My Launch Angle

[thebigman]

Aright i got a small problem here. I jus used a launch monitor and was very interesting, it came out that my swing speed is around 116 which im told is decent but my launch angle is too low. Im using a 9.5* driver and launchin it as low as 8 degrees sometimes. The ones i launched closer to 11 degrees were getting an extra 10 yards or so. 10 yards i could use!

And i was shown pictures of me at impact where i am more on top of the ball (bit of a sway) when on a driver u really wana stay behind and hit with an ascending blow? Or so i was told. But he wasnt a coach and couldnt really suggest ways to help my problem. So any ideas? I toyed around with address position after, settin up with some more weight on the right side, more of a spine tilt, head further back etc which seemed a little better. cheers for ne help guys

[gord962]

Re: My Launch Angle

I agree with your solutions on the bottom of your post. Your weight should be 30/70 right/left and your spine tilted a bit more away from the target. This will keep you further behind the ball at impact and it will allow you to strike the ball on the upswing.

[ph_kingston]

Re: My Launch Angle

An interesting thread. I can see how the advice about weight ratio and spine tilt would result in an upward strike and a better lauch angle, but also wouldn't that lose a lot of power and increase the potential for ballooning off the face? I know that forking out on a new driver would be an expensive process but wouldn't a driver with maybe an increased loft/lower kick-point be a better solution?

This is of personal interest to me too as I generally hit the ball a little low with my driver but I'm also getting good distance and hitting the fairway.

Cheers

Paul

[thebigman]

Re: My Launch Angle

I got the change to hit about every shaft worth hitting. So from using all the shafts, id say its mechanical and not equiptment..because even the shafts i could get a higher ball flight with ie lower kick point, they still start (launch) too low. Then go high. Which is no good. So for me its mechanical. Im still hitting the ball a good distance and fairly accurate (for me) but its definitely something worth sorting i think. Its not even "it might help me", its it will help because the machine showed me the distance when i was launchin it at 11, 12*.

For you it could be shaft related, but i was launchin all the shafts too low. I got a sway

[Mizunoman]

Re: My Launch Angle

The best way to get your optimum launch angle is to stay behind the ball until you have hit it. Moving into the ball traps it and it shoots off lower. The best way to do this is to let the right shoulder dictate when you move your head as it hits your chin on the way through.

D.