Shots too close to the heel

[Rainmaker]

Hey everybody . .I've been playing a set of Callaway 2008 Big Bertha irons for a few years.  I've made a ton of improvements in my swing and I wanted to try something a little more elegant so I picked up a set of used MP-53's.  As soon as I started hitting the MP-53's, I noticed a lot of heel shots.  Still on the club face, but towards the heel vs in the center.  I've been hitting my Callaways in the center, or so I thought, so I got out some tape and tested both clubs.  On both of them, I'm about 1/2 a ball right of the sweet spot (looking face on).  With the Callaways, it feels flush.  With the MP-53's it feels pretty bad.  

I put some new tape on my Callaway 7 iron and hit 3 shots in a row.  All felt flush.  All in the exact same spot - 1/2 a ball too close to the heel.  I put new tape and purposely lined the ball up 1/2 a ball outside where I normally do . .and hit 2 in the center and 1 thin . .but still in the center. 

So apparently, I've grooved this in thinking I was hitting the sweet spot (almost) every time.  I've obviously got some thinking and researching to do .. but I'd appreciate any initial thoughts. 

 

[Dave325]

48 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

Hey everybody . .I've been playing a set of Callaway 2008 Big Bertha irons for a few years.  I've made a ton of improvements in my swing and I wanted to try something a little more elegant so I picked up a set of used MP-53's.  As soon as I started hitting the MP-53's, I noticed a lot of heel shots.  Still on the club face, but towards the heel vs in the center.  I've been hitting my Callaways in the center, or so I thought, so I got out some tape and tested both clubs.  On both of them, I'm about 1/2 a ball right of the sweet spot (looking face on).  With the Callaways, it feels flush.  With the MP-53's it feels pretty bad.  

I put some new tape on my Callaway 7 iron and hit 3 shots in a row.  All felt flush.  All in the exact same spot - 1/2 a ball too close to the heel.  I put new tape and purposely lined the ball up 1/2 a ball outside where I normally do . .and hit 2 in the center and 1 thin . .but still in the center. 

So apparently, I've grooved this in thinking I was hitting the sweet spot (almost) every time.  I've obviously got some thinking and researching to do .. but I'd appreciate any initial thoughts. 

 

I had this issue before. I am sure it could be a number of different issues, but for me... it was more to not making a proper hip rotation and leaving the left shoulder hang out and not making the turn with the hip and shoulders together. But again... this is just something that I did am still working on getting that shoulder working correctly. Hope this helps.

[Rainmaker]

Yeah . .been doing some research and it sounds like it could be a lot of things.  I made a couple quick videos in my garage - can barely make myself out when daylight is coming through the windows . . but I can see that my right elbow is just a little bit off my body as I'm starting to go from parallel to impact.  This actually might not be something I've grooved in long term because my right elbow is usually really tucked in - it's been a while since I've done video or taped clubs or marked balls, though.  

[Dave325]

37 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

Yeah . .been doing some research and it sounds like it could be a lot of things.  I made a couple quick videos in my garage - can barely make myself out when daylight is coming through the windows . . but I can see that my right elbow is just a little bit off my body as I'm starting to go from parallel to impact.  This actually might not be something I've grooved in long term because my right elbow is usually really tucked in - it's been a while since I've done video or taped clubs or marked balls, though.  

Yeah, I get that. I can never ever get away from the basics. I've been in the process of slowing everything down and analyzing each movement.  It seems like golf to me is one big game of Wack-a-Mole.... you get one thing down, and another pops up (arg).

[Rainmaker]

What made the light go off in my head was noticing how much my hip position at impact had improved . .and then I realized . .doh!  I've been working on that and only that . .that's when this elbow thing must've crept in.  I think it's not too bad of a fix, though.  Thank Goodness we live in the time of affordable slow-motion video.  I made some swings really focusing on keeping my arms together through the backswing and finally found the sweet spot on that MP-53 7iron a few times.  I don't know if I'm going to keep them, though . .they are way hard to hit.  I don't want that much information . .maybe I want my irons to tell me "Man, you're as good as Tiger Woods!", lol. 

