Driver : straight but rather short

[pipergsm]

I use the same single plane swing the late Moe Norman did, and my drives are usually pretty straight.

I have only 1 problem: they are also relatively short (despite having a solid impact), rarely passing 200 yds (240 today, most ever so far).

Any tips on what may be the cause and how to solve it?

Thanks

[tomwalshco]

My 2 cents....

These 2 questions are related --

Are you really hitting it on the button most every swing?

How long is your driver?

My belief is that golf manufacturers have sold us a bill of goods with these "now-standard, mile-long" driver shafts. Stick them in a machine that repeats itself to 1/1000th of an inch every time and yea, it goes farther. Not so with us humans.

For all the yardage you may gain on the once a round flush hit, you'll lose the other 13 times on off-center hits. Regardless of how massive the new titanium heads are, the sweet spot is still a spot, the size of a pinhead, not the size of a silver dollar like they try to convince you to believe.

You can put masking tape on the face of your driver to see where impact is on every hit. Off by a 1/16" and you can kiss 20 yards goodbye no matter what Fred Flintstone driver you're using. Trouble is - the size of these things makes it feel like you hit it solid when you really haven't. Feels good, but goes crappy. Then we blame it on the ball.

Read some time back that when Tiger was kicking arse and bombing drives halfway to Mars, he was using a 42.75" driver. It's all about contact.

That technology hasn't been invented yet, so they have to trick us with shiny object fixes....

I cut all my drivers down to 43.5" and hit it longer and hit more fairways, honest.  Use lead tape to get it back in balance.

[Lihu]

My son drives 200, and is a 12 handicap and dropping. I drive 260 with a 25 handicap and steady on. Both of us hit fairways. He can accurately hit his irons anywhere from 20 yards to 170 yards. I can't.

[pipergsm]

No idea how long my driver is.

does it show somewhere on the driver?

I bought it about 2 months ago, it's a Callaway Diabolo.

I bought it cheap (130$, new) because they don't manufacture it anymore (old model).

I figured any driver should give you about 240-250 when hit solid (I'm a beginner).

As you said, I can't be really sure I hit the sweet spot, but most hits (65%) feel good and sound good.

when it feels good, the distance is usually 180-220 yds.

Thanks for the input.

[Lihu]

No idea how long my driver is. does it show somewhere on the driver? I bought it about 2 months ago, it's a Callaway Diabolo. I bought it cheap (130$, new) because they don't manufacture it anymore (old model). I figured any driver should give you about 240-250 when hit solid (I'm a beginner). As you said, I can't be really sure I hit the sweet spot, but most hits (65%) feel good and sound good. when it feels good, the distance is usually 180-220 yds. Thanks for the input.

I think you hit far enough to do well. My son is a testament to that, he drives 200. One of the even younger players in his league, a 7 year old, drives only 150 but pars the men's standard tees. My daughter plays about 5 strokes better than me from the ladies tees and drives about 170.

[HackerUpNorth]

it depends on the angle of your launch, your spin number, and swing speed among other things.  For instance how far do you hit your 6 iron so we get an idea of how fast your swing is?  Do you tend to hit the ball high or low?

[pipergsm]

I tend to hit the ball rather high.

when I hit my 7-iron well, it usually reaches 150-170 yds, going quite high.

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by pipergsm

No idea how long my driver is.

does it show somewhere on the driver?

I bought it about 2 months ago, it's a Callaway Diabolo.

I bought it cheap (130$, new) because they don't manufacture it anymore (old model).

I figured any driver should give you about 240-250 when hit solid (I'm a beginner).

As you said, I can't be really sure I hit the sweet spot, but most hits (65%) feel good and sound good.

when it feels good, the distance is usually 180-220 yds.

Thanks for the input.

Just FYI......  If it stock (hasn't been cut or lengthened), and it's the Diablo Edge (I'm guessing it's this one since you say they don't make it anymore), then it's 45.5".

[Lihu]

I tend to hit the ball rather high. when I hit my 7-iron well, it usually reaches 150-170 yds, going quite high.

[quote name="glock35ipsc" url="/t/62797/driver-straight-but-rather-short#post_781181"] Just FYI......  If it stock (hasn't been cut or lengthened), and it's the Diablo Edge (I'm guessing it's this one since you say they don't make it anymore), then it's 45.5". [/quote] If you only hit your driver 200 yards and your 7i 170, something does not sound right. What kind of shafts are you using for your irons? BTW, 7i is supposed to go high if hit well.

[HackerUpNorth]

If you hit your 7 iron that far, then you probably need stiff shafts, I'm guessing your driver tends to be high/ to the right(slice)?  If so may want to find a stiff shaft, that is slightly heavier than the one you have now.   Also may want to look into a lower lofted driver 9.5 or lower.

[wadesworld]

Personally, before cutting down a club, changing shafts or lofts, I'd go take a lesson with a pro.  Not only can they let you know whether it's a swing flaw causing the lost distance, but they also can give you another opinion on whether any equipment changes would help or hurt.

[Righty to Lefty]

Originally Posted by pipergsm

I tend to hit the ball rather high.

when I hit my 7-iron well, it usually reaches 150-170 yds, going quite high.

