Trajectory...

[Eisenstein]

Wow. I haven't been up here in some time, but it's a tribute to all the good advice you get here that we keep coming back.

Anyway, I recently completed GOLFTEC and it did help to flatten out my swing, at least to some extent.

My problem is that even though I am hitting my irons solid, they all seem to balloon up in the air causing loss of distance. I'm not a big guy and not looking to set any distance records, but I would like some ideas on how to get a lower trajectory without just hitting a three quarter swing and abreviated follow through.

Someone suggested it may be my clubs. Weighted to low maybe? I'm using Taylormade r7's.

Any ideas would be helpful.

Thanks!

[Ian Hancock]

Re: Trajectory...

Eisenstein

One major cause of ballooning can be letting the club head pass the hands to early, try to keep the hands ahead of the ball at impact, you can practice this at set up also with some chips.

Also

Ball position maybe to far forward, I am sure you know where the ball should be, but check it using alinement aids.

Good Luck

Ian.

[Eisenstein]

Re: Trajectory...

Thanks Ian.
I have played with the ball position. I will try keeping my hands more forward at impact. That could be it. I rarely leave a divot.

[Ian Hancock]

Re: Trajectory...

You have just answered your own question there Pal, if your not taking a divot then you are scooping the ball off the turf hence the height.

As before keep the hands ahead of the club face for as long as possible or simply focus on hitting down a little on the ball, this should improve the feel too.

Hope this helps

Ian.

[Eisenstein]

Re: Trajectory...

I tried this at the range Ian, but it will take some practice. I have to dicern where my natural bottom out point is and get my ball just behind it.

The range here has matts so it's hard to tell. I'm going to take my clubs out onto the lawn and figure out where my natural divot would be.

I do take divots with the 8 through pitching wedge and of course those clubs are fine. I think my swing with the irons are perhaps not as aggressive.

Still working on it!

[AussieGolfBoy]

Re: Trajectory...

if your are hitting the ball with the weight on your back foot this can cause the ball to go quite high.

maybe a lesson is required to help with your high ball flight...

my understanding of the r7's is that they are made to get the ball up for beginners... i'd recommend getting a lesson first to fix the current problem, or find someone with the next level type of club and have a hit of that to see how that goes for you.

maybe try a few demo clubs from the local pro shop. i'm sure they'll let you try these on the range. alternatively go along to a demo night when you get the opportunity to test 1/2 dozin different brands and 30 different breeds of clubs.

[Eisenstein]

Re: Trajectory...

That's a good idea. I just finished a series of lessons and I was not always getting all my weight over to the left side, but I think that I've worked that out.

I've suspected that those clubs were designed for a high ball flight. I'm going to have to try some new clubs. (I'm the only one I know who can stop a 3 iron on a fast green.)

If you come across any clubs that you know of that are designed to fly the ball a bit lower, let me know.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Paul

[BrianW]

Re: Trajectory...

That's a good idea. I just finished a series of lessons and I was not always getting all my weight over to the left side, but I think that I've worked that out.

I've suspected that those clubs were designed for a high ball flight. I'm going to have to try some new clubs. (I'm the only one I know who can stop a 3 iron on a fast green.)

If you come across any clubs that you know of that are designed to fly the ball a bit lower, let me know.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Paul

Before you spend a lot of money on new clubs make sure that the problem is not caused by swatting your wrists, weight transfer or ball placement. If the loft on your clubs are standard then they should not create any problems with ball flight. Cavity backs and peripheral weighting only assist with off centre hits, they do not make the ball go too high and short with a well struck shot.

[Eisenstein]

Re: Trajectory...

Before you spend a lot of money on new clubs make sure that the problem is not caused by swatting your wrists, weight transfer or ball placement. If the loft on your clubs are standard then they should not create any problems with ball flight. Cavity backs and peripheral weighting only assist with off centre hits, they do not make the ball go too high and short with a well struck shot.

Brian,
By "swatting" do you mean the wrists breaking down at impact?
I do hit the ball solid but weight transfer is not always complete. How do I know if I'm "swatting" the ball?

[BrianW]

Re: Trajectory...

Brian,
By "swatting" do you mean the wrists breaking down at impact?
I do hit the ball solid but weight transfer is not always complete. How do I know if I'm "swatting" the ball?

By swatting I mean that the left wrist is pushing back so that it's palm is facing the ground as you come into the ball, like in this picture, leaving your weight on the back foot encourages this type of action:



Take a look at the article in this link it explains the right and wrong way of using the wrists at impact:

http://www.aroundhawaii.com/lifestyl...chieve_it.html

[Eisenstein]

Re: Trajectory...

Great article. Thanks Brian.

He breaks down these issues clearly but I can picture myself on the range tonight going.."what do I do first"?

[BrianW]

Re: Trajectory...

Great article. Thanks Brian.

He breaks down these issues clearly but I can picture myself on the range tonight going.."what do I do first"?

You can try to keep the cupped angle in your right wrist into impact and feel the compression of the ball onto the clubface.

[kbp]

Re: Trajectory...

A very important aspect of a good impact position is that the left arm must be advanced to the desired forward position by proper use of the body. You must be on your front foot and you must have the lower body and core rotating through and past impact. If you are stuck on your back foot or if you stop rotating, one of two things must happen to hit the ball. First case, you’re hands will stop with the body, and you will flip the wrists to advance the clubhead past the stalled hands to the ball. The "swat". Second case, you push the hands forward, around and past the stalled body closing the face. Hook city.....or maybe a push or slice if you can hold off the rotational aspect.

Whether you are one plane or two plane or of the philosophy that the body "drives" the swing or "supports" the swing, the body must be used up to and through impact. Very often this is why people can’t get it to happen.

That web site that Brian linked to has some very solid and uniquely presented information in some of the other articles, too.

[Eisenstein]

Re: Trajectory...

Sometimes when trying to rotate through the ball, I hit it thin. It feels like my left leg straightens out and I must raise up just before impact.

When I watch professional videos it appears that they are leaning to the right at impact. Is that to stay down, or should my left leg keep some bend?

[BrianW]

Re: Trajectory...

Sometimes when trying to rotate through the ball, I hit it thin. It feels like my left leg straightens out and I must raise up just before impact.

When I watch professional videos it appears that they are leaning to the right at impact. Is that to stay down, or should my left leg keep some bend?

They are not so much leaning to the right, their lower bodies are pushing out to the left so that weight is over the lead foot and their heads are staying behind the ball.

Make sure you keep your arms relaxed and fully extended through impact, tension and chicken winging the elbows will make you hit thin.