Swing too hard??

[BostonSully]

Brainstorming I wonder if I am swinging to hard and if this is causing some of my inconsistencies.

Ive been hitting drives like 300 lately but mostly all sit right along the edge of the rough and OB I havent hit a fairway in ages. Same thing with my long/mid irons I have no problem getting my 7 160-175 out there or my 4 195ish but I always am left/right of the green and cant seem to figure out whats up with my aim.

I have a habbit of always choosing the club I can swing 100% with to help with distances, but I either get a hero shot or go 20ft left of where I was aiming. Wondering if I go with an 80% swing and just slow it all down if that would help with aim? So Id go for 250-270 on the drive and like 150ish with the 7iron. Instead of full-bore like I do now.

[Scott_K]

You're better off going with 80% instead of 100%. Power is nothing without control.

[RC]

When driving, swinging to produce high clubhead speed is typically a great thing. Swinging hard is not a good thing -- if by hard you mean tightening up your uppper body to muscle the ball with supposedly more upper body strength. Most of us know that trying to hit it hard actually slows the clubhead down. Trying to swing it with high club head speed means a coordinated ground up motion that uses the body to keep the club moving well past impact while muscle it harder usually means the club reaches maximum speed before impact and is inefficient. That is my take on all this stuff. When swing easy or 80 percent or whatever is said, it does not mean swing slowly, it only means the power is generated in the body's core and motion and the hands, arms, shoulders are not pushed to the limit to try to hit it harder. Another way to say this is hit it as hard as you can but with body mechanics, not upper body strength.

[TourSpoon]

You're better off going with 80% instead of 100%. Power is nothing without control.

Nick Faldo made a wonderful career doing this...

[BostonSully]

Thanks guys; I've never had a *real* lesson aside from off-on tips from local pro's. I do believe I generate most of my power with my hips, and back but you're probably right that extra 20% is probably using my arms and shoulders to add the extra distance. Most likely whats causing me to push and pull the ball. I can be either a par-bogey shooter but then just completely blow up like 10+ on some holes where I hit almost OB, Then 20ft left of the green, then back over the green etc..

Id rather hit it shorter and more accurate im def going to try and focus on this.

[Scott_K]

The thing about targeting an 80% swing is that it will give you a better shot at striking the ball cleaner and closer to the sweet spot. At 80%, your trying to use your power more efficiently and you may be able to hit it the same distance (possibly further) as you would with a 100% swing. At 100%, chances are you're wasting a lot of power and not hitting it as solid as possible.

[BostonSully]

Got back from the range. Noticed that using only 80% of my normal backswing and almost full power gave me wayy better control of ball flieght. Although I found it hard to only swing my driver 80%, it kept causing me to topp the ball which I havent done in a long time. >< Hit another 60 tomorrow se how it goes.

[$2 Nassau]

I like the Tiger Woods theory - swing as hard as you want as long as you can maintain your balance.

I'm guessing you are already swinging close to 80-90% anyway. Nobody swings near 100%, think about what it would look like if you truly swung 100% and put every ounce of force and energy in your body into that swing. It would be out of control. That's 100%. Unless you are doing that you are probably fine.

I too like to choose the club where I need to to take a "full swing" -not to be confused with a 100% swing. If anything, shorten your backswing a touch, and then continue to swing through agressively.

By the sounds of it, you are a big hitter - embrace it.

[jallen100]

Your hitting 300 with a 36 handicap?

[sc13ntific]

When I swing too hard I never get the results I want. I figure its more about finding a smooth and comfortable swing where you can balance power and control. If I swing too hard the results are erratic, sometimes the ball goes far as hell and straight, sometimes it goes WAY left (most times). If I try to exercise some control I get repeatable results, not far (maybe 240-250) but straight and in the fairway. Now if I could only do that consistentaly I might be dangerous, but hell I've only been playing a month.

[sean_miller]

Your hitting 300 with a 36 handicap?

200 out + 50 yards up + 50 yards right = 300

I think BS (as I like to call him) is a hockey player - distance first and control later is actually quite common for hockey and baseball players.

[gilbo]

in a lesson i was giving this simple phrase, "tight goes right", the harder u attempt to swing, the tighter the grip, the more right the ball goes

[BostonSully]

Your hitting 300 with a 36 handicap?

Never tracked my Handicapp guess Im kinda like Happy Gilmore when he first started golfing lol. Wish I could hit the ball 400 like him though lmao.

[KEEPITSIMPLE]

well,personally I think it depends on the hole setup. If you mostly play open courses with short rough,AND yoiu know how to swing down on the ball with the short irons, I take my chances with the extra twenty yards that takes me from a mid iron to a short iron.

But if wacking it means instead of 115 in,you are 100,it is rather pointless.

And really, I think you already know what you should do. Just try 80%,especially on the short irons and see how that works out and go from there.