Neither one of those numbers makes any sense for 200 yard drives. I play right and left handed and my 7 iron right handed goes 150...my driver right handed is 250 with a swing speed of about 103.  Left handed my 7 iron goes 175 average...my driver goes 290 -300 and my swingspeed is 120-124.  So unless your swingspeed varies 17-20 mph daily, with your current driver distance, there is simply no way that you hit a 7 iron even 150 yards. You also shouldn't have 20 yards variance with any club.

I think you need to get on a Trackman launch monitor and find out how you really are hitting it.  You need to know whether or not your launch conditions are optimal, and how good your smash factor or quality of impact really are.  Your driver swingspeed to hit it 200 yards would be only about 80-85 mph, but if your swingspeed is more in the 100 mph range then it should be easily apparent that your equipment is not a fit because your launch numbers, or smash factor, will be junk.

[pipergsm]

lots of useful information, thanks guys.

my irons are steel shafted and probably 20 years old or more, bought them second hand, the club head shows some kind

of signature "Lord Byron" and the brand name is "Northwestern".

I contacted the company in an attempt to find out their real age, but no response.

as for my distances: they are rather irregular because I don't have the time to practice on a regular base.

5 months ago, I was able to practice 9 times in 12 days (only 7-iron) and was shooting up to 220 yds with a rented graphite 7-iron!

after that, I was unable to practice for several months and lost the trick how to do it.

at this moment, whenever I hit my own 7-iron well, it usually passes 150 yds, up until about 170 yds (maybe more, my dept-sight is not so good)

as for my driver, I only bought it 2-3 months ago and haven't had a lot of time to practice with it (never did before that).

it's indeed 45" and has a flex shaft.

it does indeed tend to go rather high with a little slice, but I'm working on that.

I'm still working on my feet-positioning and swing for my driver, so maybe it will get better when I've spent some more time practicing with it.

driver and putter are the only pieces I bought new.

my putting seems rather good (for a beginner), usually 2 to 2,2 (used to be good at mini-golf).

thanks for all the input!

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by pipergsm

lots of useful information, thanks guys.

my irons are steel shafted and probably 20 years old or more, bought them second hand, the club head shows some kind

of signature "Lord Byron" and the brand name is "Northwestern".

I contacted the company in an attempt to find out their real age, but no response.

as for my distances: they are rather irregular because I don't have the time to practice on a regular base.

5 months ago, I was able to practice 9 times in 12 days (only 7-iron) and was shooting up to 220 yds with a rented graphite 7-iron!

after that, I was unable to practice for several months and lost the trick how to do it.

at this moment, whenever I hit my own 7-iron well, it usually passes 150 yds, up until about 170 yds (maybe more, my dept-sight is not so good)

as for my driver, I only bought it 2-3 months ago and haven't had a lot of time to practice with it (never did before that).

it's indeed 45" and has a flex shaft.

it does indeed tend to go rather high with a little slice, but I'm working on that.

I'm still working on my feet-positioning and swing for my driver, so maybe it will get better when I've spent some more time practicing with it.

driver and putter are the only pieces I bought new.

my putting seems rather good (for a beginner), usually 2 to 2,2 (used to be good at mini-golf).

thanks for all the input!

Yes, your numbers don't correlate to offer help.

I've reviewed some of the thread but must have missed the loft on your driver or the flex on the shaft.

And you're in Bubbaland with a 7i going 220. Unless you are a gorilla, that's tough to do without a cement runway.

See a pro.

[pipergsm]

I realize this distance seems unbelievable, and so it was to me!

I even brought my girlfriend to the range because I didn't see where my balls were going (except from going straight)!

It was she who told me my balls were landing past the indication of 200 yds.

I had my doubts about the precision of the indications, but than again, my dept-sight is not very good.

the loft on my driver is 10.5 and the shaft is a flexible one.

I was never able to reproduce these distances after I was unable to practice for about 3 months.

still trying to find that "touch" again

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by pipergsm

I realize this distance seems unbelievable, and so it was to me!

I even brought my girlfriend to the range because I didn't see where my balls were going (except from going straight)!

It was she who told me my balls were landing past the indication of 200 yds.

I had my doubts about the precision of the indications, but than again, my dept-sight is not very good.

the loft on my driver is 10.5 and the shaft is a flexible one.

I was never able to reproduce these distances after I was unable to practice for about 3 months.

still trying to find that "touch" again

If that's the case, my guess is you bought the wrong driver - that 10.5 is probably more like 12 in actual loft, and the flexible shaft ought to mean your ball goes everywhere but straight unless you are slowing your swing, are extremely smooth, or have an early "release." But you will get high and short.

[pipergsm]

1 thing that might explain the distances I got 5 months back, is that I'm very flexible (used to do gymnastics) and was turning my upper body further back than I'm doing right now.

at the end of my follow through, my right foot was extremely turned, standing on the tip of my big toe.

funny I didn't see that earlier, maybe that's partly responsible for my much weaker shots now.

[HackerUpNorth]

Going off the way your describing your swing its hard to believe to 220 yard 7 iron claim, was it a real high ballflight?  It sounds like the main thing you need to do is take some lessons, then a club fitting.