7 Iron vs Driver Swing Speed

[DaleB]

Hey, new to the forum and tried to search for this but didn't come up with much info so forgive me if this has been discussed before.  I was hitting some balls on a GC2 and my driver swing speed was between 109-110 (Ping i25 45.25") while my 7 iron was 79-80 (Callaway x-18 37").  Does this seem to be in line?  I feel like my iron swing speeds should be a bit higher but maybe i'm maxed out and just looking for a reason to complain.  I'm hoping to record some swing videos and upload them to see if there are any noticeable power leaks.  Anyway, I know at the moment there isn't too much information to go off of but i'm just looking for a general yes or no if these numbers seem normal. Any input appreciated.

[TheMadness]

Hey, new to the forum and tried to search for this but didn't come up with much info so forgive me if this has been discussed before.  I was hitting some balls on a GC2 and my driver swing speed was between 109-110 (Ping i25 45.25") while my 7 iron was 79-80 (Callaway x-18 37").  Does this seem to be in line?  I feel like my iron swing speeds should be a bit higher but maybe i'm maxed out and just looking for a reason to complain.  I'm hoping to record some swing videos and upload them to see if there are any noticeable power leaks.  Anyway, I know at the moment there isn't too much information to go off of but i'm just looking for a general yes or no if these numbers seem normal. Any input appreciated.

That seems odd to me.  I swing the driver around 105 and the 7-iron around 89-90.  I would think one of the two measurements was a bit off.  What was the carry on your driver?

[DaleB]

The carry distance for my driver (9.5 degree) on average was between 260-265, some being in the 250's and some in the 270's as my driver is not as consistent as I would like it to be.  The carry distance for my 7 iron (33 degree) was reading between 162-166 on average.  I've seen these numbers consistently on 2 different GC2 machines.  I'm thinking maybe my maximum swing speeds with my irons are not occurring in the impact zone?  Again i'm sure a video of this would help and I hope to get a video or two uploaded in the next few days.  I appreciate the response.

[cedrictheo]

The GC2 is incredibly accurate in measuring ball speed. It does not measure club head speed (it estimates based on the ball speed). Unless of course it was the "GC2 HMT" which has you mark up the face (it's very expensive so i doubt it) Flightscope or Trackman give you the club head data but the basic GC2 does not.

[TheMadness]

The carry distance for my driver (9.5 degree) on average was between 260-265, some being in the 250's and some in the 270's as my driver is not as consistent as I would like it to be.  The carry distance for my 7 iron (33 degree) was reading between 162-166 on average.  I've seen these numbers consistently on 2 different GC2 machines.  I'm thinking maybe my maximum swing speeds with my irons are not occurring in the impact zone?  Again i'm sure a video of this would help and I hope to get a video or two uploaded in the next few days.  I appreciate the response.

Someone else may chime in with a better, more informed view, but although your driver numbers are strong, I would think a 110 swing would be putting you in the 270-280 range on average.  And I'm surprised that an 80 mph swing with a 7-iron would even get you to 162-166.  It depends on a lot of factors other than clubbed speed (smash factor, angle of attack, spin, etc.), but it seems like quite a gap.

[SavvySwede]

Compared to the pros it is still relatively close. You may just have a more conservative swing with the irons or they might just be relatively heavier. I wouldn't really worry. Average driver length is also 44.5 on tour so you probably are getting an extra 2-3mph from the extra 3/4 inches as well

[DaleB]

Yeah it wasn't the GC2 HMT.  The ball speed readings for the driver were between 155-160 but unfortunately I cannot remember my ball speed for my 7 iron.  I was testing 7 irons out at Golf Galaxy the other and my ball speeds were around 118-120, but i'm not sure what launch monitor / simulator they are using so I don't know that I can rely on that.

[DaleB]

I appreciate all of the responses.  I know I shouldn't put too much stock into clubhead speeds and I shouldn't chase distances but i'm relatively new to the sport and obsess over anything I can do to improve my numbers.  I guess i'll just work on my mechanics and everything else should fall into place.

