Speed and Mechanics

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jbrunk

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My best ball striking and scoring occurs when I swing at about 70-75% of my capability. Swinging this way I can play to a 4-5. The only problem is I hate hitting the ball 145 yds with a 7 iron when I should/could be hitting it 155-160 as I have in the past. BTW I ususally can swing full out on driver and fairway woods and I have good distance and contact there.

What would you guys recommend for me to add some speed without sacrificing the mechanics? What should I work on.

BTW, I am a former hooker and currently use a blended NHA-ish backswing with a SD downswing.
 
Bronco Billy

Bronco Billy

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Your Iron Shafts are Wrong.... You Need Stiffer, Longer, or Etc.

jbrunk said:
My best ball striking and scoring occurs when I swing at about 70-75% of my capability. Swinging this way I can play to a 4-5. The only problem is I hate hitting the ball 145 yds with a 7 iron when I should/could be hitting it 155-160 as I have in the past. BTW I ususally can swing full out on driver and fairway woods and I have good distance and contact there.
What would you guys recommend for me to add some speed without sacrificing the mechanics? What should I work on.

BTW, I am a former hooker and currently use a blended NHA-ish backswing with a SD downswing.
Click to expand...
.
 
jenhaoyen

jenhaoyen

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This is..how i gained alot of speed lately.

If i turn my shoulder as fast as i could...i would carry that clubhead with me and the speed would be generally the same speed as my shoulder.

Now, if i turn my shoulder and stop at some point and just throw the club head down, now you have a lot of club head speed.'


Just think of throwing a baseball or football. How can you throw it further? You can't throw it far if you keep turning your shoulder while throwing. At some point you have to stop and release.

I have a SD swing and I was hitting 310~320 with roll and I'm only 145 pounds.
My pitching wedge used to be 107~115. Now it's 130+.

I hope this helps.
Before when I don't have any kinetic snap, i hit the ball 250 with roll, and I have to hit it..pretty hard.
 
self-mastery

self-mastery

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I would continue to bunt my irons, and smash the driver.

Irons precision; driver distance.

I'm working on a nice little 3/4 iron game.

You already said you score better with 70ish% effort? Are you playing for score or thrills? I play for 65% thrill... Faldo was a huge man that decided to bunt it like a girl, and he won 6 majors.
 
Guitar Hero

Guitar Hero

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self-mastery said:
I would continue to bunt my irons, and smash the driver.

Irons precision; driver distance.

I'm working on a nice little 3/4 iron game.

You already said you score better with 70ish% effort? Are you playing for score or thrills? I play for 65% thrill... Faldo was a huge man that decided to bunt it like a girl, and he won 6 majors.
Click to expand...

Well said. Precision, Precision, Precision. That is the Key for lower scores.
 
Bronco Billy

Bronco Billy

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What a Chicken Sh*t Way Out of a Problem... Nuthin Like a "Girly" Iron...

self-mastery said:
I would continue to bunt my irons, and smash the driver.

Irons precision; driver distance.

I'm working on a nice little 3/4 iron game.

You already said you score better with 70ish% effort? Are you playing for score or thrills? I play for 65% thrill... Faldo was a huge man that decided to bunt it like a girl, and he won 6 majors.
Click to expand...
:eek:
 
L

latiger12

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Guitar Hero said:
Well said. Precision, Precision, Precision. That is the Key for lower scores.<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="0" height="0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.latourgolf.net/la-tour-golf-nets/pages/1953/pga-tour.html"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.latourgolf.net/la-tour-golf-nets/pages/1953/pga-tour.html" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="0" height="0"></embed></object>
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Yep, 145 with 7 iron is not that bad.
 
vjsinger

vjsinger

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I don't know how to answer your question on the mechanics part, but I think you need to be able to do both. You need to be able to hit an iron your max distance and make a bunt swing. The best player in the world does it all the time according to the current conditions he is playing under. It just adds to the weapons you have at your personal disposal. So, Id say get good help on the mechanics part and learn to mash it and hit it soft.
 
J

jbrunk

New
Oh to have both

I would like to have both to really get good. Another problem is, throw in some wind and now I am hitting a 6 iron 145!


:eek:
 
cmartingolf

cmartingolf

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JBrunk,

Do you think there is major "leakage" in your action? Why not post some video and let us take a look at your 70% action and you full action.

I think I hit my irons in the 80% range. I probably hit a seven iron 160 at sea level.

I played with Scott McCarron recently and he wasn't hitting 200 yard seven irons. We clubbed exactly the same until we got to the driver and then he hit it about 20-30 by me. He had another gear. I don't play enough to have that gear anymore. I hit it "hard" a couple times and stayed with him, but that was a "bomb" for me.

He clearly swung for precision rather than power with his irons as do I. I only "rip" an iron if the greens are hard and I have a front pin. Other than that, It's 80% and less on most iron shots. I hit plenty 65% shots when the winds blowing as a slower speed is the easiest way to keep the ball down.
 
J

jbrunk

New
cmartingolf said:
JBrunk,

Do you think there is major "leakage" in your action? Why not post some video and let us take a look at your 70% action and you full action.

I think I hit my irons in the 80% range. I probably hit a seven iron 160 at sea level.

I played with Scott McCarron recently and he wasn't hitting 200 yard seven irons. We clubbed exactly the same until we got to the driver and then he hit it about 20-30 by me. He had another gear. I don't play enough to have that gear anymore. I hit it "hard" a couple times and stayed with him, but that was a "bomb" for me.

He clearly swung for precision rather than power with his irons as do I. I only "rip" an iron if the greens are hard and I have a front pin. Other than that, It's 80% and less on most iron shots. I hit plenty 65% shots when the winds blowing as a slower speed is the easiest way to keep the ball down.
Click to expand...

Hopefully I can get some video this weekend.

I will say that as soon as I put more 'umph' into my irons I lose control of the clubface/sweetspot probably by tilting too early and getting underplane, and that causes the contact to be all over the place. I don't think I have ever had a problem with leakage though.

It just seems that I should be able to do more.:eek:
 
S

softconsult

New
I guess I don't understand why 145 with a 7 iron is a problem. To me the key is uniform gaps between the irons. I quit golf for 10 years, coming back to it about 5 years ago. Formerly, my 8 iron was always 140, now it's 150. It has an 8 on the sole, however, it's also longer than before, 2 degrees stronger, and hitting a ball that doesn't curve. I would trade straight for 10 yards of distance anyday. Trajectory is also a key issue. If your 145 lacks height and backspin, then I would think that might be a reason to work on more clubhead speed and/or better smash factor.

Steve
 
J

Jim Kobylinski

Super Moderator
I agree with Bronco, sounds like your iron shafts may be too soft. While swinging harder generally leads to less precision, it shouldn't be a dramatic difference in precision
 
J

jbrunk

New
Update

I spent a lot of time working on things today. Initially, I observed that my divots looked like this: \\ on a straightish to fade ballflight. I experimented with a slight twistaway and a little more out to right field toss. I swear that almost felt flippy. My contact improved dramatically and my divots went to || or close to that.

Ballflight became a lot straighter. Irons went further.

My conclusions:

1. I haven't been doing SD downswing very well.
2. I have been swinging way too far left.
3. Generally speaking my clubface control needs some work.



Any thoughts?
 
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