Lower Ball Flight with Driver

[canadianpro]

I have always been a bit of a "flipper" at times but have mastered that with my irons. I still hit the ball with my driver higher than I want and would like to hear others ideas on reducing the launch angle and the flipping through impact.

[Mr3Wiggle]

You have to work on your pivot.  Without a solid pivot it's difficult to get into the proper impact position.  Start the downswing from the ground up and power it with your core not your arms and hands.  A top spins fast when you spin it from the center, not from the sides.

[rustyredcab]

You are a 4 handicap. I'm not one to give you swing advise. But I do have a few areas I'd investigate:

Are you sure it launch angle that is the issue? If so, it could be as simple as adjusting tee height. My pros were surprised to learn at the Titleist fitting center (whatever it is called) that slight adjustments in tee height made a big difference in ball height. I think I recall Titleist telling them that new drivers exaggerate the changes more than drivers of just a few years ago.

I also hear that actual loft of many drivers is not the same as what is stamped on the bottom. I was fitted for a much lower loft driver than I would have ever guessed. But, I'm not buying into the number on the bottom. Perhaps your driver loft is higher than you think.

As for flipping, my driver anti-flipping swing thought is to drive into a flexed front knee. The good news, when I flip my driver it does not go too high. The bad news is that my driver flips are very ugly snap hooks. :)

[Beachcomber]

Here are some things to consider when trying to reduce your launch angle...

Is your equipment properly fitted to your swing?

a.) Lower lofted driver may be a quick fix if you have issues with your launch angle - or undesired ball flight.

b.) Is your shaft optimized for your swing speed and angle of attack?  As they say - the shaft is the engine of the club.

Here are some other points to consider which were taken from Joesph Mayo - also known as TrackmanMaestro on Twitter.  He is an expert when it comes to Trackman, and relaying the data received from Trackman back to physics and geometry of the golf swing.

Joseph Mayo Article

[quote]

More spin is created when the angle between angle of attack and dynamic loft increases .

HITTING UP ON THE DRIVER IS KEY

THIS is not a myth - it's a fact that many people don't seem to believe but that TrackMan has proved. Although many tour professionals do hit down on their drivers, they have the speed to allow them to do so and not lose too much.

However, it is a mathematical fact that, all things being equal, hitting up on the driver is superior to hitting down. It increases ball speed, and most importantly, allows you to use a driver with less loft and thus reduce spin.

Hitting up on the driver unquestionably results in more distance than hitting down. To maximise your potential off the tee, make sure you hit your drives with an upward blow. [/quote]

Here is a diagram taken from Trackman which shows the relationship between club speed, angle of attack and dynamic loft... And how those factors impact launch angle.

Attack angle + Club speed are parameters which dictate the dynamic loft (loft of club at impact).

The following was taken from a previous Trackman published document...

[quote]

Maximizing Distance

The optimal combination of ball speed, launch angle,

and spin rate needed to maximize driving distance for

a particular golfer are primarily dictated by the golfer’s

club speed and attack angle.

The reason has to do with a tradeoff between ball speed,

launch angle, and spin rate. Distance is maximized with

a high ball speed, high launch angle, and low spin rate

– however, increasing launch angle by increasing the dynamic

loft has the side-effect of increasing spin rate and

decreasing ball speed. So, a tradeoff must be made, and

the optimal trade-off depends on how an individual delivers

the club to the ball. Maximizing ball speed also implies

making center impact – or at least close to center impact

– as well squaring up club path and face angle.[/quote]

I would say the easiest way to reduce your launch angle is to reduce your angle of attack (negative).  But you gotta understand the impacts of that as well. So I leave you with this which shows a Trackman driver fitting chart:

[canadianpro]

I am aware of the theory but why is it when I launch the ball lower...on consistent fairways that are watered and we can monitor...the ball goes farther? I understand the high theory but it seems the tour players are going back to lower lofts...I'm hitting a R11  8-degrees with a stiff Pro Force V2 shaft and still hit it high...sometimes my feel is allowing my head to "slide forward" slightly and the flight is lower but usually and understandably hooking...love the feeling but want to hit it straight

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by canadianpro

I am aware of the theory but why is it when I launch the ball lower...on consistent fairways that are watered and we can monitor...the ball goes farther?

(1.) A lower ball flight - going further than your higher launched ball could be found by a number of variants and or a combination of elements...

(a.) Climate

- Air Pressure / Elevation

- Wind direction

(b.) Swing speed  / Ball speed changes due to Center vs. Off Center hits

It's hard to say without knowing your Club Speed, Ball Speed, Angle of Attack... And Spin Rate why your finding that your driver is going farther when you launch the ball lower than higher.  Getting on Trackman, you should be able to diagnose what is actually going on - and how to modify the numbers to enhance your distance (if that is what you're trying to accomplish with this post??).

