150 yds and in

[Bobby P]

Group,

I've been using your swing pictures (ref. Greg Willis pages) for my driving and it has improved quite a bit. Very consistent ball striking and I can feel the swing again, mainly tempo. Now after hitting the drive to about the 150 yd stick from the green (par4) I'm feeling great. Now I get over the ball using a 5i I am hitting the ball very low and not sweet but straight. My thought is if I open the club face the ball will slice right (old habit) so I'm closing it more like a punch or knockdown shot and of course it is about 10 to 20 yds short. So I start to swing harder with my arms for the rest of the day and get way out of tempo and shoulder/hip turn sync. That shot is causing me bogey to to 2xbogey rounds. I'm not comfortable with that shot. My friend uses an 8i for 150 yds and I notice his hands are much more in front of the ball.
Using your picture of the cocked right hand at address how should my ball position, stance width, and club face look with a 5i and a 5w? Weight on toes or heels, left side? Tell me how you see the ball and clubface.

Thanks,
Bobby P.

[LowPost42]

Re: 150 yds and in

For 5i and 5w?

Well, for 5w I play the ball about 1 inch back of my lead heel, weight over the balls of my feet, spine angled away from target, and I shallow out my swing, and try to take no divot.

For 5i I play the ball about 1.5 inches ahead of centre, weight over the balls of my feet, spine angled away from target, and my swing is steep, taking a decent divot.

For both shots, I try to set my hands slightly in front of the ball (my 5w is offset, so this is easier, and my 5i is slightly offset). In front at address should easily translate to in front at impact.

For iron shots I try to 'mash' the ball - this ensures that my attack is steep and I'm hitting on the downswing, as opposed to sweeping the ball away and hitting on the upswing (which doesn't compress the ball nearly enough for a decent trajectory).

Hope it helps!

[Bobby P]

Re: 150 yds and in

Yes 5i and 5w. I use the wood depending on the lie. You mentioned the offsets and I see my friends using them so I might borrow a club for a couple of shots.

With the 5i I have been sweeping the ball so that explains the lack of compression and distance
Thanks.

[LowPost42]

Re: 150 yds and in

Uh, there should be about 50 yards of distance between your 5w and 5i as well...

How long have you been golfing and what have you had for lessons?

[TeachingPro]

Re: 150 yds and in

Hang on ... if you're hitting your 150yard shots straight and low and it doesn't feel solid, you're probably thinning it to some degree.

You have to remember that although you should have 1 golf swing, you actually apply it in a variety of forms. A driver has to be swept off the tee, a long fairway iron has to swept off the grass and a short iron has to be hit with a slightly decending blow ... so not all swings are the same.

It sounds as if your ball position is too far forward, so you're hitting the iron on the up rather than hitting down onto it ... If you're hitting it straight, cool but low means you're either de-lofting it or hitting it thin or both.

Start off with simple solutions first before we go all technical and rip your swing apart...

Also remember ball back a bit and hit down on the ball. From 150yards you want a nice sharp HIT, not a sweep.

Try and get back to me if you're not catching it properly with the iron.

[Bobby P]

Re: 150 yds and in

I've been playing off and on for 10 years and took several lessons most recently about 90 days ago. I hit a drive about 250 but I never hit my 5w 200 yds off the grass well maybe once.
Anyway I do hit behind the ball with a full swing iron shot and the contact is typically thin and weak as mentioned. Taking divots properly has always been confusing to me. Pinching the ball and mashing it make sense. But from years of hard turf in Florida's cheaper courses where the ground doesn't move and you go home with a back spasm have me psyched out.
I'm playing better courses now with softer turf and basically have a low 90's game.

Just curious too. What are typical yardages for average golfers?

Thanks,

Bobby P