All my clubs go the same distance??? HELP

[Quietus]

So I can hit my short irons and wedges reasonably straight - maybe 100 yards on my PW and 130 yards on my 7 iron (low numbers but I'm fine with these for now as long as they're straight). Problem is, when I try to use my 5H, 4H, 3W or even Driver, they all only hit around 100-160 yards. I have a couple of ideas as to why that's the case - the most obvious being I can't hit the longer clubs flush yet or my form collapses with these clubs. Any other ideas? More importantly, how do i effectively work into these clubs? At this point there's no reason for me to bring anything longer than a 7I because they all reach the same distance anyway - with less consistency!

[Lihu]

What’s your approximate swing speed with driver?

 

I’ve played a round with only a 7i with surprisingly good results.

[Club Rat]

More than likely your not swinging those clubs with your full potential.
Either you are decelerating the club, or swinging it slower to control your shot.
Some people refer it to as having a steering wheel effect, trying to guide the club path.

The results would are not allowing the club to release through the hitting zone.
Could be you are shorting your backswing for control or not making a full shoulder turn.
With longer clubs one should hear the "swoosh" of the club as they swing.
Other situations would be a player only swing the club with arms and no upper body rotation.

Aging golfer encounter these situations and seldom correct their swing flaws.

[Kalnoky]

@Quietus You sound like me 3 years ago. I used to hit my driver 175, and that was a really good drive.

I'm just guessing here, but hope this helps:

Pin your upper arms to your torso, and try swinging the club by rotating your torso only (you might have to stand closer to the ball). It's going to feel like a very short backswing. As you get comfortable doing this you can use your hips to get more turn, but keep your head steady and do not lift your arms.

This drill will give you the sensation of using your core and not your arms. As beginners we all have the urge to speed up the club with our arms and hands. This actually slows the club head down through the impact zone. Which equals very short shots. 

 

[Patch]

Just a guess on my part, but is it possible the OP is using too much arm, and not enough body swing? Maybe just all arms?

That, and maybe the the club head is way ahead of the hands at impact? Seems like this would cause a flipping, and/scooping impact with the ball. This would cause a loss of power, and reduce the effective loft of the clubs. 

Like I said. Just a guess on my part. 

[Lihu]

A qualifier for the arms thing is it's not necessarily the solution, it is for most people but not all.

It was for me, but not everyone I know.

[billchao]

@Quietus you should update your swing thread with video from good camera angles, both DTL and FO.

It's not uncommon for slower swingers to hit some clubs the same distance and you're new to the game so you're probably not getting good contact to begin with.

[cooke119]

Can you afford to take lessons? I did to get the basics of the swing down. I would agree with those that have written above that you are probably using your arms versus your core. What has worked for me is to keep the left arm, (I'm a righty), straight as long as you can on the backswing, bring the left shoulder under your chin keeping you head steady, don't sway, and turn your upper body. I can't think about my hips during my swing like everyone suggests because I get too many things going through my head and it screws me up. I swing as hard as I can while still keeping my rhythm and balance. And I let the club do the work. I find that more distance comes from good tempo versus trying to muscle the ball. I'm just saying what has worked for me because I had the same problem as you. I'm sure others have other swing thoughts as well. 

[Green Golfer]

You’re still relatively new to golf it appears. I had a similar problem for awhile. Using a 7-iron was the same as using a 4-iron for me. Problem was that i had developed bad habits that needed to be ironed out by a professional (pun intended).

Club pros are trained to pick out the smallest of swing deficiencies. I highly encourage you to get a few lessons. If not, your bad habits may get worse and become more engrained in your subconscious, making them harder to get rid of. 

Looking at your swing, your tempo seems okay. Tempos can change as we evolve as golfers. Whatever the case is use the 3:1 ratio. For example If your back swing is 1 second, it should take you .33 seconds to strike the ball from the end of your backswing. 

To me it looks like you have the standard slice swing (i.e. outside to in). Thats pretty normal, but it also reduces ball carry and overall distance in addition to being right of the fairway. Theres a few ways to mitigate this. Position your front foot closer to the ball and/or change the angle of the backswing. For you it appears to be too steep, thus inducing those slices.

I agree, swing with your core. How ever i don’t necessarily agree with other posters that using too much arms is the problem here. Everything, arms, hips shoulders legs, etc need to be in line to square up at impact. If arms are out in front you will normally hit a hook or if behind, you will hit a slice (all other things staying the same of course). Too me, if you’re using too much “arm” then you are leading with the arms and hands. Your arms appear to be lagging behind the rest of you though.

We need to see a video of you swinging with irons. Are you swinging too fast/slow, hitting the ball fat, or otherwise are you simply not letting the club do its work? Attached is a chart of iron distances with various swing speeds to help give you an idea. You could figure out your swing speeds by visiting a golf store such as Roger Dunn, Golf Galaxy, etc and having them analyze you for free. 

Good luck. You’ll grow into those irons, it just takes time. Trust us.