Originally Posted by canadianpro

I understand the high theory but it seems the tour players are going back to lower lofts...

(2.) Not all pros were aware of the impact of swinging up with a driver - or by simply increasing their angle of attack - swinging up with a driver - actually increases vertical launch angle - but reduces Spin Loft and Spin rate.

There was a period of time, when fitters and instructors were preaching higher launch angles - with reduced spin numbers were the best way to hit the longest drive - thus moving folks into higher lofted drivers.  But they were not focusing on attack angle.  A lot of folks were teaching to hit down on the ball.  Well as Joseph Mayo points out - in my previous post... Trackman proves that you should actually be swinging up with a driver.  Therefore, with better scientific data at ones disposal... More and more people are going back to lower lofted drivers as they now understand the 'ascending' or upward or postive angle of attack with a driver is the optimal shot.

In March I was at a golf school and Joseph was mentioning some well known tour players that were still swinging down with a driver - and had numbers in the -7 range when they first started working together.  I won't name the name of the tour professional - but the individual is a top 100 player.   And I've heard that even today - with all the technology that is out there... There are still folks playing on tour who are not properly fitted for their clubs.

Originally Posted by canadianpro

I'm hitting a R11  8-degrees with a stiff Pro Force V2 shaft and still hit it high...sometimes my feel is allowing my head to "slide forward" slightly and the flight is lower but usually and understandably hooking...love the feeling but want to hit it straight

(3.) If you want to hit it straight... Watch this video on the D-Plane.  It is one of the best videos on Youtube in my opinion.  And while it is 10 minutes in length - there is huge treasure chest of knowledge within it.  And there is a part in there which talks about hitting the ball straight with a driver.

Basically - at address aim just right of your target - swing path should be slightly inside-out - and with a driver - you can hit the ball straight.

A few other comments if you are having issues with a high launch... Try some modifications such as the following:

1.) Get your weight more to the left (center pivot)...

2.) Move the shaft handle forward at address.

3.) Lower your hands slightly at address - so if you draw a line from the butt end of your shaft / grip - the line crosses through your belt buckle

*Many folks have the line going through their belly button - try lowering the shaft angle a little.

4.) Tee the ball lower.

Lastly, see if you have the correct shaft in your driver...  What is the weight of the shaft you're currently using?  What is your swing speed?

Here is a table I found online for the Pro Force V2 shaft...

Shaft	Weight	Torque	Butt Diameter	Tip Diameter	Flex Point	Length	Recommended Club head Speed
Pro Force V2 55 Ladies	55	5.2	0.580"	0.335"	Mid-Low	46"	65mph to 75mph
Pro Force V2 55 A-Senior	56	3.7	0.600"	0.335"	Mid-Low	46"	70mph to 85mph
Pro Force V2 55 Regular	57	3.7	0.600"	0.335"	Mid-Low	46"	80mph to 90mph
Pro Force V2 55 Stiff	57	3.7	0.600"	0.335"	Mid-Low	46"	88mph to 98mph
Pro Force V2 55 X-Stiff	59	3.6	0.605"	0.335"	Mid-Low	46"	95mph to 105mph
Pro Force V2 65 A-Senior	63	3.1	0.600"	0.335"	Mid	46"	75mph to 85mph
Pro Force V2 65 Regular	65	3.0	0.600"	0.335"	Mid	46"	83mph to 93mph
Pro Force V2 65 Stiff	66	3.0	0.600"	0.335"	Mid	46"	90mph to 100mph
Pro Force V2 65 X-Stiff	66	2.9	0.600"	0.335"	Mid	46"	98mph to 110mph
Pro Force V2 75 Regular	75	2.2	0.600"	0.335"	Mid	46"	85mph to 95mph
Pro Force V2 75 Stiff	76	2.2	0.600"	0.335"	Mid	46"	93mph to 105mph
Pro Force V2 75 X-Stiff	76	2.2	0.605"	0.335"	Mid	46"	100mph to 120mph
Pro Force V2 85 Stiff	86	1.8	0.605"	0.335"	Mid	46"	95mph to 110mph
Pro Force V2 85 X-Stiff	86	1.8	0.605"	0.335"	Mid	46"	105mph to 135mph
Pro Force V2 95 Stiff	96	1.7	0.610"	0.335"	Mid-High	46"	98mph to 120mph
Pro Force V2 95 X-Stiff	96	1.7	0.610"	0.335"	Mid-High	46"	115mph to 145mph

As you can see - there are a number of variables to consider.

[mvmac]

Beachcomber the Guru!  Nice posts dude.  Pete, I'm sure you've seen it but might be good to check out again