[DeadMan]

I've found that this little drill in the video helps my heel hits:

That said, it was a temporary fix. I had to address a flaw in my swing to really fix the heel shots, because there's not really one reason why you'd be having more heel shots.

[Mike Boatright]

14 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

Hey everybody . .I've been playing a set of Callaway 2008 Big Bertha irons for a few years.  I've made a ton of improvements in my swing and I wanted to try something a little more elegant so I picked up a set of used MP-53's.  As soon as I started hitting the MP-53's, I noticed a lot of heel shots.  Still on the club face, but towards the heel vs in the center.  I've been hitting my Callaways in the center, or so I thought, so I got out some tape and tested both clubs.  On both of them, I'm about 1/2 a ball right of the sweet spot (looking face on).  With the Callaways, it feels flush.  With the MP-53's it feels pretty bad.  

I put some new tape on my Callaway 7 iron and hit 3 shots in a row.  All felt flush.  All in the exact same spot - 1/2 a ball too close to the heel.  I put new tape and purposely lined the ball up 1/2 a ball outside where I normally do . .and hit 2 in the center and 1 thin . .but still in the center. 

So apparently, I've grooved this in thinking I was hitting the sweet spot (almost) every time.  I've obviously got some thinking and researching to do .. but I'd appreciate any initial thoughts. 

 

Just step away from the ball an inch and your good it's that easy.

[Dave325]

4 hours ago, Mike Boatright said:

Just step away from the ball an inch and your good it's that easy.

It could be a possible solution... If he is standing too close, that is. But I would think that it would be necessary to evaluate the hip/arm/shoulder mechanics.

[Rainmaker]

If I move myself back or forwards, I still hit towards the heel.  If I line the club up a 1/2" away . .ie, so the ball is outside of center of the clubface at address, then I hit the center. 

Anyway - I did figure it out.  My teacher gave me a new drill/idea.  Basically, according to him (and I agree), I have no hand action and lower body instability . . so I'm practicing really smacking with my hands - swinging from parallel to parallel. 

Anyway, like with most of the drills he gives me, I do them wrong for a while until I figure out how to do them right.  My current attempts at putting a lot of force in my hands at impact are getting me lower strikes on the clubface - but causing my right elbow to fly away a bit.  I've solved it for the moment by keeping my elbows *extra* together in the back swing. 

I decided to break his drill into a few parts and work on them sequentially.  For now I will just try to keep my lower body steady in the back swing and work on delivering the hand action he wants and staying in the center of the clubface - lots of tape in my future. 

 

Edit - a really interesting thing about this has been that I can't feel the off-center hits with my Big Berthas.  I always thought I could tell exactly where I was hitting the ball on the club face - but obviously not.  If I hit them on the course I'd swear I was flushing them.  With the new (to me) MP-53's, though, you can really tell it's not the most solid hit.  The difference is crazy, actually.  I don't know what I prefer - accurate information or blissful ignorance.

 

 

 

Edited March 25, 2016 by Rainmaker

[DrvFrShow]

I tend to hit shots closer to the heel when my back gets tired. When that happens I start bailing out on the shot and early extending. When it gets real tired the shanks start. 

Core exercises. Cardio. Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads. More core.

[Rainmaker]

8 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

I tend to hit shots closer to the heel when my back gets tired. When that happens I start bailing out on the shot and early extending. When it gets real tired the shanks start. 

Core exercises. Cardio. Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads. More core.

Could be something to that, for sure.  Whenever I get the bug to work on something I tend to over-do it.  As I sit here I have "banned" myself from hitting any more balls until my hands heal up and my biceps/triceps feel normal again . .they're not quite sore but they're tired. 

My hands are in bad shape because I play without a glove and I do this thing sometimes, especially when I'm trying to learn something, where fingers of my left hand rub the skin off the fingers of my right hand where they overlap . .especially the left ring rubbing against the base of the right index . .I have scab the size of a pencil eraser there now . .ouch!

