How far do you hit your clubs?

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by ChrisGSZ

It's pure physics/biomechanics:

1. Working from the ground up ensures muscles work in the right way at the right time - we accumulate energy through legs/trunk/arms and pass from link to link down the muscular chain ensuring we inject maximum energy into body rotation.

2. Keeping the clubhead close reduces resistance to body rotation hence maximising rotational speed. A tightrope walker rotates (overbalances) slowly - and stays on the wire - if he carries a long pole. We also rotate slowly if we allow our long pole - the club - to stick out. We need to keep it close (tight swing radius) to rotate faster... It's like driving a car - there's an accelerator (muscular chain) and a brake (swing tight radius). We need to press the accelerator and stay off the brake...

3. Passive release works through a 'double pendulum' action - it's too complicated to explain here but it's the reason why 'rhythm' is so crucial.  See this link to see a double pendulum in action:

http://www.myphysicslab.com/dbl_pendulum.html

That's how we get effortless power.... Hope it helps.

I am going to need to digest the equations for a bit, but here are my distances using a relaxed swing.

260 yard driver left handed
235 yard 3 wood left handed
225 3 hybrid left handed
200 5 wood
175 yard 4 hybrid left handed, hitting really high with this one, like a wedge
185 yard 4 hybrid left handed, hitting lower but need to practice this more to be more consistent with this shot.
3 iron blade left handed (finally can hit at least 3/4 swing) 175, really low shots. Not normal use.
4 iron blade left handed 165
5 iron blade 155
6 iron blade 145
7 iron blade 135
8 iron blade 125, duff at least 1/3 of shots
9 iron blade 110, I hit this one too lightly no confidence with higher lofts
Pw blade 100, no confidence with higher lofts

Do my irons seem normal relative to my woods, am I overhitting my woods and hybrids? Or do they seem short?

In looking at all the other distances on this thread, all my irons are really short. On top of that, my 9 iron is really short. I end up needing an 8 to PW for par 3 courses.

The other thing is that all my iron shots are these parabolic trajectories, then just kind of gently land. When I see other people hitting at the range their shots are high, strong and they make a hissing sound. They land hard and have lots of spin.

I have no power.

How do I get it?

[Datsyuk]

Hey guys, isn't this a thread where people brag about how far they hit each club on a 100% effort swing? Nobody said there was gonna be a test!

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by Datsyuk

Hey guys, isn't this a thread where people brag about how far they hit each club on a 100% effort swing? Nobody said there was gonna be a test!

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack this thread, by asking if I pass the test or not.

I just think my irons are short, and I don't seem to hit with the same power everyone else does on this site and at the range.

So, how do I do it? I think I am close, if I can just get the timing down on the wrist turn and release.

My swing coach is on vacation this and half of next month.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Lihu

260 yard driver left handed

235 yard 3 wood left handed

225 3 hybrid left handed

200 5 wood

175 yard 4 hybrid left handed, hitting really high with this one, like a wedge

185 yard 4 hybrid left handed, hitting lower but need to practice this more to be more consistent with this shot.

3 iron blade left handed (finally can hit at least 3/4 swing) 175, really low shots. Not normal use.

4 iron blade left handed 165

5 iron blade 155

6 iron blade 145

7 iron blade 135

8 iron blade 125, duff at least 1/3 of shots

9 iron blade 110, I hit this one too lightly no confidence with higher lofts

Pw blade 100, no confidence with higher lofts

I'm confused ... do you swing right-handed with some of your clubs?  You made a point to specify that some of your distances are left-handed, but not others, that is the only reason why I ask.

[wadesworld]

Originally Posted by Lihu

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack this thread, by asking if I pass the test or not.

I just think my irons are short, and I don't seem to hit with the same power everyone else does on this site and at the range.

So, how do I do it? I think I am close, if I can just get the timing down on the wrist turn and release.

My swing coach is on vacation this and half of next month.

Lihu,

The extra power you see other golfers have is likely the result of better timing, a better lag, and better release, to which you allude.  You're likely trying to muscle the ball out there, rather than letting gravity, momentum and the club's design work.

However, it's not something you can consciously develop.  By that, I mean, you can't think "ok.....realease NOW!!"  Golf is a timing game, period.  You can swing as hard as you want, and I can find a pro who is half your strength that can hit it farther with 50% of your swing effort.

You have to develop it by getting the feel.  You have to get into a sound setup, with a sound grip, make a sound backswing, get into a sound position at the top, have sound positioning at impact, following into a sound follow-through all with great timing.  When you start to achieve all that, you then just give up your swing to gravity and the wrist-snap will happen.

The befit of working with a pro is they can get you into all those sound positions.  If you're not getting there, the swing is not going to work.  If you're fighting gravity and anatomy with unsound movements, your chances of consistency or success are very low.

