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Well, I was a switter with a tendency towards swinging (from playing baseball and hockey), but I had a lot of hit in my swing. Between my natural tendency towards a crossline hip slide and a problem with losing pp#4 too early, I was compensating with a simultaneous release and some hitter's, right-arm thrust through impact to make decent contact.
My main work has been focused on the 3 imparitives and 3 essentials, but I've been swinging while doing this. I mix in some hitting work because a) I want to learn to hit, b) working on both helps me identify and seperate the two distinct feels, and c) most importantly it forces me to really think about what I'm doing as I practice. Swinging is coming around nicely; currently focusing on extensor action and tracing the plane line. The hardest things for me have been quieting my lower body, keeping #4 loaded deeper into the swing, and trusting CF and the later swinger's sequenced release. As far as hitting, the areas I've had the most problems with are: 1) Ironically the crossline hip slide. It's natural for me, but I worked hard to get rid of it for swinging. My balance is improving though, and I was able to switch back and forth today. 2) Hitting the ball with pp#1 and the same issues you mentioned w/ reliance on pp#4. couldn't hit at all until I experimented with starting from fix. I've only tried the swingers start down move a few times, and while it can generate some serious power, I need to get a handle on the 3 barrel stroke first :) |
Swinger's start down move? What exactly are you referring to?
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For the most part not full swings, although it is a great drill for 'hitting' low puch shots that 'sizzle' - smaller swings keeping the clubhead below your hands, not thinking of distance but only of compression - downplane - stopping at both arms straight - a high 'thrust' motion |
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My typical ball flight is high - long, boring shots, but high. It can be quite windy here and I really need to develop a good "punch" shot for those days and for the controlled scoring shots into the green. Do you drive or drag the lag on your punch shots? What other adjustments do you make? I've been planning to develop my low punch shot further once I start focusing on hitting - does this sound reasonable? |
Yes, the punch shot is best done as a 'hit'. Ball back a touch, weight very much on your left side, driving PP#1 downplane to both arms straight. Get those hands ahead of the ball through impact.
As for the higher flight, you may also want to try different shafts. A softer/lighter shaft will often produce a higher flight, and vice versa for a heavier/firmer shaft. That said, well struck shots can hold up to quite a lot of wind. The better the impact, the less the wind will influence the ball. If the ball is being blown around a lot and/or you can't hear the 'sizzle', practice that punch shot and you'll gain a lot of control. The ball you play can have a very large influence as well. Hard to say for sure without seeing it in person. |
I'll keep working on "hitting" the punch.
The wind doesn't do a whole lot to my shots and there's lots of 'sizzle' with most of my irons (love the high ball flight with most of my clubs, especially the long irons). My wedges and short irons are flying higher than I like, though - when they go real high I don't hear the sizzle as much. I suppose I need to work on really getting my hands ahead of the ball with those short clubs. Other than trying clubs out and seeing what I liked, I really didn't get fitted. I found a good deal on some clubs that had rifle 6.0 shafts (which I understand to be in-between stiff and x-stiff) and wedges are stiff. Haven't gotten to play much yet because of weather and schedule but plan on testing diffrent ball suggestions this summer. |
Rifles lend themselves to higher ball flights.....So if you are looking for a lower ballflight and to stay in the rifle family, go to a certified rilfe dealer and tell him your problem. He can take a rifle blank and trim it so that its pretty tip stiff to keep the flight down.
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I'm not married to them or anything; they felt good when I hit them and I got a good deal. I had S300's on my last set and liked them fine, however my swing is a lot different now and I hit the ball longer. When I can afford a change I will get fitted. How reliable are the online fitting charts that prescribe shaft stiffness based on distance?
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i'd say 75-80%....because they don't take into factors like:
tempo swinging or hitting (literally, the procedure you use will affect your fitting) how good you "mash" the ball (ie smash factor) release point load HOWEVER If you get in with a GOOD FITTER, even on the phone, and be really honest with them they'll get 95% of the way. PM me and i'll give you a good fitter to contact, don't want to post it here and step on anyone's toes. |
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