Preferred (Better) Launch Angle

[Fairway_CY]

So, over the course of the previous 2-3 months, I've played a LOT more golf than I had in recent years. My handicap, while still over 20, is dropping and should drop by about 7-10 strokes by the end of the season from what it was at the beginning of the season.

In the 2-3 months I've played this summer, I've noticed I've got a very high ball flight. I get paired with people all the time... some better, some worse, some the same skill level. Nobody I've played with hits the ball higher than I do... with ANY of their clubs.

I play with Nike Slinghsot 5 through SW irons and Nike CPR 18 and 21 degree hybrids. I can have all of the clubs below my 21 degree hybrid hit the green and stop. No spin backwards, but very little, if any at all, movement once it hits the green... one hop (2-3 feet forward) and dead every time.

Off the club, everything from my 5 iron through my sand wedge gets very high. Distance isn't really an issue for me... I'm comfortable with where I hit each club:

5 Iron - 180
6 Iron - 170
7 Iron - 155
8 Iron - 145
9 Iron - 135
PW - 115
SW - 80

It's just that all of my clubs jump up... tee, fairway, rough... doesn't matter. Even my drivers (both my TaylorMade R540 and Cleveland HiBORE XLS) have a very high ball flight too. I dropped from a 10.5 degree R540 to a 9.5 degree HiBORE thinking that would help, but it still gets up there.

Is it GOOD to have a high angle like that or... ? As a 22+ handicap, I still have the random skulled 9 iron from 130 that shoots 160 no further than 7 feet off the ground, but... when I hit my shots how I WANT to... I'm just concerned that I'm not playing the right clubs anymore.

I bought these clubs 5+ years ago, and I had them professionally fit... but I'm wondering if this is a PROPER ball flight and not something I need to worry about... or if it's something I should maybe think about a new set of clubs for.

CY

 

[SilverUberXeno]

If you can hit yor 5 iron high, 180 yards, and stop it quick, don't change a thing, brother!

You're possbly playing the ball a smidge too far forward in your stance. Try playing your irons closer to the center. Try playing your short irons where the ball is in the center, and the clubhead is slightly behind center, so your hands are right over the ball.

I play my 5i BARELY forward of center, if at all. But then again, if you're playing it too far back and you're coming down STEEP on it, you'll pop 'em up too.

But really... 180yd high 5i is quite good.

 

[FATC1TY]

I'm with SUX.. For those clubs, especially you scoring irons/wedges, the higher helps with holding firm greens.

I'm assuming when it's windy, you struggle hitting into the winds as well..

I'd be pleased with the distances.. Like SUX said.. Play it back in your stance a tad, and see if that works.. Your distances obviously show your not "scooping" the ball.

 

[295yards]

I personall think you are at an advantage having that ballflight. I wouldn't think you are getting a 5i to lift into the air by scooping it if it goes 180yards.
You could get on a launch monitor to see your ballspeed, AOA, launch and spin but at a 22 handicap I don't think ballstriking is what will keep you from lower your handicap. The lower handicaps you play with would probably do better than they are now if they had your ball flight.

 

[dave.]

If those Slingshots have the Nikey shafts, they are high launch and imho, a horrid shaft

 

[Lefty_SnowBird]

Tiger Woods hits the ball higher than anyone on tour... I don't see him trying to hit it lower to do like the other guys

High is good most of the time. Sometimes it can be useful to hit a low shot on purpose, but as a natural shot, the higher the better, as long as you don't compromise distance too much.