Distance Frustration

[MeanDeen]

Ok so I can hit the ball fairly straight most of the time. I can even work the ball some. My distance sucks though. My current distances are
driver - 200 - 220
3w - 180 - 200
3i - 160 - 170
4i - 150 - 160
5i - 140 - 150
6i - 130 - 140
7i - 120 - 130
8i - 110 - 120
9i - 100 - 110
pw - 90 - 100

I've been told I need to get my hips more into my swing and my clubs are pretty old. Other than that what are the most common reasons to not getting the distance I should be getting?
I'm pretty athletic and in other sports I've always been able to throw, hit, shoot as far or farther than the average.... just not in golf.

It's not a huge issue to me and I understand that straight and 220 is better than 280 OB but it does suck being like 4-5 clubs under everyone I play with.

I've played to a 15 hdcp when I was younger and I was driving the ball 230-250 then. I've quit playing many times since high school when I was playing every day with most recently coming off of a 5 year hiatus from golf.

[skagen]

I've had the same problems, though my irons are longer than you, my driver is 210-230. A lot of reasons, without video, no way to tell, but i'll give you something i've been told cause i am having the same struggles

keeping weight on the right side (right handed) causing deloft in the club at impact
-- shifting weight to left side and rotating arms to have logo of left hand glove point to target to deloft the club

My ball striking has gotten really decent, but i just started working on this at the range yesterday.

regular backswing, driver the hips and rotate the hips hard and keep the arms relax and passive. It's almost like i'm rotating with my hips and letting my arms go where they may, I have to say i hit my 8iron carry about 5-6 yards further, albiet, not consistent at all!

hope that helps.

[simland]

Easy ways to kill distance:

Casting the club out.

Not taking a full swing.

Gripping the club too tight.

Can't really help you out unless you've got a vid of your swing.

[sean_miller]

It's hard to describe with or without video unless you're well versed in golf swing lingo. It's easier in person - spend some $$ on lessons, but only after doing a search on-line.

Typically you want build up tension/torque and not waste any of it on the way back to the ball. Most long hitters perform a subtle move at the top of the backswing - the hips are initiating the downswing, yet the club has not quite reached the top of the swing - it has been called "the contra". It's not a secret move, but your local PGA professsional may cloak in such technical jargon, that it will be a lost cause. Job security.

[MeanDeen]

Thanks for the replies. It has to be what you guys are saying about the hip action as thats' what my buddie's been telling me as well. I may need to break down and get a lesson.

[deronsizemore]

  MeanDeen said:

Thanks for the replies. It has to be what you guys are saying about the hip action as thats' what my buddie's been telling me as well. I may need to break down and get a lesson.

It really could be any number of things. Athletic ability doesn't always transfer into a high swing speed with golf though. Some people are just naturally able to swing the club faster. My driver swing speed is around 112 average and I promise you that no matter how hard I try, I'll never get it up to 130 where Bubba Watson is or some of the long drive guys. They are just freaks and have God given ability to swing the club faster.

For someone such as yourself who is a 25 handicap, the quickest way to increase distance is to improve your fundamentals and the quickest way to do that is to see a golf professional. If you improve your swing, distance will just be an after though because it will just happen and you won't be forcing it with thoughts of hip action, etc.

[Shindig]

I had your distances and frustrations not too long ago, only without the latent athleticism to go with it. My teacher has been helping me with some power leaks and generating power, and I've picked up 2 clubs' distance this summer. I'm still not as long as my two most common playing partners (PW 150 - on a 50° PW no less - for one of them, while the other hits a modern PW 130), but it's helped.

So, it's come down to a few things:

1. Solid hitting. I had gotten into the habit of missing the sweet spot quite often, and had shafts that didn't communicate this to me.

2. Hip turn - I was having trouble with this. I'm still not terribly good at it, and I'd love to improve.

3. Over swinging - I would swing farther back than I should, and most of my downswing was making up for this.

[deronsizemore]

  Shindig said:

I'm still not as long as my two most common playing partners (PW 150 - on a 50° PW no less - for one of them, while the other hits a modern PW 130), but it's helped.

