Make me swing faster

[LyleG]

That middle picture speaks a 1000 words. I see a total arm swing. Weight looks way to centered, the only thing that appears to be moving are the arms. This is recipe for a nice weak fade for sure.

[warbirdlover]

Yup. That's my focus now. Getting some lower body into the swing. I do move the arms with my shoulder turn however....

[JEFF4i]

A strong, coiled shoulder turn, usually helps lower body. Food for thought.

[LyleG]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

Yup. That's my focus now. Getting some lower body into the swing. I do move the arms with my shoulder turn however....

Yes but this looks like you have lower body made of wood. Like a torso parked on a work bench.

[JEFF4i]

Oh, and a tip for yours truly...

Stop sucking.

[zaphod]

Jake was hitting 270+ yesterday, none of the rest of us other than Eric were anywhere near that number. 220-230 is typically the furthest the GPS said the rest of us were hitting & I am fine with that.

WBL, just like the rest of us age creeps up & there isn't a damn thing we can do but accept it. It's much better to be 200 yds straight up the middle instead of 250 yds 2 fairways over. Hell, I would love to be able to pound the ball like the young kids do, but I know there is no way it's going to happen due to lower back & neck issues from many many years ago. So I don't even attempt to try, I am happy hitting 3w 200 yds & working on the chipping & putting. Everyone knows thats where the real game is anyways.

Amen Wi-Golfer

WBL I am the same situation and have switched to Regular flex shafts and have stopped the bleeding. Most modern drivers, as long as they match your swing, will max out your potential. What I have learned is the quickest ways to lose distance is to use too stiff of a shaft. Or strike the ball improperly. A slice-fade will quickly eat of distance. Get that smash factor going and learn a draw.

For me as long as I'm at my potential distance for my swing speed I will focus on 150 yards and in.

At the scramble Saturday I vowed and followed through with taking one more club than I was used to pulling, hitting shots at 80% or less. I felt much more in control. I would rather be Cory Pavin than Seve Ballastaros.

As for our distance potential we both have the same deficiencies only you've got a few years on me. My flexibility is akin to an oak 2x4. My hamstrings are more like fiddle stings. Not a good for developing swing speed.

I you find the magic elixir please UPS me some too.

[LyleG]

Originally Posted by zaphod

Amen Wi-Golfer

WBL I am the same situation and have switched to Regular flex shafts and have stopped the bleeding. Most modern drivers, as long as they match your swing, will max out your potential. What I have learned is the quickest ways to lose distance is to use too stiff of a shaft. Or strike the ball improperly. A slice-fade will quickly eat of distance. Get that smash factor going and learn a draw.

For me as long as I'm at my potential distance for my swing speed I will focus on 150 yards and in.

At the scramble Saturday I vowed and followed through with taking one more club than I was used to pulling, hitting shots at 80% or less. I felt much more in control. I would rather be Cory Pavin than Seve Ballastaros.

As for our distance potential we both have the same deficiencies only you've got a few years on me. My flexibility is akin to an oak 2x4. My hamstrings are more like fiddle stings. Not a good for developing swing speed.

I you find the magic elixir please UPS me some too.

Those are some very, very wise words Zaph.

WBL,


There is absolutely no way in hell you should be playing a stiff shaft. You should also have a driver head with a minimum of 10.5* of loft and a closed face, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5* shut. This combo will give you a nice high draw, and some roll. This will give you 15-20 yards more distance instantly. I see this all the time. I have one guy a day come see me with the same questions, and the same resistance to the answers I give him. Eventually they listen and see results, the problem is they waste a lot of time and energy before getting to this point. Make a change now and start playing better golf today.

[gwlee7]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

Also, you've got to be sure that you are playing the right driver for your swing. I know that you have tried a lot of different drivers but, have you ever been to a reputable club fitter that has a launch monitor and knows what he is doing? I know that you aren't afraid to 'ho a club so how about going and getting the right one for you if you've never tried this route before?

Lyle would be one of those club builders who knows what he is doing.

[LyleG]

Originally Posted by Wi-Golfer

Jake was hitting 270+ yesterday, none of the rest of us other than Eric were anywhere near that number. 220-230 is typically the furthest the GPS said the rest of us were hitting & I am fine with that.

This again is so very true.

The reality is this. Most guys dont hit the ball anywhere near 250 yards, yet they all think they do. Most of the guys I play with were stunned to see how short we all hit our drivers once I started lasering them. I play with 12 guys every weekend and I am the second longest in our group. My driving distance is 245 average. Most of the guys, including one scratch player and 2 hdcp both only hit it about 235. The move you need to make on the ball to carry it 250 is far beyond what most guys are ever capable of.

[warbirdlover]

WBL,


There is absolutely no way in hell you should be playing a stiff shaft. You should also have a driver head with a minimum of 10.5* of loft and a closed face, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5* shut. This combo will give you a nice high draw, and some roll. This will give you 15-20 yards more distance instantly. I see this all the time. I have one guy a day come see me with the same questions, and the same resistance to the answers I give him. Eventually they listen and see results, the problem is they waste a lot of time and energy before getting to this point. Make a change now and start playing better golf today.

