Frustrating search for distance

[wicket94]

Hi

Does anyone have any drills for distance, especially with the driver?

I recently installed a gps system on my pda and have been able to start measuring my drives and irons properly and dissapointed by what they're telling me.

I play off 11, reasonably accurate off the tee although my leak will normally be to the right (not a slice but a high fade if I get it wrong) and will occasionaly draw the driver. I use a R7 425 stock stiff shaft.

My driver goes from 180yds into a strong wind to around 255yds. My average is working out at about 220yds with not a great deal of roll.

My Irons - seem to be around 125/130 for an 8 iron. PW 96 yds. I always seem to be at least 1 club shorter than my fellow players. I seem to be getting good connection I justy can't seem to get the easy distance I'm looking for.

I try and swing relaxed (not always succesful) and I try and follow the 3sk.

Somewhere I have a big power leak. Help!

Mind you some of it is not helped by my course - downland and windy. Not much run at the moment but firm enough.

[GregJWillis]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

What kind of extra distances are you looking for...just 1 club? To get back to your partners? Or more.

"Easy Distance" is an interesting term you used. If you are swinging within your abilities, "easy", and you are finding your next shot in the fairway and on the greens...then ok, you have good starting point.

Stepping up the force on the ball will add distance...to all clubs...so you would see something like the PW go 115, 8i go 150, Driver go 270.

If you following 3SKs, I am not sure what they would say about changing specific aspects of the swing...

What I would say is the length of the swing arc should increase. This requires flexability, and strength to maintain the extra forces.

Start out with this simple idea, and see what you see as a result:

To start the swing, feel the club push DOWN and AWAY in your leading arm. The idea that you are going to create maximum length in your swing. Tension will ensue. This is ok to start...you have to force it there for now. Once you get these new sensations engrained, you can start to return back to the "easy distance" idea your body is used to now. But to add, you will have to "work".

You should feel like your hands are actually higher at the top of the swing now. You should also feel like your leading shoulder is fully extended away from it's socket.

Start there. All sorts of things are going to happen. Your timing will be adjusted, your angle of decent will change. Your hands will feel different pressure points (probably) and your release will feel a bit late. So, work to readjust. But after a while, I bet you will be able to return to hitting it straight, and hopefully, with that extra length you and everyone else in the world wants.

[wicket94]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

Hi Greg

Thanks for the advice. Ideally I would want increased distance throughout the bag. I think at the moment I feel at least 10 yards short despite some solid contact.

I think my efforts in the past to increase distance have resulted in tension and a hit at the ball rather than a tension free "easy" swing.

I see the 3sk as the bit to strike the ball cleanly and properly - to me I still need a swing to get it there.

I'm just a bit confused on the starting of the swing as you describe it. I generally have a one piece takeaway. Do you mean keep the club head low to the ground. It's the down bit I'm not sure of. Sorry

So I'm looking for width or is that a longer backswing?

I think at the moment I tend to be quite compact

confused of Eastbourne!

[GregJWillis]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

By "down" I mean to take it back low to the ground, Yes. It is easy to pull the arms up a bit and just turn back. When you do this you feel compact and connected. This is ok. But you should still be able to stay connected in a 1-piece takeaway while maintaining a good extension in the leading arm. That generates width which translates to more force into impact.

Its where I would start.

[wicket94]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

ok - makes sense now - thanks for the clarity greg.

Time to get practising

[buteman]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

By "down" I mean to take it back low to the ground, Yes. It is easy to pull the arms up a bit and just turn back. When you do this you feel compact and connected. This is ok. But you should still be able to stay connected in a 1-piece takeaway while maintaining a good extension in the leading arm. That generates width which translates to more force into impact.

Its where I would start.

In all probability this advice from Greg is as good as it gets, I returned to playing golf a couple of years ago ( at the age of 60 ). I fitted myself out with new clubs to take advantage of the latest technology. My mechanics were always reasonably good and my basics were sound ( I studied Hogan's book ) I spent hours quietly by myself at the practice range and really did work my buns off.
The weakest part of my overall game was my driving, I could still get by shooting in the high 70's and low 80's simply because I had devoted a great deal of time on the short game at the practice facility. I got together with an old pal who is a teaching pro. I hit a few balls with the driver then that was it, he stopped me there and then and said the solution to increasing distance ( and accuracy ) was simple.
Keeping in mind that using a driver with a 460cc. head was foreign to me we made the following adjustments. We moved the ball up slightly in my stance, we teed the ball up a little higher, he placed two spots on the turf, one about 2 feet behind the ball and one about 3 inches in front of the ball. And just as Greg said in his post the takeaway was one piece, taking the clubhead away from the ball low ( over the spot ) with the back of the left hand. What we were looking for was extension, we got that, then it was the other extension, straight through the ball, clubhead sweeping the ball off the tee and over the forward spot to a full and balanced finish.
So did this help me ? you bet it did, now my friend I'm not going to tell you it added 50 yards to every drive thats' not the case at all. It did increase my distance nicely, on average if I'm playing a 400 yard par 4 under normal condition I will hit driver, 7 iron. I'm positive that the advice Greg gave you will work if applied properly, not only for you but for others also. good luck, buteman.

