I got new irons, and had the worst expereince hitting the ball...what happened?

[RKO]

Hey guys, I thought I'd try and get some advice, or even some cures as to what happened to me yesterday while playing my round of golf. I didn't want to hi-jack a previous thread, but here's the story:

I just upgraded to a set of new Callaway X-18's, had them fitted, bent 2 degrees flat (i'm a fairly short, around 5'5"-5'6") and even got rifle shafts in them. Previously, I was hitting Spalding Heat Plus irons with medium firm lightweight graphite shafts (hey, they were my first set ever, and it was years ago!). Anyways, I went to the range with the Callaways last week, the day after I got them, and I was hitting pretty solid, straighter, and further than my other clubs. The feeling i got after impact just felt great, a lot better than my other irons. I decided to play a round of golf with my brother a couple days after. I had wicked ball striking that day once again...my typical misses would be a little hook to the right - but not severe (i'm left handed).

Now yesterday, I played a nice little par 3 course ranging from 90-190 yrds (great for the irons, so i decided to try this course out). I started off on the first hole and pulled my gap wedge out, the hole was about 90 yards long, so I did a nice smooth three quarter swing, lofted it up and and it landed nice and soft on the green. Second hole, was about 100 yards long with a water hazard in front of the hole, pulled the gap wedge out once again, and with a front pin placement, I did almost the same thing. Third hole, was about 120, pulled out the Pitching wedge and wanted to hit a nice full PW. Well, my typical miss is a little hook, and my shot was dead left 40 yards (to reiterate, i'm left handed once again). It almost felt like I was hitting the heel of the club, I said that's odd, let me try again (it wasn't busy and nobody was behind us, so I said why not try another shot?) I did, and the same result. It was almost like I forgot how to swing a club. By the 6th hole, I was getting pretty frustrated, but more worried as to what was going on. My tee shots were going dead left as if I was hitting the heel every single time. What happened to me?

My playing partners had a few observations/suggestions as to what maybe could have caused me to miss hit so badly:

-Not used to the 'new' club face being 'square' at address (thinking I am square, but in reality, I am not)
-Grip being to loose. Starting off with 2 short holes with 2 three quarter swings, maybe have influenced something to do with my loose grip with the remainder of the round.
-No preparation before the round. Basically a spontaneous, 'let's go' golfing round, but one of my playing partners had a fantastic round, probably the round of his life.
-Weather, it was a little damp outside, and by the 4th hole it wasnt 'spitting', it was raining, but I have overcome the weather issue in the past.


Sorry for the long post, but I had to say as many details as I could, I had a nightmare round yesterday, and want to bounce back. What happened to me?

[TarDawg]

It probably became a little mental for you. But also it sounds as though you may have not been fully closing the club face at impact. I imagine the Callaway's you have now aren't as forgiving as the original clubs on mishits. Also you could have had a slight swing plane error. When I get into those funks I have to think before every shot. Club head through the ball to the target.

A good fix would be for a hole or two to only take the club back half way so that the toe of your club is pointing straight up. Then take your swing but stop the follow through waist high making sure to swing the club head through the ball towards the target. This should get the feeling of the proper plane and squareness of the club head at impact. Just make sure you use a club or two up from what you would normally hit. When I'm on the range and i'm clubbing the ball straight left (i'm a righty) I realize it's a swing plane issue and i'll hit about six balls as stated above. That normally cures that. If I'm slicing real bad then I try to over correct for about six balls and really get my club head just over square at impact.

[iacas]

Third hole, was about 120, pulled out the Pitching wedge and wanted to hit a nice full PW. Well, my typical miss is a little hook, and my shot was dead left 40 yards (to reiterate, i'm left handed once again). It almost felt like I was hitting the heel of the club, I said that's odd, let me try again (it wasn't busy and nobody was behind us, so I said why not try another shot?) I did, and the same result.

Sounds like a case of the shanks to me... you probably WERE hitting the heel of the club.

[JeffG]

Sounds eerily similiar to a round I had a little while back. I posted in the golf talk forum about it, I think it was called "Ever had a round like this?".

I have a new set if irons...not as new as yours...I got mine probably a month and a half ago or so. But a few rounds back I went out and out of NOWHERE I had a bad case of the shanks. I eventually just picked up and went home. I've played a few times since then and they've not come back yet (knocks on wood!). Probably just mental, you know how to swing the club...but for some reason you were just doing something wrong that day. Just take a deep breath and forget about it, head out the next time you play and don't even give it a thought.

[Thrdroc]

Wow i'm not the only person that has this. I just got my new clubs 3 weeks ago and my first time out with them i had the hardest time hitting them. I had no clue why. I was so mad to think i just spend $750 on new clubs and i can't even hit them. I went out the day after and everything was completely fine. It was weird. My 3rd time out, i shot my low round on the year.

So i'm guessing that their is this like new club syndrome the people getting. They are just so used to their old clubs that they don't want to give them up. I think its just a mental thing.

[mike_pinto]

Alot of folks I know (OK including me) get new clubs and head to the range. They (we) see how long and how straight they are so we hit the course. And just like that we are over swinging everything. I have a buddy that got Callaway X20's and for some reason they made him decelerate on every shot!!?? Just hit the range a few times, it will work itself out.

Mike



If not, do what most golfers do.... Throw money at it!!

[wengerlaw]

I agree totally with mike_pinto's comment. I just bought new Callaway Big Bertha irons to replace my old clone Ping I-3 clubs. The first time I hit the range, I was very discouraged. The clubs felt muted on impact and didn't have any feel. However, I soon realized that I was hitting most shots off the heel area of the club. I adjusted my stance a bit and am now hitting these irons great. They still don't have the feel of my previous smaller clubs, but the forgiveness and distance is worth the tradeoff.

[RKO]

Weird, sounds like some similar stories of what happened to me has happened to others. Well, to update, I just came back from the range at my home course, and pretty much came back with a vengance. I hit a warm-up bucket, around 35 balls, I was drilling my shots dead center and it felt great. It was such a relief, maybe it's just a process of getting used to the new clubs at address, I am not sure, I had a firmer grip on my club as well, and I didn't shank one single ball, what a relief. pheeewph I can sleep at night now! lol