I want some distance

[titaniummd]

I am a beginner and I am beginning to mishit a lot less. Maybe 5 - 8 shots in a bucket of 60 balls.

I do want to eventually hit as far as the rest of the golfers on this board (ie 180 yard 5i and 280 yd drive). However, if I swing harder, I goof up a lot more. I usually have a slow to moderate takeaway and then swing to a moderate tempo. How do I improve the efficiency of increasing clubhead speed but maintain accuracy? Is that what it will take to improve distance?

 

[ezra76]

Well first of all I suppose strenth and size have something to do with it. I am thin at 6ft. and a little under 160lbs. I do have good flexibility and have been moving furniture for 10yrs., so I have some strength, especially in the forearms.
I have lost weight and strength since I started out but hit the ball further and more accurately due to swing improvements. The biggest factor in my book is to just hit the ball with the face square and catch it dead center on the face. My longest drives have been produced with a smoother swing. When I try to really "hit" the ball, bad things happen. When I swing though it and just let it get in the way of the club, that's when I get them out there.

I would say you are on track with a slow to medium speed takeaway.

 

[warbirdlover]

In my last lesson the pro had me swinging easier and smoother and I went from 100 mph ss to 105 mph. The most important thing is square club face contact with the ball in the middle of the club face with loose grip on the club. No outside in swing path and if you have reasonable ss that ball is going to GO FAR!! Today at the range I was "carrying" 250-260 INTO a 10 mph wind almost every shot. And these were all straight down the range, no slice or hook. The hard swinging gorillas might hit 300 but it's going all over the place.

Watch a video of Ernie Els swing once. This is how to do it. Watch his head position...it doesn't move!! And his arms are straight.

(Thanks to R35 for this link)..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWTlPYw5wVk

 

[ezra76]

Great link there. I have never seen V.J.'s swing in slow mo like that. Els has a beauty but my setup is similar and I let the left leg collapse and then stand back onto it like VJ does.
BTW- You are gonna be out there with the big boys now WBL. 105 is nice, time to move back to the white's.

Just kidding.

 

[warbirdlover]

Not the whites!!! I just mastered the reds and have to move to the senior gold before the whites!!!

 

[titaniummd]

What is amazing is how much the ball compresses with the contact of the club. The ball looks like Jello. That is amazing! Does everyone do that to a golf ball or just the professionals?

 

[ezra76]

Is that what the gold's are for? I saw them for the 1st time on the course I played yesterday. Red's, gold's, white's and blues. I played blues because I wanted to hit some drives. From the whites I would have taken more 4wood's and 5irons to get in positon.

 

[JEFF4i]

What is amazing is how much the ball compresses with the contact of the club. The ball looks like Jello. That is amazing! Does everyone do that to a golf ball or just the professionals?

Yeah, it's why I hate Bridgestone balls, they compress almost to halfway mark.

As for getting more distance, take a lesson, always good.

 

[warbirdlover]

I don't think we compress the ball like the PGA pros do. I mean they're swinging upwards of 120 mph compared to probably average of less then 100 mph for amateurs. Maybe we could compress the newer "soft" balls like that, LOL...

 

[ezra76]

Does everyone do that to a golf ball or just the professionals?

I will never know for sure, but I'll bet I get more distance if I keep my head down and try to see.....

 

[VtDivot]

Not the whites!!! I just mastered the reds and have to move to the senior gold before the whites!!!

Please don't tell me you are playing from the senior tees.

 

[SiberianDVM]

Not the whites!!! I just mastered the reds and have to move to the senior gold before the whites!!!

You're my kind of guy, WBL. In another 6 months, I'll be eligible to play from the Senior tees.

I plan to dominate. Those old geezers at my club won't know what hit them.

 

[warbirdlover]

LOL!!! I usually play white tees. I figure if you play the blues and you dub one you look alot stupider then if you do it from the white..... I see all these "big ego" guys hit from the blue when in fact they should be hitting from the red. I'm a "white tee" skilled player right now. I play the blue once in awhile if the group wants to. Don't really notice much difference in my score. Siberian. We'll hit from the senior "gold" tees and just smoke those old duffers off the tee. Then they'll smoke us around the green. Have you ever seen those old guys (good ones) short game? They shoot the same scores we do. Similar to where some of the guys in here have lowered their scores by not playing the driver I suspect.

 

[SiberianDVM]

Yep. They stroke a "drive" about 170, put their 2nd either on the green or in the fringe, chip to a foot, and birdie or par.

@ssholes.

 

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Maybe I'll go play one-armed from the reds today.