Sweep vs. hitting down

[targo]

My natural swing tends to sweep the ball and have a slight draw. As a result, I hit my driver real well but I sweep my irons as well, which hurts the distance.

Would simply swinging a little more upright with my irons help produce a downward blow on the ball?

My good drives go about 280, but I'm pretty short with my irons compared to the woods.

Thanks in advance.

[Mr_Change]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

the shorter the club the more upright your swing should be. The more upright the bigger the divot will be.

[willber]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

I think you need to be aware of the two different swings required to strike your irons well and your driver well. A sweeping action, as you are aware, is ideal with the driver, with the irons you want a nice crisp deseding blow. One drill i've used to achieve this is as follows.

This drill takes a lot of practice at the range but will pay off. I address the ball and pick a spot about 2 inches in front of the ball. I focus on this spot, not the ball and hit that - forget the ball, and hit the spot in front of the ball. Another way to do this is to place a lieaf, a fag end or a piece of grit about 2 inches in front of the ball. Now focus on that, rather than the ball and hit that. One last method you can use is this. Using a 5 iron at the range tee it up about 1/4 inch. Now put the ball opposite your left heel and take your normal adress position - this will mean that there will be a gap of about 4 inches between your club head and the ball. Now make your normal swing and hit the ball. This will mean as you pass the usual impact point you will be descending. If you practice this enough it will become easy.

This drill is good, takes a lot of practice, but when you master it t will allow you to make that nice crips desecnding blow which will squeeze the ball off the turf.

Hope this helps
Will

[targo]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

Thanks a lot. I'll try that next time at the range.

[whippet]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

so is the five four three iron all decending blows aswell ? i thought you didnt take a divot with these clubs

[willber]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

All irons require a descending blow. The difference comes with the length of the shaft - with a longer shaft, the swing plane in shallower - this means that you do not attack the ball as steeply as you with a PW. This leads to a slightyl less desecding blow BUT IT IS STILL Descending. If you hit an iron in a sweeping action your club head can easily over take your hands- this is a definite NO NO!!!

When I hit my long irons I still take a very small divot, with my wedges my divots are the shape and size of a £20 note.

[whippet]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

a 20 pound note thats massive is that right?
also the sweeping action of your driver does that mean the hands are behind the ball on impact?

[willber]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

Your hands will be level with the ball at impact with the driver.

As for divots, i've always hit large divots, but they are quite thin, 3 mm thick perhaps.

If you can analyse a swing like Ernie or Woods, you will see that with the irons the hands are very slightly ahead at impact, with the driver they are level. The iomportant thing is the relaease angle - you need to maintain it as late as possible into the downswing, this creates lag, and allows you to snap the slub through the ball at impact.

[Ian Hancock]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

Targo,
There is a very simple solution to you question,

You say that you hit driver well and iron well just a sweeping swing path though the ball.


Simply narrow your stance to shoulder width apart with you irons, this will give you a slightly better desending blow, I suspect you are doing everything else well or you wouldn't hit your driver consistantly enough to know how far you hit it.


Narrower the stance steeper the swing path..................


Hope this helps.


Ian.

[targo]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

Thanks Ian. I'll try that. I've pretty much had as wide a stance on my irons as driver.

[whippet]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

today no divot just brusing the graa ball was going ok tho yesterday big divot felt nice ball go realy good hight but today couldent get it, do you have to think about mashing the ball or is it supposed to be natural ?

[gord962]

Re: Sweep vs. hitting down

For the first while it will feel like you are mashing your irons but after you get used to hitting down on the ball, it will feel more natural.