Full Swing Madness

[Blakey1974]

Hi guys....great site.

I have the bizzarre problem of not being able to "take something off" my shots without an awful array of shank , top , hook basically destroying my game....if im hitting at full kilter...everything is hunky dory barring the odd nutty drive.....but try to hit at 80% lower and it all goes to Hades.

Some would say this is not a problem....smack em all away but heres an example.

Par 3 , 120 yards to apron...pin at around 134/138 , elavated tee box... Pitching Wedge hit high and straight with wonderful fluidity......

....ball thru Green into trees.

Im hitting the wedge 150 yards plus!! As a 6'3 guy around the 14 stone mark I expect to generate power and when walloped correctly the driver has flown as far as 340yrd.....but I don' t want this sort of game for my approach and Par 3 Tee Shots.

Im debating on seeing a pro for the first time but just wondered if anybody had any hints to try first....

Yours in waiting...

Blakey

[Neil18]

Re: Full Swing Madness

Welcome Blakey 1974!

You must be the first person to write a thread asking how to reduce distance!

A 150 yard pitching wedge full-bore is quite the strike. Even if it's downhill, 140 is a damn large wedge range.

Taking the sting out of shots is a tricky thing and one I struggled with for a while. Before when I used to hit longer but more wayward, I'd try to "hit a little 7" and just dump the thing 3 yards.

Now, I'm getting more proficient at knocking it within 10 feet from 125 yards with an eight iron.

You may need to introduce some power restrictors. This is where looking at yourself on video can comes in handy.

Where do you get your power from? Is it mostly a speedy but fairly controlled thrash at the ball, or are you a mini version of Arnold Schwarzenegger...............named Blakey, or do you have crazy Hogan/Garcia lag?

Have a look at your power generators and see if you can build something into your setup to kill it without changing rhythm on those shots you don't want to burn the air.

Better to do it at setup and just swing, rather than do it mid-swing.

There's other ways. If you're a rhythm and feel man, vary it for the shots at hand, but this takes practice to get proficient.

Choke down on the grip so you "only" hit your wedge 130

Swing to the same rhythm but shorter back and through (like from 10 to 2 or 9 to 3 on a clockface).

Or a combination. This part of the game is where you've now found your max range, now get accurate by learning how to use everything within the range of every club. This is where golf, for me, gets even more fun.

Ben Hogan could hit a green 130 yards away using a 9 iron to a 3 iron. That's shot making.

Have fun with it!

[LowPost42]

Re: Full Swing Madness

I like a lot of Neil's suggestions.

I found for myself that I'd get handsy and slap at the ball - stopping my body rotation.

Try to feel more rhythm in your swing and don't take the club back as far.

[Blakey1974]

Re: Full Swing Madness

Hey guys....thanks for the welcome and taking the time to answer....

I struggled with the whole 9 to 3 swing...nothing "feels" right about it...its like im stifeling everything thats good.


Im by no means an Arnie like figure...rather the opposite....its sinewy power rather than brute bulk...and I don' t feel like its speed because like I say....they swing is fluid and there is nothing forced about it......

Interesting to hear your thoughts.....i went ahead and booked a sitting with the pro for Sat Morn.....I'll let you know how it goes...

[LowPost42]

Re: Full Swing Madness

What happens if you simply try to move slower - the imagery being doing it under water?

[klaymon]

Re: Full Swing Madness

I found for myself that I'd get handsy and slap at the ball - stopping my body rotation.

I think this may be my problem as well. Instead of keeping the same basic mechanics and just making a smaller swing, I try to do something else (who knows what). Partial swings are something I need to work on.

[rotator]

Re: Full Swing Madness

What happens if you simply try to move slower - the imagery being doing it under water?

I like this.

Many pros use this in their practice. I've seen some of the better golfers talk about taking a club, even a driver, and making full motion slower swings, so they hit the ball 50 yards, 70 yards, 100 yards, 130 yards and up to the full length. Tiger would a five iron and hit one to 140 yards and work upwards.

Some of the old time pros talk about guys like Snead feathering a full motion swing to a par 3 hole, and watch his opponent hit the same club over the green.

[BrianW]

Re: Full Swing Madness

I can hit a wedge from 1 yard up to 140 yards, just like I can hit any club a whole range of distances.

If anyone has difficulties with achieving this then there must be something very wrong with their perception and/or execution of the golf swing. If this is the case then getting some tuition would be a great idea.

[vp27519]

Re: Full Swing Madness

I struggle with the half and 3/4 swing with long irons. Why, for mine thinking on it, is the weight transfer.

In the full swing everything happens when it is suppose to.

I really struggle with the concept of stopping swing half way and follow through.

I have a good creative short game. I pitch quite well.

The half swing with a long iron kills me.....

[BrianW]

Re: Full Swing Madness

I would normally use a longer iron with a short swing where I needed to hit the ball low under trees or under the wind. I grip the club low down so that my right hand is at the bottom of the grip or just onto the steel of the shaft, ball back in stance with hands ahead so the clubface is delofted. I then take te club away with the clubhead low to the ground, take the club back just like in a full swing but stop at the appropriate height for the length of shot required, then hit through to a low finish.

Weight transfer should take care of it's self, you can place more weight on the front foot from address with a shorter back swing, just like when you pitch.

Rescue clubs are good for this shot.

[vp27519]

Re: Full Swing Madness

Brian,

I have no problems punching or hitting a low ball - especially when in the trees.

What kills me is the shot from the middle of the fairway and I want to fly the ball say 50m low under the wind and run it up.

I suppose the question I ask - should there be any weight transfer on a half shot. There isn't any for punching or pitching.

Could this be my problem - take my focus of weight transfer away. Just play the half swing like a pitch with the 7 iron. Of course a slower swing speed to keep spin down and thus creating lower ball flight.

Your thoughts?

Nickers

[BrianW]

Re: Full Swing Madness

Nickers,

Play it more like a pitch shot with your weight preset on the front foot. The lower loft of the club especially when delofted by the ball being a little further back and hands ahead will keep the ball low.

[vp27519]

Re: Full Swing Madness

Cheers big ears

[BrianW]

Re: Full Swing Madness

Cheers big ears

I've got big feet as well

[vp27519]

Re: Full Swing Madness

There's a saying about big feet - do you have big hands Brian??