Ballooning Drives and woods

*James_Black*

I'm currently at the best stage I've ever been ball striking wise.

But now my drives and woods are ballooning and losing distance while my irons are going further.

Lets put it this way.
Previously I used to have a high slight draw with my drives that went 240+ yards
Now I hit a VERY HIGH slight fade and I'm lucky to hit it over 220 yards.
My woods are the same.

what's going on?

*DaSportsGuy*

You may be teeing it up too high...have you always ballooned them or is it just a recent thing?

*James_Black*

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaSportsGuy

You may be teeing it up too high...have you always ballooned them or is it just a recent thing?

It's just started recently over the past 2 weeks.

*sean_miller*

Quote:

Originally Posted by James_Black

I'm currently at the best stage I've ever been ball striking wise.

But now my drives and woods are ballooning and losing distance while my irons are going further.

Lets put it this way.
Previously I used to have a high slight draw with my drives that went 240+ yards
Now I hit a VERY HIGH slight fade and I'm lucky to hit it over 220 yards.
My woods are the same.

what's going on?

I'm a simple person (somewhere between simpleton and simplistic) so I'll offer a simple solution.

Try to flatten out your woods swing - right elbow close to the body etc. - and make sure your club is travelling along the intended path at impact (and just beyond). Try an extended waggle (something like Mike Weir circa 2002-2005) visuallizing keeping the clubhead on a horizontal plane at impact.

*ks8829*

Are you hitting the top of the club? use a mark to check ball contact for both clubs and let us see a video of your swing on the driver and fairway wood.

*SQ Bimmer*

I think the main thing that causes ballooning is hitting the ball too low on the driver face. As mentioned, try to hit higher on the driver face.

Fast forward to 50 seconds in, or enjoy the whole show.

*sean_miller*

Quote:

Originally Posted by SQ Bimmer

I think the main thing that causes ballooning is hitting the ball too low on the driver face. As mentioned, try to hit higher on the driver face.

Fast forward to 50 seconds in, or enjoy the whole show.

So if we want to hit the ball lower (with the driver), we need to tee it up higher and catch it higher on the clubface?

**iacas**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

So if we want to hit the ball lower (with the driver), we need to tee it up higher and catch it higher on the clubface?

I don't think that's what he's saying. Ballooning is from too much spin. Hit the ball low and you get more backspin. Higher on the clubface and you get less backspin.

The launch angle with a hit higher on the clubface will be higher, but the peak height might be lower because the spin will go down.

*sean_miller*

Quote:

Originally Posted by iacas

I don't think that's what he's saying. Ballooning is from too much spin. Hit the ball low and you get more backspin. Higher on the clubface and you get less backspin.

The launch angle with a hit higher on the clubface will be higher, but the peak height might be lower because the spin will go down.

Aah - I get it now - higher but not too high. I was hinting at a skying the ball. The OP is referring to ballooning.