Watch part 1 and part 2 of this video and see if any of the ideas click

:

[Valleygolfer]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

260 yard driver left handed

235 yard 3 wood left handed

225 3 hybrid left handed

200 5 wood

175 yard 4 hybrid left handed, hitting really high with this one, like a wedge

185 yard 4 hybrid left handed, hitting lower but need to practice this more to be more consistent with this shot.

3 iron blade left handed (finally can hit at least 3/4 swing) 175, really low shots. Not normal use.

4 iron blade left handed 165

5 iron blade 155

6 iron blade 145

7 iron blade 135

8 iron blade 125, duff at least 1/3 of shots

9 iron blade 110, I hit this one too lightly no confidence with higher lofts

Pw blade 100, no confidence with higher lofts

I'm confused ... do you swing right-handed with some of your clubs?  You made a point to specify that some of your distances are left-handed, but not others, that is the only reason why I ask.

I thought the same thing but I have been getting confused a lot lately and didn't want to say anything this time...

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

I'm confused ... do you swing right-handed with some of your clubs?  You made a point to specify that some of your distances are left-handed, but not others, that is the only reason why I ask.

I am ambidextrous. Better with irons right handed, but better with woods left handed. Also, I just started hitting right handed a couple months ago, due to shoulder injuries and a desire to continue to golf.

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by wadesworld

Lihu,

The extra power you see other golfers have is likely the result of better timing, a better lag, and better release, to which you allude.  You're likely trying to muscle the ball out there, rather than letting gravity, momentum and the club's design work.

However, it's not something you can consciously develop.  By that, I mean, you can't think "ok.....realease NOW!!"  Golf is a timing game, period.  You can swing as hard as you want, and I can find a pro who is half your strength that can hit it farther with 50% of your swing effort.

You have to develop it by getting the feel.  You have to get into a sound setup, with a sound grip, make a sound backswing, get into a sound position at the top, have sound positioning at impact, following into a sound follow-through all with great timing.  When you start to achieve all that, you then just give up your swing to gravity and the wrist-snap will happen.

The befit of working with a pro is they can get you into all those sound positions.  If you're not getting there, the swing is not going to work.  If you're fighting gravity and anatomy with unsound movements, your chances of consistency or success are very low.

Watch part 1 and part 2 of this video and see if any of the ideas click

:

Thanks for the response. I need to wait for my swing coach to come back from vacation. In the meantime, I'll just continue on with my wimpy iron shots.

[JerryD1965]

Driver 210

18*170

21*160

24*150

5 145

6 130

7 120

8 100

9 85

PW 70

GW 60

SW 50

Pretty bad but the honest truth................lol

Still trying and improving.

[slodsm]

Originally Posted by JerryD1965

Driver 210

18*170

21*160

24*150

5 145

6 130

7 120

8 100

9 85

PW 70

GW 60

SW 50

Pretty bad but the honest truth................lol

Still trying and improving.

Nothing wrong with that man, I was there at the beginning of this summer (actually I'm pretty sure my driver wasn't that long). A few lessons and a ridiculous amount of practice and I can reliably hit 30 more on all of them right now. Just don't get frustrated and practice as often as you can.

[Russtopher]

Originally Posted by slodsm

Nothing wrong with that man, I was there at the beginning of this summer (actually I'm pretty sure my driver wasn't that long). A few lessons and a ridiculous amount of practice and I can reliably hit 30 more on all of them right now. Just don't get frustrated and practice as often as you can.

Same here! I'm just finally *starting* to get proper compression - when I do, my 6 iron is 150. But the majority of times, my 6i is around 125. My drives, when they go straight, are maybe 220 with roll. Glad to see some honest figures here.

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by Russtopher

Same here! I'm just finally *starting* to get proper compression - when I do, my 6 iron is 150. But the majority of times, my 6i is around 125. My drives, when they go straight, are maybe 220 with roll. Glad to see some honest figures here.

Same here. Thanks for the support.

[JerryD1965]

TY for the support ............beleive it or not I play a 9 hole course near my home and have scored pretty good.

Even with the distances so short I know my distance and when I hit some what straight I scored as low as +6 on 9 holes.

It's a short course with number 1 being a 240yd par 4 and the longest a 420 par 5 I'm happy playing short and in the fairway......lol

[skillzwhogolfs]

Originally Posted by HackerUpNorth

Sorry that was to Skillzwhogolfs

Yeah well first of all about that I can say I have never really tried to find out how long my 3 wood goes, I have used it for the 220-230 par 3s and were able to hit them pretty good so that was my guess, but havent really hit it down the fairway to see how far it goes. and I am not sure about PW to 3wood but thats just what it does. could be because my 3 wood is an old calaway steel head.