150 yard PW is just unreal and 130 PW is nothing to laugh at either.

[Greg]

Ive recently noticed that especially with my driver, if i swing smoother, i can actually hit it farther because im more likely to hit the sweet spot and not hit a sky high slice either. Not hitting the sweet spot will kill distance and if you have older clubs, its probably harder to find the sweet spot so a new 460 cc driver and game improvement irons with a larger more forgiving sweet spot might get you more distance. And if you're just getting back into playing again, it will take a while to find your swing. I just started last year and it took me several months of playing 2-3 times a week to ever hit the ball even remotely straight and any distance. I still hit the occasional horrible shot(slice a drive out of bounds or shank or chunk an iron like a first-timer)but i can control the ball much better than when i started. The more you play, the more comfortable you'll get and more confident as well.

[Uber$winG]

  MeanDeen said:

what are the most common reasons to not getting the distance I should be getting?

I’d venture to guess (without looking at a video of your swing) that you are not getting your hands into “the slot,” and subsequently have no hope of maintaining lag.

Look at Tiger’s swing (below): N.B.: his first movement on the downswing (@ 31 sec.) – it’s more lateral than rotational (there’s some rotation to get back to square, but he hasn’t fully turned his hips until his hands swing through the impact zone). His hands are able to drop in the slot as a result of his lateral movement towards the target. Look at the lag he has (@ 33 sec.), and the next frame (@ 34 sec.) shows his hands essentially over the ball before he starts to bring the club head through the impact zone. This is how both speed and power are generated in the golf swing.

[whetstone]

When I started really getting some distance it was from learning to move my hips properly. Try this...
Standing like you're adressing the ball, take your arms back to simulate a backswing. As your arms reach the top, shift your weight to your left foot and turn your zipper toward the target. You should feel a stretch in your stomach/rib muscles. You do this as you pull your right elbow into your ribs. You're now in the "coiled" position. When you uncoil by completing your downswing/follow through, you should be generating some good clubhead speed.
It's really alot more technical than that, and also alot simpler, but doing that should allow you to feel the stretch that puts the power into your swing.

[edingc]

Great video Uberswing.

Those distances are right in line with mine. Like you said, it's nice that I can hit a driver 210-230 straight, but on most holes this leaves a hybrid or 4 iron for me into a green, and makes even short par 5s nearly impossible to birdie.

[cody west]

transfer your weight and create more whip with later release
im not a big guy. im 5'6" 125 lbs but i hit the ball about 310. i get alot of distance because my swing is on plane. like i have been know to go driver wedge into rather long 500+ yard par 5's

[mc0388]

  MeanDeen said:

Ok so I can hit the ball fairly straight most of the time. I can even work the ball some. My distance sucks though. My current distances are

Here's an answer.

Loose muscles are fast muscles (ALWAYS remember that) By not being able to see your swing, this is an educated guess. Your probably all arms or all hips. Distance is created with torque, which is created by the proper hip, shoulder, and hand position at the top of your backswing. Your hips should stay 'quiet' (practice by feeling pressure on the inside of your thigh (back leg) during your backswing). This also helps with getting your weight transferred. Your shoulder blades should face the target at the top of your backswing (not the back of your head). At the top of your backswing your hands should be as far away from your head as you can manage. Do those three things and remember the first thing I mentioned. And you should be in position to hit it the way you want... This position requires some flexibility (I try to stretch every day)

[wedge player]

[QUOTE=Shindig;372973] I'm still not as long as my two most common playing partners (PW 150 - on a 50° PW no less - for one of them, while the other hits a modern PW 130),
QUOTE]

i hit my 48* pw 150 people say its an advantage but i know better
distance is overrated accuracy is what matters in life.i mean corey pavin has won more than bubba watson.

[bruce]

With those distances you are definitely coming over the top and casting,frustration can cause us to try and force the shot.Make sure your not taking the club inside on the backswing.Personally i try to restrict hip movement.Get those shoulders turning.