[DrvFrShow]

6 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

Could be something to that, for sure.  Whenever I get the bug to work on something I tend to over-do it.  As I sit here I have "banned" myself from hitting any more balls until my hands heal up and my biceps/triceps feel normal again . .they're not quite sore but they're tired. 

My hands are in bad shape because I play without a glove and I do this thing sometimes, especially when I'm trying to learn something, where fingers of my left hand rub the skin off the fingers of my right hand where they overlap . .especially the left ring rubbing against the base of the right index . .I have scab the size of a pencil eraser there now . .ouch!

You're a lefty then? You say you're a righty.  I've played without a glove and practiced without one. Perhaps you're not gripping the club tight enough? That would allow your fingers to rub. Forearms and wrists need to be loose. Not the grip.

[Rainmaker]

dammit . .so . .historically, I've always had trouble telling my right from my left.  I know it sounds ridiculous.  Otherwise I am of normal intelligence, lol.  The scab is on my LEFT index finger. 

 

Yeah . when I'm learning something new I make a lot of wrong swings, re-gripping, club moving around in my grip, etc. 

 

 

[Lihu]

Half a ball would feel terrible since you're probably getting some of the hosel. I have mp52, and they like being hit 1/4" towards the heel, but not half a ball.

Heel shots could also be from coming a little over the top? I forgot exactly what I did to stop that from happening, but it was a lot of work for me.

[Rainmaker]

Yeah . .it did feel terrible.  Not just "meh" . .but pretty bad.  And with the Big Bertha Irons, I can hit in the exact same spot and it feels flush, lol.  I know this because I've been taping my irons last couple of days.

It's kind of funny you mention over the top because, in my videos . .this move I was making that was pushing my elbow away from my body was also bringing the club down just over the plane . . from 9 o'clock into impact. 

Even though I've gotta take the next day or 2 off, I feel like I've corrected the problem - but I basically did it by taking out 50% of what my teacher wants me to add in.  I'm going to work on adding it all back in but stay with the taped clubface.  As for the MP-53's . .undecided.  I'm going to hit them for a while longer.  Obviously, my Big Bertha's are easier to hit . .but I will allow myself time to adjust before deciding which I prefer.   

 

 

 

 

[Lihu]

Another possibility, do the swing weights feel a lot different to you? Mp-53 typically come with s300 which are usually "heavy feeling" compared to standard GI club shafts like Big Bertha clubs? When switching from Ping I-20 to the MP-52 it felt kind of this way.

Even when I switch from heavier KBS shafts to s300 it feels light and boardy, and I find my swing tempo has to change a bit to avoid flipping or whatever.

[Rainmaker]

2 hours ago, Lihu said:

Another possibility, do the swing weights feel a lot different to you? Mp-53 typically come with s300 which are usually "heavy feeling" compared to standard GI club shafts like Big Bertha clubs? When switching from Ping I-20 to the MP-52 it felt kind of this way.

Even when I switch from heavier KBS shafts to s300 it feels light and boardy, and I find my swing tempo has to change a bit to avoid flipping or whatever.

Yeah, absolutely they do.  The Big Berthas have a uniflex shaft.  They feel light and I feel as though I can feel the shaft loading up.  The mp53's, which do have the s300's, are much heavier and stiffer and I feel like I really have to hit them hard and well to make them do anything.  I have only hit them into a net so far, though.  I'm going to take them out to the range next week and see if they're really as much shorter as they seem. 

Edited March 27, 2016 by Rainmaker

[Lihu]

17 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

Yeah, absolutely they do.  The Big Berthas have a uniflex shaft.  They feel light and I feel as though I can feel the shaft loading up.  The mp53's, which do have the s300's, are much heavier and stiffer and I feel like I really have to hit them hard and well to make them do anything.  I have only hit them into a net so far, though.  I'm going to take them out to the range next week and see if they're really as much shorter as they seem. 

Just swing with the same effort. Your tempo at the top might be a little slower, but definitely don't try to swing harder.