[David Hebert]

So you want to know how far I hit my clubs:

Driver - against the golf cart
3 iron - straight down to the ground
4 iron - 3 feet from where my golf buddies are standing
5 iron - into the nearest tree
6 iron - not at all (brand new)
7 iron - until the hosel separates
8 iron - until I only have half left to hit with
9 iron - gingerly, its a pricey club
PW - into the nearest sand trap, on
Putter - enough to create a divit near the hole

Actually, I hit the ball alot further!

David

http://www.prostoregolf.com

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by Mfed

Look to the right of this thread and find "Recent Images in this Thread". Click on the guy that's swinging the club. This is the position you want to try to get to. Notice his hips have started to turn toward his target. His chest is also starting to turn toward his target yet still lag behind his hips. From the top of his back swing, his right elbow has just dropped to his side. This is how the downswing should start. The thing to notice is how much the club is still behind him when he gets to this position. If you can get to this position, it would be very difficult to release the club too early. Try setting up with a tree or something behind you in line with where the ball would be. It should be close enough that your club just barely misses it on the way back (1/2" or less). You'll notice that in order to not hit the tree on the way down, your first move will be to get to this position. You essentially "drop down" first to avoid hitting the tree. Check out this page...maybe it will help you.

In general, I would say you'd want your divots to be 3 to 5 inches and maybe more depending on the club you're hitting. You need to make sure you hit the ball first. The bottom of your swing must be in front of the ball.

Setup a strike plate with some polycarbonate sheeting and masking tape. Found that my divot is about 1/2" before the "ball" (target drawn on the tape). In any case, I will move it 3" forward.

I just finished my 250 balls tonight. So, I'll try this tomorrow morning, and build up a 2x4 rig to replace a tree after dinner.

Thanks again, I will keep you posted on my results.

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by wadesworld

Lihu,

The extra power you see other golfers have is likely the result of better timing, a better lag, and better release, to which you allude.  You're likely trying to muscle the ball out there, rather than letting gravity, momentum and the club's design work.

However, it's not something you can consciously develop.  By that, I mean, you can't think "ok.....realease NOW!!"  Golf is a timing game, period.  You can swing as hard as you want, and I can find a pro who is half your strength that can hit it farther with 50% of your swing effort.

You have to develop it by getting the feel.  You have to get into a sound setup, with a sound grip, make a sound backswing, get into a sound position at the top, have sound positioning at impact, following into a sound follow-through all with great timing.  When you start to achieve all that, you then just give up your swing to gravity and the wrist-snap will happen.

The befit of working with a pro is they can get you into all those sound positions.  If you're not getting there, the swing is not going to work.  If you're fighting gravity and anatomy with unsound movements, your chances of consistency or success are very low.

Watch part 1 and part 2 of this video and see if any of the ideas click

:

Thanks, Wade. I appreciate the video. The separate hand weight synchronization looks to be a really good drill. Lots of drills to try.

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by ChrisGSZ

It's pure physics/biomechanics:

1. Working from the ground up ensures muscles work in the right way at the right time - we accumulate energy through legs/trunk/arms and pass from link to link down the muscular chain ensuring we inject maximum energy into body rotation.

2. Keeping the clubhead close reduces resistance to body rotation hence maximising rotational speed. A tightrope walker rotates (overbalances) slowly - and stays on the wire - if he carries a long pole. We also rotate slowly if we allow our long pole - the club - to stick out. We need to keep it close (tight swing radius) to rotate faster... It's like driving a car - there's an accelerator (muscular chain) and a brake (swing tight radius). We need to press the accelerator and stay off the brake...

3. Passive release works through a 'double pendulum' action - it's too complicated to explain here but it's the reason why 'rhythm' is so crucial.  See this link to see a double pendulum in action:

http://www.myphysicslab.com/dbl_pendulum.html

That's how we get effortless power.... Hope it helps.

I used a matlab (use matlab 7 or above) simulation (I am partial to matlab as opposed to mathematica), contributed on the matlab file exchange program.

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/27212-animated-double-pendulum.

The parameters are as follows inside the invoked "double_pendulum_init.m":

phi1                = pi;
dtphi1              = 2;
phi2                = 2*pi;
dtphi2              = 4.5;
g                   = 9.81;
m1                  = 3; % this is the effective mass of the hand and wrist
m2                  = 0.25; % this is the mass of the club head, taking out the mass of the shaft
l1                  = .75; % arm length meters
l2                  = 1; % club length meters
duration            = 1.2; % swing time
fps                 = 100;
movie               = true;

This will give you a movie of a psuedo-golf swing, looks kind of like a swing. The PDF contains the equations of motion.

Thanks again for your help so far.