Getting a lower ball flight?

[Elmer]

I hit the ball high. I hit the ball really high!

However I still average 250 to 270 off the tee.

I use a 10.5  taylormade burner driver.

I was once on a launch monitor and told I have a 16 degree launch angle.

Combine that with my 10.5 and I get some air. So much so it would be a home run in any ball park.

I put the ball way up in my stance on my left foot toe and drive it from there.

I have been told I am loosing alot of distance due to be too high in the air?

Thoughts?

[shortstop20]

Get fitted. Probably need a lower loft head and/or different shaft.

[billchao]

What's your spin rate? Do you lose a lot of distance driving into the wind?

Perhaps the more important question is, how is your accuracy? If you're hitting it 250-270 in the fairway, does it really matter if you are losing distance? You might find that adding 10-15 yards might cause you to hit through fairways, into the rough or worse.

Agree with getting a fitting, though, if it really bothers you.

[saevel25]

10.5 degrees of loft has nothing to do with launch angle. It has more to do with spin rate. If your hitting it to high, then the golf shaft is wrong.

Also you don't combine 10.5 with 16.5, 16.5 is your launch angle. Your spin rate wont matter much about that, with a golf ball because its measured so early in the swing, spin will effect how long it stays in the air and  how high it might get. But i would look at changing the golf shaft to something that's low launch. If your hitting it 250-270, look into a low launch Stiff shaft, or a Low launch X-stiff shaft. The 10.5 wont matter much. I went from a ping G10 10.5 to a Titliest 910D2 9.5 (adjusted down to an 8.75), and the height is a bit lower on the 910, but the spin is way down.

Also, your golf swing could cause a very high launch angle as well.

[Audaxi]

I would definitely look at a stiffer shaft, or one with a higher kick point (kickpoint and ballflight have an inverse relationship).

[Elmer]

To answer some of the questions posted.

I do lose some distance in the wind. But my home course is small enough that even hitting 250, I am still a wedge or short iron away.

On wet, damp days, when there is no roll I can get less distance.

I hit my irons high in the air. The shorter the iron the higher in the air it goes. My 50 gap wedge is sky high, like a home run in a silo!

my accruacy is decent, but not great.  I mostly just aim for the fairway and try to hit a side of the fairway!

I am no looking to increase distance, but I notice that with my ball flight I only get roll when it is dry and the ground is hard.

When it is wet or soft the height of my ball comes in and either plugs or plugs and rolls back a foot or 2.

I figure if I got the flight a little lower the potential to skip would be greater!

[dereckbc]

For one you are playing your ball to far forward in your stance which is going to cause a high shot. It needs to be just on the inside of your lead foot heel. Also make sure you are not falling back off the ball when you swing. So start moving the ball back in your stance and make sure you are getting your weight forward on the downswing. Do that and you will get the trajectory lower.

[RadarNinja]

Launch angle might not be the problem, depending on your clubhead speed. I'd look at the RPM's of backspin. Would need more info to asses if it's your swing or the equipment. If you can, get on either a TrackMan or Flightscope and only then can you see what's really going on. Attack angle into the ball tells alot of the story.

[GaijinGolfer]

Id agree that the ball is too far forward (it should just be just inside of your left heel, not off of your left toe).  Beyond that, Id suggest going with a 9.5* loft (because loft DOES effect launch angle) and going with the next heavier shaft (be that stiff or x-stiff).

[dereckbc]

Launch angle might not be the problem, depending on your clubhead speed. I'd look at the RPM's of backspin.

All that is known is the ball is too far forward in the stance which will cause high trajectory as it adds loft. That is the FIRST THING to correct. Anything else is just a WAG. Backspin is not a concern at this point with the ball being too far forward. With the ball being forward means he is hitting up. That results in low RPM's and even possible forward spin if severe enough. Look at this video of Hogan one of the best Ball Strikers there ever was. Note Ball position: Inside the left heel with the ball teed up using a driver. [VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL_6M_xZvq0[/VIDEO]

[Datsyuk]

Originally Posted by dereckbc

All that is known is the ball is too far forward in the stance which will cause high trajectory as it adds loft. That is the FIRST THING to correct. Anything else is just a WAG.

Backspin is not a concern at this point with the ball being too far forward. With the ball being forward means he is hitting up. That results in low RPM's and even possible forward spin if severe enough.

Look at this video of Hogan one of the best Ball Strikers there ever was. Note Ball position: Inside the left heel with the ball teed up using a driver.

You might want to leave that part out in future all knowing type posts.

[dereckbc]

You might want to leave that part out in future all knowing type posts.

Sorry did not mean to come across as a Know-it-All. I was responding to the OP known issue and I quote: [quote] I hit the ball really high!... I put the ball way up in my stance on my left foot toe and drive it from there...[/quote] As an instructor IMO that is the first thing to correct before spending big bucks on new equipment that likely will not help.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by dereckbc

Sorry did not mean to come across as a Know-it All. I was responding to the OP known issue and I quote:

Don't worry, you did not come across that way at all.  That is what Datsyuk was trying to tell you.

Anybody who thinks that you can hit a drive with topspin - other than perhaps almost whiffing on it and having it dive immediately into the ground and roll 40 feet - will not be taken seriously on this website by most people.

[Pakoh]

my instructor told me to play my driver in the middle of my stance, because i was hitting a lot of pulls and your less likely  to pull it if its farther back.  It worked for me, and at the same time it brought the flight of my drives down tremendously.

[rehmwa]

sky high on drives -

I guess before even thinking about all this equipment info (great info), I'd suggest getting the swing analyzed.  A simple thing like a habit of reverse weight transfer (rocking back on impact rather than transferring weight forward) will pop it up on even really good connections.  I had that issue about a decade ago - very frustrating.  I'm sure the better players here might even know other swing habits that might do the same thing.

But just reading the thread, I'm learning more and more about equipment.

I'd also say that 260-270 with a really high hit is pretty impressive.

[MonarchGolf2010]

If you're hitting everything too high, it is more than likely a swing issue.  It is extremely difficult to add 6* of loft to a driver, no matter the shaft.  I suspect you're a scooper and need to learn to compress the ball more.  You can confirm this suspicion by seeing an instructor with a trackman, and posting your numbers.  I would be interested to see your angle of attack with the driver, and with your other clubs.

A driver could be fit to you to give you a great ballflight, but I still suspect that root cause is in your impact position.

[Datsyuk]

Maybe his tees are too long.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by Datsyuk

Maybe his tees are too long.

or balls too light