[wicket94]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

Hi buteman,

Thanks for the advice. I've not yet had chance to practice so I will keep this tip in mind when trying to apply greg's advice. Both are simple techniques so looking forward to putting in place.

I'll let you know how I get on.

[Avid Golfer]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

Hi

Does anyone have any drills for distance, especially with the driver?

I play off 11, reasonably accurate off the tee although my leak will normally be to the right (not a slice but a high fade if I get it wrong) and will occasionaly draw the driver.

My driver goes from 180yds into a strong wind to around 255yds. My average is working out at about 220yds with not a great deal of roll.

My Irons - seem to be around 125/130 for an 8 iron. PW 96 yds. I always seem to be at least 1 club shorter than my fellow players. I seem to be getting good connection I justy can't seem to get the easy distance I'm looking for.

I try and swing relaxed (not always succesful) and I try and follow the 3sk.

Somewhere I have a big power leak. Help!

It's hard to make recommendations without seeing your setup and swing. Your power leak could be resulting from a number of different things, and the best way people may be able to help is to see your setup and swing (preferably from a face-on direction with the driver).

If you're not getting roll/release on your ball when it lands you may need to do something to reduce your backspin. If you normally catch your drives in the middle of your driver then you might reduce your spin by teeing the ball a little higer, so that you catch it in the upper center of the clubface. That is the easiest way to reduce your backspin.

You also may find additional roll by having the club swing through the ball level (instead of on the upswing or downswing). Some people feel they deliver a level blow by feeling like the clubhead swings away low starting back and in turn swings through low.

Both of those ideas are slightly releated to a few of the things previous posters have recommended to you.

I could offer you additional things to try, but I'd rather see your setup and/or swing first. I wouldn't want to give you a drill that wouldn't do you any good because it does fit your game.

[wicket94]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

Hi Guys

Well I've been to the range a couple of times now and tried the advice here. Having tried it I think I was probably already doing most of it. I did though concentrate on avoiding a sway which I occasionaly get when I try to get more distance.

I decided to have a lesson. My pro has described this before and I assumed I was doing this but apparently not. He pointed out my swing lacked speed, especially around the crucial part of the swing - where it connects with the ball.

He asked me to emphsise my hand speed from a point around waist height through the hitting area. He told me not to use the shoulders to try to swing faster as it will destroy the swing (Yep - it did).

He told me that it will feel outside of my comfort zone for a while but will improve as I practice.

Before the swing change I was just about reaching 140 yards with my 4 iron (into a wind). I focused on getting my hands through the hitting zone (if that's the right phrase) faster and pow - the same 4 iron - sweet as a nut 180 yards . Next ball same again.

We went through the bag, emphasis on hand speed - not using the shoulders to try and hit harder and it worked.

I lapsed on a few and for once I could feel the difference. The best way I can describe it was my pre lesson swing was a bit too much arm, I couldn't really feel the swing of the club head. A few others my body got involved and chunked and topped a few.

He's asked me to forget about my scores on the next few casual rounds and concentrate on selecting a club I ought to hit to the back of the green and commit to it rather than take a longer club and be too easy on the swing and possibly swing too easy.

Saturday took it on the course and had some really good shots for a change. I messed a few up but I did hit what felt like solid shots that came off the face as I expected. With a wind assist I went beyond our par 5 with my driver and then a 4 iron.

So - that's what I'm concentrating on for now. He's happy my swing is doing the right things - not swaying, getting wide enough, hands rolling etc. It's just I'm too easy (army) on the business end of the swing.

Swing thought - fast hands (but not right from the top about half way down)

I have posted a video of my driver and 7 iron swing on here before sowmehere but I'll do an updated one in the near future.

Thanks guys!

Any drills/exercises for faster hands??

[tomallinder]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

I recently generated a thread here based on distance etc.

I have picked up a great deal of club speed and can not only feel it but hear it!

I worked on a few things, including completing the backswing (back to the target) and use of lower body to start the downswing.

