Swing Types

[Tenn-Driver]

While at this golf course in Jersey, we hit a bucket of balls to warm up. After finishing and getting ready to head for the 1st hole, the attendent, out of the blue told me to slow my swing down .... hmmmmmm

I read here somewhere where someone mentioned about long iron swing and short iron swing... I'm sorry, but it was to my understanding that you swing consistantly and let the clubs do the work.

I know I still have that baseball mentality, the harder you hit the ball, the further the ball goes, I realize this is false, but can someone try to explain to me what the difference is between me hitting 200 yds and the next guy hitting 275 yds and both having a simular swing ?

What is the difference between swings between driver and irons.

[JEFF4i]

Sometimes people hit a more sweeping swing with longer irons which can give a higher ball flight, and can make some long irons easier to hit. Whereas a short iron might have a more descending swing.

As far as drivers, I know most people, consciously or not, take a more sweeping swing with it.

[Pa Jayhawk]

If all he said was to slow your swing down, I would venture to guess he may have meant your backswing. Or in other words work on your tempo for a more consistant shot. You will likely get a faster speed with a more fluid swing, even with a shorter swing as long as it is done with good tempo. Look at Ernie Els, you would swear he has a slow swing because of how fluid it is, but he is not losing any speed.

I am not giving merit to his comment without seeing your swing, just my guess on what he may have meant.

edit 1- do a few searches around here for information on a book called Tour Tempo, it may be of some use if you feel your swing is hurky~jerky or too fast.

[demon]

To vague of a comment. If you release before the ball then you will actually lose clubhead speed. Swing where you feel comfortable and dont worry about slowing down or speeding up.

[Fourputt]

Much of the power in a golf swing is in the timing. It's like a karate master breaking a board.... the more elements of the swing you can bring into focus at the moment of impact, the farther you will hit ball. It's not totally true that swinging harder will result in a shorter ball flight, but most average golfers can't maintain that timing when they swing harder, thus the impact is actually less and ball does not go as far (and often not in the right direction either). One of the oldest pieces of golfing advice I know is "don't hit the ball.... swing the club". Most of the guys I play with have great practice swings, but when they step up to take a shot, they are only trying to hit the ball, and they forget to swing the club.

[Sandpiper3]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Much of the power in a golf swing is in the timing. It's like a karate master breaking a board.... the more elements of the swing you can bring into focus at the moment of impact, the farther you will hit ball. It's not totally true that swinging harder will result in a shorter ball flight, but most average golfers can't maintain that timing when they swing harder, thus the impact is actually less and ball does not go as far (and often not in the right direction either). One of the oldest pieces of golfing advice I know is "don't hit the ball.... swing the club". Most of the guys I play with have great practice swings, but when they step up to take a shot, they are only trying to hit the ball, and they forget to swing the club.

Agreed. Just let the ball get in your way. Exact same with putting. Come to think about it, I "dont even have a ball" when im playing well, im just taking my natural fluid swing.

[ezra76]

When hitting a long iron my tendency was always trying to play it forward, sweep it and then thin it. I play it mid stance, make sure to angle the shaft, maintain the lie of the club and like magic that 3iron flys nearly 220 and dead accurate.

With the driver, as stated above, it's a lot about mechanics. Let the head release through the ball, connect on the sweetspot and 240-250 should be no problem for even the slower speeds. I mark my balls with a red line. This not for alinging putts. It's to leave that red mark on my driver face, so I can see where I'm hitting it. When that spot is on center and I let the head release, I'm hitting drives 270-280.

[Greydawg]

If you release before the ball then you will actually lose clubhead speed.

When hitting a long iron my tendency was always trying to play it forward, sweep it and then thin it.

Please excuse me if my question sounds a little silly, but this is our first year playing, (mine and Andys'), but what exactly does this mean???

I'm having a lot of problems with my long irons too.
I can barely hit my #3 iron 100 yards.

My biggest problem seems to be hitting the ground with my club before the ball.
I even do that with my driver sometimes.

Thanks for the help and any advice I can get.

[demon]

Please excuse me if my question sounds a little silly, but this is our first year playing, (mine and Andys'), but what exactly does this mean???

I'm having a lot of problems with my long irons too.
I can barely hit my #3 iron 100 yards.

My biggest problem seems to be hitting the ground with my club before the ball.
I even do that with my driver sometimes.
quote]

You probably have a steep swing path, this will cause big divots and you probably hit high shots with the clubs that you hit decent. Post some video of your swing and some on here can analyze and make some suggestions.

[dave.]

Only attempt to slow your swing down if you know what you are doing.Its better to be fully committed to a shot and hit hard than it is to fanny at it.Also,many players have fast tempos and most pros hit the ball hard,some players like Faldo look like they are tickling a cat.

Long irons just need hitting with some clubhead speed,if you haven't got that use hybrids,the ball will get up quicker

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by dave.

Only attempt to slow your swing down if you know what you are doing.Its better to be fully committed to a shot and hit hard than it is to fanny at it.Also,many players have fast tempos and most pros hit the ball hard,some players like Faldo look like they are tickling a cat.

Long irons just need hitting with some clubhead speed,if you haven't got that use hybrids,the ball will get up quicker

The key is not so much swinging hard, but in making certain that you are accelerating all the way through the hitting zone. The tendency for inexperienced or casual players when they try to "slow down" their swing is to do everything at the same pace as usual, then decelerate as the clubhead approaches the ball. You will NEVER make a decent shot this way. You can slow down the takeaway, and the transition at the top of the backswing, but always, always, keep accelerating all the way through the downswing. This applies to all strokes and all clubs, including chipping and putting. Distance should be controlled by club choice and by the length of the backswing. My tempo is virtually identical whether I'm chipping or hitting my driver. The only difference is in the length of the backswing and the length of the follow through.

[Poe4soul]

It's hard to tell what the attendent saw to make that comment.

I was a baseball player and a contact hitter. My swing fault in golf is a fast back swing. When I get fast on my back swing I do not make a full shoulder turn and the tranistion is poor. The rest of the swing becomes corrections to get the club on plane. This results in a loss of power and poor contact. As mentioned in the above posts my club is not accelerated through the ball at impact and my arms and hands are not in stong positions.

This winter I have spent a considerable amount of practice time in front of the mirror insuring that I make a full level shoulder turn on the back swing and the follow through and ultimately my tempo. I keep in my head a quote from Sam Snead that "The swing should feel Oily."

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

The key is not so much swinging hard, but in making certain that you are accelerating all the way through the hitting zone. The tendency for inexperienced or casual players when they try to "slow down" their swing is to do everything at the same pace as usual, then decelerate as the clubhead approaches the ball.

Bingo. I see this so often it's ridiculous. The big, across the line backswing, and then trying to slow it down just before impact. Chunk or $hank, pick your miss. I've helped out a few guys on the course after I see them doing this and getting frustrated. I just tell them to take that last 1/4 of the backwswing and use it on the throughswing. Easy to work on with a 9i or PW. Basically bring the club back so the shaft it pointing straight up in the air, then a full swing follow through. Hear that "whoosh"? That's a good thing, acceleration of the head.

Here's an example that may help the explanation a little. (I just came up with this myself so take it with a grain ) Make a fist with left hand, turn it inward facing you with the outside palm facing right. Now open your right hand and with the left loose loft it like a 9 or PW and strike the left with the right. Now bring it down to a flatter 3 or 4iron position, try again. This is how the strike of the clubface takes the ball into the air, with the loft. PW creates more backspin/less sidespin as the ball climbs and leaves the face. The 3i creates less backspin/more sidespin as it comes off the face.