LyleG

Okay, but what was this X-flex thing you were promoting a short time ago? What doesn't make sense is when I went on the monitor and got "fitted" it ended up with a Ping Rapture, square face, 9º loft (gave me 14º actual launch angle) and stiff NVS shaft (which I know is NOT that stiff). On the monitor (at that time) I got ball speeds up to 163 and usually in the 150's. And I hit that good on the course... Every time I hit sssmokin's 10.5º drivers with the regular flex shafts I get rotten results. And I've got a 10.5º "make-it-go-straight" Sumo2 now with a limp noodle Nike Diamana stiff shaft which probably isn't very stiff. I'm not too bullheaded to use a 13º driver or ladies flex if I have to but that's never worked for me. I think I'll work on the swing first and then give up and buy an old man's club...

[LyleG]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

Okay, but what was this X-flex thing you were promoting a short time ago? What doesn't make sense is when I went on the monitor and got "fitted" it ended up with a Ping Rapture, square face, 9º loft (gave me 14º actual launch angle) and stiff NVS shaft (which I know is NOT that stiff). On the monitor (at that time) I got ball speeds up to 163 and usually in the 150's. And I hit that good on the course... Every time I hit sssmokin's 10.5º drivers with the regular flex shafts I get rotten results. And I've got a 10.5º "make-it-go-straight" Sumo2 now with a limp noodel Nike Diamana stiff shaft which probably isn't very stiff. I'm not too bullheaded to use a 13º driver or ladies flex if I have to but that's never worked for me. I think I'll work on the swing first and then give up and buy an old man's club...

If you believe anything you see on an Edwin Watts or any retail store LM then you are nuts. If I put you on a real monitor you would be shocked to see the numbers. I have at least 2 people a month tell me my monitor doesnt work worth shit LOL, then we laser a real shot and now my laser is a POS as well.
As for the bad results you need a few rounds to adjust to the different feel is all.
X flex is great fr guys who spray it all over hells half acre. It will be short, but can be much straighter.
If you want distance you need softer flex. The pure energy S flex is going to be way to stout imo. SK fiber rates that shaft for a 100-110mph swing. Many people say they are soft because they are equating feel with flex. The PE shafts play very true to flex.

[warbirdlover]

If the distances I saw on the launch monitor (B & G in Milwaukee) didn't carry on to the course I would believe you but they did (subtracting distance to pin after drive from hole distance). The Rapture with the above specs was the longest driver I've ever hit. If I took a full swing I'm sure I should be using a regular (or ladies) flex but I have a shorter backswing and even in Wishon's book it says that makes a difference in what flex you should be using. I've used regular and stiff flex drivers for 40 years and honestly never saw any distance gain with the regular flex, just less control. I'm certainly a hacker but just two weeks ago I was hitting my driver much better. And I'll soon find out if that SK is too stiff!

I have to give it one last "swing improvement" try before changing my flex. (I have gone from G5 irons with regular flex shafts to S59's with stiff flex and gained over one iron longer distance).

[ezra76]

What's worked for me. Takaway in one piece, straight back, no taking it inside and fanning. I try to get the clubhead as far away from head as possible with a big shoulder turn. My thought is to get my right shoulder blade to the target. My problem is getting the swing started with the lower body. I find that trying to keep the right elbow close throughout the backswing and downswing helps. I get more SS out of a smooth swing than I do trying to kill it. It's a matter of staying smooth from the top. Once that is grooved, then I can start firing the hips faster and get 3-4 mph. more out my swing. I've found I can get 107-108 out of the smooth swing with lot's width and get up to 111-112 after that by firing faster but if I get quick from the top, I drop down to 102-104mph and lose control as well.

[LyleG]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

If the distances I saw on the launch monitor (B & G in Milwaukee) didn't carry on to the course I would believe you but they did (subtracting distance to pin after drive from hole distance).

Since I got my laser range finder I have discovered 2 things.

1 - 8-10 golf courses are way off on their yardage markings, muni's by far being the worst.

2 - no one I have yet met on the course hits the ball anywhere near as far as they think they do.

I mean this with no offense so please dont take any. I would bet everything I own that you have never carried the ball over 250 yards consistently at any point in your golfing career. Thats how confident I am in this. I have done over 200 LM fittings in the last 2 years and can count on one hand the number of guys who carry the ball 250. Honestly, one hand.

[warbirdlover]

....that you have never carried the ball over 250 yards consistently

LyleG

You are 100% correct Lyle and no offense taken. And this weekend using sssmokin's GPS also agree on the poorly marked muni yardages.

I do (or DID) carry it consistently 230 in the (recent) past and with the roll would consistently be around 250 average and in the middle of the fairway. That's all I want. I don't expect to be John Daly. Just respectable. And right now I'm not.

You should make it down to play in the Wis outing sometime with Eric, Fitzpatrick and Mike1218. Those guys would easily fall in your small percentage!! And Byron (the-bomber) would boggle your mind!! (Eric hit some drives Saturday that were so long the ball just disappeared from view).