[cedrictheo]

You can also trust the carry numbers on the GC2 to be very accurate. Total distance and clubhead speed are not good in my opinion.

[DaleB]

Ok, so I hope to hop on the GC2 this weekend and get some more swing videos, but until then here is a short video I took from my lesson at Golf Galaxy. The ball carried 164 on this particular shot and started down the target line and drawing 1-2 yards. I come across my body pretty hard after impact and we were working on full extension and trying to get the ball to start left of target and draw back in (i'm a lefty). Aside from that aspect, are there any noticeable areas in which you guys notice a power leak or something I could work on to pick up a few extra yards? Sorry the video isn't better/longer but it's all i've got at the moment. Any input is greatly appreciated.

[DaleB]

I guess I should mention the club was a 7 iron (33 degree).

[colin007]

You should prolly start a My Swing Thread, posting this video. First thing I notice is that you're getting hardly any weight forward through impact.

[Suchmo]

My recommendation? Start a swing thread and read what people post. If Iacas or Mvmac post anything, read it five times then write it down. My two cents on your present swing? Your shoulder turn seems seems very limited.

[tshapiro]

A few observations...
As you reach the top of your back swing, your head has tilted forward and you are lifting your club.  You are doing this instead of truly coiling your shoulders around your spine through the end of your backswing.  In addition, you are not getting your weight forward through impact.  So, you are missing out on the 2 primary power sources: weight shift and rotation.  In addition to moving your head away from the target in your downswing, you attempt to push the club with your right hand just before impact.  Without a good forward weight shift, your attempt to do this (move head away from target and push with right hand) just neutralizes your swing speed (equal and opposite principle).  Good news with all of this is that you have a lot of opportunity to build swing speed just by improving your basic fundamentals. 

[iacas]

21 hours ago, tshapiro said:

A few observations...
As you reach the top of your back swing, your head has tilted forward and you are lifting your club.  You are doing this instead of truly coiling your shoulders around your spine through the end of your backswing.  In addition, you are not getting your weight forward through impact.  So, you are missing out on the 2 primary power sources: weight shift and rotation.  In addition to moving your head away from the target in your downswing, you attempt to push the club with your right hand just before impact.  Without a good forward weight shift, your attempt to do this (move head away from target and push with right hand) just neutralizes your swing speed (equal and opposite principle).  Good news with all of this is that you have a lot of opportunity to build swing speed just by improving your basic fundamentals. 

Two quick comments…

1) This thread hasn't been updated in over a year.

2) The weight shift provides almost no actual "power" to the golf swing. The purpose of the weight shift is more to do with contact, etc.

[tshapiro]

18 hours ago, iacas said:

Two quick comments…

1) This thread hasn't been updated in over a year.

2) The weight shift provides almost no actual "power" to the golf swing. The purpose of the weight shift is more to do with contact, etc.

Sorry, I don't agree

[iacas]

14 minutes ago, tshapiro said:

Sorry, I don't agree

Okay. That's fine. I have a decent amount of research to back up what I'm saying. Do you have anything to offer?

The arms contribute. The wrists contribute. The rotation of the body contributes. Even the "jumping" contributes.

The weight shift doesn't contribute much. I could swing fast (arguably faster) without one.

Stick around @tshapiro. I think you'll find I don't often say things just for the heck of it and I know a fair bit…

[tshapiro]

I see, so your game is to be the critic of other people's posts. I've made a handful of posts recently and everytime I do you are to right there to tell me I'm wrong.  We'll, I have a lot of success with my approach and really don't care if you don't agree. We are all welcome to share our thoughts on these forums but you riding my every post is taking the enjoyment out of it. It is more realistic that there are many approaches to the golf swing than just one single method. If you think you have locked in on the single version of what's right and wrong than your are not nearly as smart as you think you are. Share your thoughts and let me share mine. But, please don't be poised to tell me I'm wrong with every post. You don't know my background and it's not my style to get into a credentials pissing match.