (i.e., the most carry and roll) ?? This is a question because I'm still holding on to "old school" feelings about hitting down with every club in the bag. JRJ
 
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lesliecain

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The trackman is so accurate it tracks the forward bend in the shaft at impact, so it says hitting up slightly, but there is still a downward hit.
 
dale47

dale47

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Here we go again ! I have only one question on the subject regarding " hitting up on a driver." At impact, are the hands still traveling down plane or are they moving up plane ?
 
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golfer24

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Funny seeing someone who has made at least 5 instructional DVD's asking for a tip from a techno nerd how to to get a higher launch angle. What a joke!

He proceeded to hit a shot almost falling backwards . Faldo was never a long hitter a never will be.
 
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Chris Sturgess

New member
Um, he is a better player than you or anyone on this forum by a million miles, so settle down. Trackman came out after his dvds, he was playing a role for tv and half joking with the guy, and he said he liked to hit down on the ball, maybe that contributed to his shortness, that and that he swung really softly to play a control game.
 
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golfer24

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And his commentary is awful. Why do Americans find him funny. I just dont get Faldo's appeal, he isn't funny, or knowledgable, a typical example of last night's woeful attempts at witticisms.... Kelly Tlghman made comment about one of the players having had flu, and Faldo said "I flew here to". Silence from the rest of the commentators.
 
tank

tank

New
We get it ... you don't like the guy.

Now back to the issue at hand: So Trackman proves you hit up with Driver - correct?
 
birdie_man

birdie_man

New
I like Faldo.

BTW Chris I get your point.........but in reality you have no idea how good anyone on here is capable of getting. We have 7000 of the biggest golf nuts around for what it's worth. Anything's possible. And I know it's all "against the odds" BTW.....but why close yourself off.

Anyhoo...

Y'all should do some searches on YouTube for Swing Visions of Tiger, Phil, Vijay, etc. I have seen quite a few 300 yard carries that show the clubhead hitting down on the ball. They very well could all be downhill/downwind. But then again maybe not.

Optimal for distance? I don't think so. I wonder how un-optimal it could be though.
 
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JRJ

New
sorry if this has been discussed ad naseum; however, I'd just like to get the definitive answer
 
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thefuture37

Banned
There is no definitive answer. Some good players hit up others hit down. Some say that the hands are moving downward but the shaft deflects, causing a net upward hit. In a perfect world, hitting up reduces backspin and creates more gear effect, which is good. But should you try to hit up? Probably not.

In Bobby Clampett's book Impact Zone, he uses a quote from Sam Snead something along the lines of "Always hit down with driver". Advice from the Snead era really isn't useful for today, however, because back in his day they probably needed all the backspin they could get to keep the ball in the air. Achieving maximal launch conditions wasn't really possible.
 
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Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
As another poster so wisely pointed out one time.....are we talking about swinging down relative to the ground or down relative to your swing. (because of axis tilt the club is moving down to your swing if it's trailing your left arm but may be moving up from the ground)

I think NSA might move the driver a little up and NHA might still be going down. So it depends on the player and his needs.
 
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jmessner

New
birdie_man said:
I like Faldo.

Y'all should do some searches on YouTube for Swing Visions of Tiger, Phil, Vijay, etc. I have seen quite a few 300 yard carries that show the clubhead hitting down on the ball. They very well could all be downhill/downwind. But then again maybe not.

Optimal for distance? I don't think so. I wonder how un-optimal it could be though.
Click to expand...
B-man,

This is being discussed on another forum and I've heard the same thing from others about some of the pro's hitting down on their driver. However, I've never seen a youtube clip that shows this. Do you have any links handy? I've done some work with the cSwing video analysis program which has quite a few pros and I would say 80% or more hit up on the ball (even though their hands may still be ahead or even with the ball at impact). Still, I would love to see a Trackman analysis (not sure how it measures it though) of the AoA of many pro driver swings.

Jay
 
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Brian Manzella

Administrator
The answer is....

Low Spin, High Launch.

Period.

Wanna hit it far?

Low Spin, High Launch.

Let's say...14° of launch and 2200rpm

Now...

How do you do it?

Well...

You could get a driver with very little loft...say, 5°, and hit up on it 5°, and have the shaft deflect forward 4°....sorta like Zuback

Or...you could have a very wide sweep release, and a very level to slightly down strike...

For instance...

Your host————me.

I had a TaylorMade R7 SuperQuad, tour dept. etc, etc, blah, blah.

I couldn't hit it a lick—short and crooked.

I changed NOTHING, got a Clevland HiBore Tour, and now....I hit it good.

Spin before with the TaylorMade—3900rpm.

Spin after with the Cleveland—2200rpm.

There are lots of ways...I could give you 10 off the top of my head...to get LOW SPIN and HIGH LAUNCH.

You'll get your distance.
 
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pieman

New
brian:
i've still got a high launch, but still high spin. been trying to flatten out the swing like you say(shallow the angle of attack, etc.). get the same thing with diff. drivers/shafts. what are some of the other tips or ways to get low spin?
 
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JRJ

New
done deal

thanks Brian; I just want results and High Launch - Low Spin is definitive enough for me; another thread closed
 
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mb6606

New
The kid working the Trackman with Faldo claimed that Bubba Watson hit up 4-5 degrees on his driver. Faldo was htting down 1-2 degrees. Faldo's first hit a 257 yd carry (273 total) 109 swing speed, 161 ball speed smash factor of 150 (perfect score). Faldo was trying to lean back (axis tilt) to hit up - he hit it higher but no further - to much spin.
 
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mjstrong

mjstrong

New
jmessner said:
B-man,

This is being discussed on another forum and I've heard the same thing from others about some of the pro's hitting down on their driver. However, I've never seen a youtube clip that shows this. Do you have any links handy?
Jay
Click to expand...

I know that Woody Austin REALLY hits down with his driver in one clip. I've seen Tiger's too. Although, the clip doesn't necessarily set up what kind of shot the guys were trying to hit, whether it ended up being a good shot or not, etc...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cmhPipbmfA
This is from the PGA Championship. A close up of Woody's driver thru impact at 47 seconds into the clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtEfOAruVco
No close up, but this is Phil in April, looks like the head continues downwards after impact.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPnZE3IrHWk&feature=related
Tiger Woods at the PGA. Again, no close up, but they pause it right at impact and it sure looks like a slightly descending blow.
 
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