I started playing golf when I was 5 and used my natural swing throughout my life until the last few years. My swing was based on fast hands and timing was critical. If my timing was good, I was in the fairway out there 250-280 (1970s through 1990s distance). If timing was not so good, I was in the weeds, woods, water etc. I realized something had to change. When I played in competitions, I could shoot anything between 67 and 87 depending on how good my timing and putting was that day. Now that I am 49, my distance off the tee had decreased to 250-260, its hard to play 7300-7500 yard courses hitting it 250 off the tee...

Then I shortened my swing and all this time, neglected the lower body action. I then started working the lower body action but incorrectly. I would turn the hips first rather than move then laterally while "dropping" the club to start the downswing. When done correctly, the action promotes a correct impact position with the hips turned well out of the way to allow the club to drop into the "slot". When done incorrectly, with a turn this put the club over the plane which resulted in an impact position with shoulders, hips parallel to the target line at impact- a weak position that results in an outside in swing path which is steep and results in a lot of toe hits, fat shots and frustration.

After reading through all the advice here and watching videos on Youtube of the better players in super slow motion, I got it! I now bump my left hip toward the target and kick my right knee toward the target (that was supposedly Hogan's secret move) and not worry about swing path or squaring the clubface with my hands.

Now what happens is that I stay in my spine angle through impact, my hips are well out of the way and my hands release the clubhead naturally. I am now hitting every shot (well, almost every shot) in the middle of the clubface. How great a feeling this is! Now I know what that term "Effortless Power" feels like instead of "Powerless Effort".

Thanks again to all the wonderful posts here and on the other threads; the advice lead me in the right direction! Can't wait for the ground to thaw and the courses to open!

Tom

[ben hogan]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

[quote=wicket94;10550572]Hi

Does anyone have any drills for distance, especially with the driver?

[Gohan2005777]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

Well I can tell you one thing. BUY MIKE AUSTIN'S DVDS. It's easy to do. I'VE GAINED ABOUT 50 YDS. WITH MY DRIVER AND I HIT IT ACCURATELY DOWN THE MIDDLE. I HIT A 400 YD DRIVE (there was 20 mph wind helping it)!!!! If you want the irons to go longer and land softly, this is what you need. I play at one of the toughest course in my region for high school. It's not tough because the spend a lot of money making it like that. No. It's tough because they designed it to have the wind blow into trouble on most holes. The winds can change and you can still find yourself in trouble. If the wind is blowing left-to-right, there will probably water on the right like on hole 2. If it's blowing right-to-left, it would be OB. Another reason it's tough is because the greens are rock hard. They hardly ever water the course. We pray for rain to get the ground wet. The fairways are even so dry that it is like you are hitting off the cart path. I bought a dvd and it lowered my score dramatically.

[BrianW]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

Well I can tell you one thing. BUY MIKE AUSTIN'S DVDS. It's easy to do. I'VE GAINED ABOUT 50 YDS. WITH MY DRIVER AND I HIT IT ACCURATELY DOWN THE MIDDLE. I HIT A 400 YD DRIVE (there was 20 mph wind helping it)!!!! If you want the irons to go longer and land softly, this is what you need. I play at one of the toughest course in my region for high school. It's not tough because the spend a lot of money making it like that. No. It's tough because they designed it to have the wind blow into trouble on most holes. The winds can change and you can still find yourself in trouble. If the wind is blowing left-to-right, there will probably water on the right like on hole 2. If it's blowing right-to-left, it would be OB. Another reason it's tough is because the greens are rock hard. They hardly ever water the course. We pray for rain to get the ground wet. The fairways are even so dry that it is like you are hitting off the cart path. I bought a dvd and it lowered my score dramatically.

Hey! looking at your avatar you have been practising until your hands catch fire

[Golfbald]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

I second the Mike Austin DVD. As I'm on it! I teach the swing in New Orleans, La. One of my current students is a 53 year old woman. She has hit 300 yard + drives measured with a GPS. She always plays from the men's tees and occasionally will join me from the tips. Mike's swing is unique in many respects but I have taught chiropractors who have said it is absolutly correct in kinetic motion.

The website is www.peacerivergolf.com to ge the DVD. Mike died a few years back, his Austinology tape while difficult to follow at times due to it never being edited is an absolute gem in gaining the fine points of the swing method. It can't be combined with anything else, you do it or not.

I started with it after a mild stroke at 37 years old averaging 210 on a good day. I have a 218 - 225 swing speed today and hit it straight. Last week on a 290 yard par 4 I flew the green into the back bunker on the fly, GPS said 307 where it landed. That's distance "mon.

GB

[LowPost42]

Re: Frustrating search for distance

GB! Nice too see you back!