Am I taking the club back far enough?

[albatross]

I've been analyzing my swing with video and I'm wondering if I take the club back far enough. I've been struggling with distance and now I feel like part of the problem might be that I'm not taking a full swing. I can only hit a 9 iron about 120 yards right now and I'm a pretty tall athletic guy. I used to hit 9 iron 150 yards.

In this video, I'm swinging an 8 iron. I realize that I'm hunched over and my weight is on my toes. I've been working on this. I've also been hitting a lot of "strong fades" but it seems like when I take a good HARD swing, I hit the ball pretty straight.

Is this a full swing?

http://www.swingacademy.com/swingana...l.aspx?id=1281

[clemsontiger]

I think that is plenty far enough. Most tour player come back about that far. You hardly even see people bring the club back to making it parallel any more.

I would not suggest a John Daly or anything like that.

[CG031]

Yes, for sure. I take it back (as instructed to do so by my teaching pro) even shorter 8-W. 6-8 irons I take it back a little furthur, not much though.

Last time I met with him, my teaching pro stressed that wit 6-W do not take the club thru past 3 quarters...meaning, don't finish your swing with your hands back over your shoulder..if you ever see tiger 6-W he is never finished completely with his hands over his shoulder like he does on his driver. More control and better trajectory that way.

[tm22721]

I think that is plenty far enough. Most tour player come back about that far. You hardly even see people bring the club back to making it parallel any more.

For me, a complete backswing is about creating a good transition which gets my club on plane and sets maximum lag.

[$2 Nassau]

That is plenty far for an 8i.

Like me, you straighten your right knee at the top of the backswing, I'm working towards keeping that right knee flexed and maintaining my spine angle. Goes a long way towards consistency (and power, since it creates a lot of torque).

[MPS67]

I feel like part of the problem might be that I'm not taking a full swing. I can only hit a 9 iron about 120 yards right now and I'm a pretty tall athletic guy. I used to hit 9 iron 150 yards.

IMHO, your swing goes back far enough.

I've also been hitting a lot of "strong fades"

It looks like it's slightly over the top which will cause this strong fade.

http://www.swingacademy.com/swingana...l.aspx?id=1281

Last time I met with him, my teaching pro stressed that wit 6-W do not take the club thru past 3 quarters...meaning, don't finish your swing with your hands back over your shoulder..

Mine says the same. He explained at the time, that once I learn to swing back with less tension in my arms, the club will continue to travel back further by itself through momentum.

Your swing is looking pretty good, but looks a little rushed and forceful. Over time, learn to swing easier and slower so that you're in balance the entire time. Once you allow the club to naturally release during the downswing and impact areas, you'll be amazed how well you can strike the ball. I can swing with the same quick tempo that you're showing, and the ball will travel no farther than a ball struck from one of my easy and slower tempo ed swings. Just look at Els. It looks as if he is swinging in slow motion.

Like me, you straighten your right knee at the top of the backswing, I'm working towards keeping that right knee flexed and maintaining my spine angle. Goes a long way towards consistency (and power, since it creates a lot of torque).

I used to think that it was a good idea to torque the right knee and keep it flexed in the back swing in order to get more power. But my instructor told me otherwise. Matter of fact, he cautioned that if I continued to torque it, I could blow my knee out.

Keeping the right knee flexed in the back swing is a good power move because it allows you to push off your right heel and instep by straightening out your knee and leg in the downswing. If your right leg is locked straight, you can only push off from your right hip. The other thing is, feeling too much right knee torque during the back swing might be a symptom that your not putting the weight to the inside of your foot and heel, but rather to the outside.

[Akers]

Wow, how do you not hit an 8 iron over that net from that far away?

and yeah you take it far enough back.

[noxnasdaq]

You can create some more power through building up coil. You let your left leg turn and slide. Work on building a better turn at the hips, not necessarily taking the club back any further though.

[albatross]

Wow, how do you not hit an 8 iron over that net from that far away?

Thanks for the comments. I was actually hitting a plastic ball in the video lol.

Yeah, that would be a loft problem if I wasn't hitting an 8 iron over the net from there