Losing Distance

[Gibby]

Anyone else find themselves hitting the ball shorter after a long layoff? I always seem to have this problem when starting up golf each season, particularly with the driver. I normally average around 260-270 with my driver, but both this spring and last spring i found myself barely hitting 210 on the launch moniters at Golf Galaxy after not hitting a ball since the end of the high school golf season (October). With my irons, it's not as big a difference, only about a half club shorter than usual. After several days at the range and/or a few rounds I find myself back to normal. I was just wondering if this happens to anyone else.

-Gibby

[Fairway_CY]

I wish I had averaged 260-270 with my driver at ANY point. 260 is a drive I hit maybe 5 times a season... 270 is a pipe dream. I average 220 or so. If I lost 50-60 yards off my driver distance, I may be hitting backwards soon!

I notice a SLIGHT decrease, but that's not on a monitor. It's outside with cold range balls. Once on the course... from the beginning of the season to the end of the season... I'm pretty much in the same areas off the tees.

CY

[James_Black]

Could be do to little roll on the fairways.

And a bit to do with your only just getting back into golf.

[Fatphil]

I live in south Florida and see the hot shot high school kids on the range all the time. These kids get to play year round and most of them swing like they want to hit it a thousand yards and they're all over the freakin lot. Maybe once every 10 swings they connect and it may carry 250 and as you see watching Doral if they're downwind in the winter when the fairways are dried out the ball rolls out 310,,,whooo hooo. Then they think their normal drives are 300. Stupid. They play better than you simply because their short games are extremely good...duh they play year round.

If you can hit the ball on the sweet spot, on plane, correct angle of attack and square clubface, a swing speed of 95 mph is very good and you will kick the crap out of the bozos who think they're gonna make it on tour by swinging @ 115 mph.

FYI the launch monitors in golf shops are rigged and the tools workin in the store just got laid off from Walmart. They're in business to sell clubs, not to entertain.

[RC]

I have a thought that might be useful. First off, I am a strong advocate of the left shoulder turning to or past the ball on the backswing. You don't have to have a long or short backswing, just one where the shoulders fully turn and the lower body does not lose its firmness because that would be a fake full backswing. After a lay-off, it might take a while to get back into a confident full shoulder turn. You may be focussed on making solid contact and overly using arms and hands rather than shifting weight and uncoiling a full shoulder turn. I see players who complain of loss of distance and invariably, they have become arm dominated in the backswing and not fully using a complete shoulder turn, or if they do have a full shoulder turn, they lose their lower body position due to an overly turned hip rotation. If you turn your shoulders 90 degrees and your hips 70 degrees, you are in trouble. Watch the tour guys and you will see many swings, but invariably you will see a full shoulder turn. Another big reason to fully turn is that it helps keep the club in front of you rather than getting trapped behind you -- a trapped fake backswing results in pushes and pulls, over the top swings, and handsy compensating moves.

After a layoff, I recommend hitting shots where you start out almost purely focussed on hitting with a shoulder turn with hardly any arms and hands action. Even 50 yard pitch shots can be practiced this way and you will soon start feeling the postions from which you can get back to powering the ball. JMHO.

[Gibby]

Thanks for that advice, I'll definitely be sure to try it out. That was something along the lines of what I was thinking, that after a long layoff the confidence wasn't there to really use my big muscles, and resulted in trying to guide my swing with my arms.

-Gibby

[RC]

You can hit three-quarter sandwedges just using a shoulder turn dominated swing with no hands flipping at the bottom. Focus on just turning the shoulder a bit down and under, and well back, leave the hands in a leading position on the downswing, and finish without the hands ever flipping at all -- just turn through the shot and hit it with your shoulder turn. I see a lot of players trying to hit out of long grass or rough using a fast up and down hands type swing. The ball seldom has the power to really come flying out of these conditions. Conversely, a backswing dominated by the power of a shoulder turn and a steep, hands ahead downswing will typically power the ball out of such otherwise difficult conditions. That tells me a lot about where power really comes from. Just be sure to turn so the club does not swing inside ahead of the hands, but rather follows the turning shoulders, arms, and hands naturally. This will get you well inside without the clubhead getting behind you first. I even try to hit little 20 yard pitches with a shoulder swing and rather firm wrists with only a little natural cocking motion and minimal "release" so the hands are well ahead through impact. It just takes practice and you will feel this motion -- and it will feel right. You can nip one off the tightest of lies.

It is a lot of fun and very instructive to hit short to medium little wedges using a shoulder swing and keeping your hands turning around your body on the follow through as if they are going around your belt line as your body opens up toward the target. They are not, of course, since the handle does come around and up, but this drill will help eliminate an arms and hands dominated swing and will prove you do not have to consciously turn your hands over through a shot to hit a straight stinger or even a flop. Then you just amp up the swing with a bigger shoulder turn and more weight shift toward the target with a power downswing (still dominated by the body and shoulders) and suddenly you will have your distance back with a good impact position and a good looking golf swing to boot. Plus, it will look effortless and the club will be delofted automatically for a very solid feeling shot.

Once you get that feeling, hitting longer power shots is just more of the same thing.

[Fatphil]

Heh RC, both excellent posts! (and well written, for here that's noteworthy)

I'll think of you when I take that full shoulder turn with my 60* and blade it OB @ 90mph..ha ha just kidding.

[Par Fore]

Anyone else find themselves hitting the ball shorter after a long layoff? I always seem to have this problem when starting up golf each season, particularly with the driver. I normally average around 260-270 with my driver, but both this spring and last spring i found myself barely hitting 210 on the launch moniters at Golf Galaxy after not hitting a ball since the end of the high school golf season (October). With my irons, it's not as big a difference, only about a half club shorter than usual. After several days at the range and/or a few rounds I find myself back to normal. I was just wondering if this happens to anyone else.

Absolutely.....if it's been a while, my swing speed is slower from not using all the same muscles over time, lack of effieciency and timing in my swing...also, my contacts are inconsistent, which means less well struck shots, which means less distance.....hitting the ball 10% less or more with every club right now......hitting my driver is a gamble at best......granted, at the moment, I'd just settle for straight

It's early....patience and practice....