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Ball flight: Lower or Higher?


Petden
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Which is better, a higher ball flight or a lower ball flight? I would assume the higher is more workable in average conditions, but how much would you suffer on distance?

I have a very low ball flight with anything larger than a 5I. I can never stop it on a green, it always rolls off or I'm just off target. Also, can there be a huge difference between one set to another (regarding height)?
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The answer is: it depends.

In general I believe a higher ball flight is better, although some players can hit it too high and/or with too much spin.

How far do you carry your 5I btw? Are you looking to buy new clubs?

DRIVER: 905r 8.5 UST V2 75 X
3 WOOD: 906f2 15 UST 85 X
HYBRID/IRON: Rapture Hybrid/3 Iron
IRONS: MX 200 Dynamic Gold X100
WEDGES: 52, 56, 60 600PUTTER: Geurin Rife Two Bar BALLS: Pro V1xGLOVE: SoftjoySHOES: Reelfit "Do those pump up?"BAG: Sun Mountain

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In the wet and the slop, a higher ball flight is better as you will get a better carry distance and aren't at the mercy of the course conditions. In the windy conditions a lower ball flight is better as you don't have to make as many club adjustments on your approaches and the wedges don't get swallowed up by the wind. I'm the latter, but not necessarily by choice. So I kinda subscribe to the Dana Quigley theory. I once read an article of him saying something to the effect of....courses are now setup to hit low spinning shots with the 7 iron down and long range shots as high as possible.

In all other conditions, I believe it is just a matter of what you want. And your home course conditions would help you decide what's best as well. If you play a links style course, you can run shots on to the green. If your greens are bunkered all around the front then you might need to play "American style" golf and let it fly high.

All that being said, you can make a decent amount of adjustment in your height by choosing the right ball. If you need to hit it higher, try a high spinning ball. But ultimately I think it falls back on you equipment choice and most importantly your swing mechanics.

Good Luck!
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A lower ball flight. A lower ball flight is more controllable and you can calibrate your distances better. Ive went to PGA Tour events and most of the pros --check this out--all most every single one on tour hits their driver really high and their irons really low--so thats what i would aim for if i were you..

"People think the size of the head is most important. Wrong. It's getting a quality shaft. test different shafts to see which goes the straightest. Also, more degrees of loft on the head is better than less. Eleven degrees is about right."

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A lower ball flight. A lower ball flight is more controllable and you can calibrate your distances better. Ive went to PGA Tour events and most of the pros --check this out--all most every single one on tour hits their driver really high and their irons really low--so thats what i would aim for if i were you..

i have been to some tour events as well, and its not almost like they hit their irons low, but rather they launch the ball low, and with the spin the ball rises or climbs up into the air. resulting in a average apex, and a very steep angle of decent with spin.( i would kill for this ball flight, because it looks amazing)

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i have been to some tour events as well, and its not almost like they hit their irons low, but rather they launch the ball low, and with the spin the ball rises or climbs up into the air. resulting in a average apex, and a very steep angle of decent with spin.( i would kill for this ball flight, because it looks amazing)

Yea I know..Its cool to see that the ball has zero sidespin whenevever the pros launch the ball. I love how the launch comes off low and then all of a sudden the ball drops. That tells you something..The pros hit the ball off of the very top part of the grooves on the irons and wedges. Thats very hard to do because you have to make the perfect strike just because of the bounce angle of the iron or wedge .

"People think the size of the head is most important. Wrong. It's getting a quality shaft. test different shafts to see which goes the straightest. Also, more degrees of loft on the head is better than less. Eleven degrees is about right."

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Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods might disagree with some of these low ballers.

As to the OP, if you are getting good distance then you might want to switch to a higher spinning ball and see if that helps.

If you are not getting good distance, then you may want to find clubs and balls which are designed to hit it high.

DRIVER: 905r 8.5 UST V2 75 X
3 WOOD: 906f2 15 UST 85 X
HYBRID/IRON: Rapture Hybrid/3 Iron
IRONS: MX 200 Dynamic Gold X100
WEDGES: 52, 56, 60 600PUTTER: Geurin Rife Two Bar BALLS: Pro V1xGLOVE: SoftjoySHOES: Reelfit "Do those pump up?"BAG: Sun Mountain

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If you are not getting good distance, then you may want to find clubs and balls which are designed to hit it high.

Like any perimeter weighted irons that have a lower and deeper center of gravity. Try shafts with lower kick and a higher launch....maybe even graphite. Look for hybrids and fairway woods to replace long and mid irons. And don't be afraid of a driver with 12* or more of loft. This is of course if you want to change equipment.

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Well my 5I distances are pretty good, I'll average around 190+ yards.

To describe my trajectory, usually on a good shot it starts off low and climbs, I notice this most of all on the driver and PW, dont ask why the PW, I couldn't tell you. I am looking for new clubs as well, and hold back buying new sets because im not sure what I should look for, ie ball height.

Also I have trouble hitting balls such as the Pro V1. My drivers aren't consitant enough to play thoush higher spinning balls, but with the irons they are orgasmic, such a beautiful feel.
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Well my 5I distances are pretty good, I'll average around 190+ yards.

I see, is this 190 in carry distance or total? I'm gonna assume total.

If you don't like the higher spinning balls, then you're gonna have to increase your trajectory with some low center of gravity irons. Of course this is not fixing the real problem.

DRIVER: 905r 8.5 UST V2 75 X
3 WOOD: 906f2 15 UST 85 X
HYBRID/IRON: Rapture Hybrid/3 Iron
IRONS: MX 200 Dynamic Gold X100
WEDGES: 52, 56, 60 600PUTTER: Geurin Rife Two Bar BALLS: Pro V1xGLOVE: SoftjoySHOES: Reelfit "Do those pump up?"BAG: Sun Mountain

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I think ideal is a mid to low ball flight with the short irons and high ball flight with the long irons. I find that the harder I hit a club the higher it goes and the more distance I get, and the more controlled I hit a club the lower it goes and the more accurate I am.

Cleveland Hi-bore 9.5* stiff, Taylormade Burner T3 14.5* stiff, Mizuno mp 32 3-PW, Nike SV Tour Black Satin 52, 56, 60* wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 35 inches
In the market for a new driver, then my bag will be the shiz.

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Note: This thread is 5596 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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