Had a golf lesson today but my distance are all off now!

["Richard"]

So I went for a lesson today and this guy was AWESOME. He talks about things and relates them to things you know about and are good at. Anyway, today was just a trail to test him out but I really liked him. Booked 10 more for the rest of the year. Anyway, we worked on many things in a short period of time so I'm looking forward to working on all of these things. The main thing was that I had to much bend in my knees and I need to stand taller, this is why my swing was flat and I was doing a huge shoulder and hip turn to get more velocity since I was coming around more than coming down. Its one of the reasons I wasn't able to hit down on the ball so with a steeper swing that should help a lot. I was grippping my club way to tight and once I made these small changes I was making better contact, not swinging as fast.. here is the problem. I hit a 6 iron between 165-170 right now. With these new changes I'm only swinging at 80 mph and before with a 6iron I was getting almost 100mph. I'm hitting the ball only 140 yards now but they are straight and effortless. Should I be worried or does this happen to everyone when you change something with your swing?

[dH]

EVERYONE!!!! : yesterday i started chilling out (I"m an intense guy) and gripping lightly instead of trying to break the club and i was hitting it straight and at em. Basicallyyour distance will decrease a bit until you can get better hip movement into it but going straight is worth it and yes we all feel like losers and wimps when you compare your distances to the pros but the PGA slogan is accruate "These guys are good!!!!!!!!!!"

["Richard"]

yeah I guess its more mental, no body wants to be the shortest hitter in the group....

[GarthM]

I hit a 6 iron between 165-170 right now. With these new changes I'm only swinging at 80 mph and before with a 6iron I was getting almost 100mph. I'm hitting the ball only 140 yards now but they are straight and effortless.

I hate to sound like a skeptic but I doubt a six iron at 100mph would only go 165 yards. I barely swing my driver at 100mph and my six iron goes 165 (give or take -- not that I know what my 6 iron swing speed is but I know my swing is very consistent so it's probably around 85 given the difference in shaft length), and my driver only carries about 235-240. If I am not mistaken the SwingMate machines that show your swing speed work on a ratio of 2.3 yards to 1 MPH. I find it increasingly hard to believe that you know how far you really hit the ball.

This opinion is not restricted to you, in fact I found most of the postings on how far one hits the ball to appear inflated by roughly 10-15% of what people probably really hit.

That said, effortless swings are the way to go in my book, especially if you know where they are going. Who cares how far you hit it, as long as you KNOW how far you hit it.

["Richard"]

Sorry I got my number mixed up... I swing my driver at 110mph competely out of crontrol but when Im playing I swing IT at 100mph and with the new swing changes I'm only getting 80-85mph out of the driver.. about 75mph out of the 6 iron according the simulator at golftown

Got my driver numbers and my 6 iron numbers mixed up. Regardless, my 6 iron has dropped about 25 yards on the monitor and my driver even more. LOL I thought lessons were supposed to make me better, not steal my yardage away

[dH]

thotho; i'm sure you'll be able to get good distance again it's just a matter of finding how much power you can use in your new swing without turing the swing from a swing into leverage . Either way i'd rather be going straight with a 15-20% loss in distance ANY DAY!

[Colby]

Sorry I got my number mixed up... I swing my driver at 110mph competely out of crontrol but when Im playing I swing IT at 100mph and with the new swing changes I'm only getting 80-85mph out of the driver.. about 75mph out of the 6 iron according the simulator at golftown

Got my driver numbers and my 6 iron numbers mixed up. Regardless, my 6 iron has dropped about 25 yards on the monitor and my driver even more. LOL I thought lessons were supposed to make me better, not steal my yardage away

Thotho.

Lessons are not a "magic bullet". I remember a few years ago, I bought a package of lessons and went for my first one. It went well, we changed a few things, and I was given a couple of drills to work on before I went back in a few weeks. I worked on the drills a couple of times, and then I decided that it would be easier to play instead of practice. When I went back, he took one look at my swing, re-corrected and then told me to practice my drills and not call him until I had done so. I went out, worked hard, and was rewarded.

It won't happen overnight or in an afternoon. It takes time to correct what you have been doing wrong for a long time. Things will get worse before they get better, but then you will notice the consistency start, and the corrections get smaller and smaller. More like tweaking than rebuilding.

Patience young Jedi...

["Richard"]

yeah, I think its just a pride thing. You dont want to be the biggest guy in your group and hit it 10 yards less than the smallest guy with each club. I used to be 1 club longer than everyone and if this keeps up I'll be one club shorter than everyone. I kinda paniced an called the golf coach and asked him why the distance is so bad now, he said, don't worry it will come back and go past what you were at before cause the swing is steeper, you can use your hands more now to get more club head speed and use your arms more to really come down on the ball. So that makes me feel better. I was kinda freaking out a bit ahahah

Straighter and more distance? sounds like an infomercial on the golf channel

[dH]

In Central America this winter I was hitting my 5 iron 200yards! Now I"m lucky if I get 175-180. Not sure what I'm doing but it's frustrationg so I know where you're coming from.

["Richard"]

yeah colby, thats what he said to. said everyone takes lessons and thinks they are going to go out there and shoot 70s when if you are shooting high 90's you first have to get to mid 90's then low and so on. But I guess daHacka is right, its better to be straight than long but if I can get both, that would be sweet. Second year of golf, i really want to take my game to the next level this year. I'd like to be breaking into the 80's more regualry. I will practice as much as I can but there isn't a place downtown where I can go hit balls (downtown toronto) except one range and they are so expensive

[dH]

That's reason #120391431209342 why Toronto isn't the best place to live or the center of the universe as most from Toronto like to think I know a guy who can only hit his driver like 200 MAX on a good day but plays perfect bogey golf. He's straight everytime and 2 putts... Straighten it out than work on distance. This is my 2nd year as well. Last year was my first FULL Year the year before i had picked up a pw and played in the field a few times so I don't really count that.

["Richard"]

That's reason #120391431209342 why Toronto isn't the best place to live or the center of the universe as most from Toronto like to think I know a guy who can only hit his driver like 200 MAX on a good day but plays perfect bogey golf. He's straight everytime and 2 putts... Straighten it out than work on distance. This is my 2nd year as well. Last year was my first FULL Year the year before i had picked up a pw and played in the field a few times so I don't really count that.

Me to! you should take a look at my lesson tapes. I'll bring them with me to ottawa next time I come.

[dH]

I'll see them at the golf forum day; as of now I'm in your grouping with jvincent and one other brave soul.

[Nat Williams]

I would be worried if I was hitting a 6i 140 yards.

How are you going to spin and stick a 140 yard shot as well as someone that uses anywhere between an 8i and a PW for that distance? How are you going to hit a green from 180yrds, 220yrds etc etc,. What happens when you see a 400+ yard par 4 (let alone a 450+ one)

There's pride issues (being annoyed that your buddy outdrives you) and there there are mechanical problems, like being physically fit and hitting a 6i 140 yards.

Yes accuracy is important, but there is a balance that needs to be achieved.

[dH]

What about a 6I say ~170 yards that more acceptable?

[Golfer_Gofer]

yeah colby, thats what he said to. said everyone takes lessons and thinks they are going to go out there and shoot 70s when if you are shooting high 90's you first have to get to mid 90's then low and so on. But I guess daHacka is right, its better to be straight than long but if I can get both, that would be sweet. Second year of golf, i really want to take my game to the next level this year. I'd like to be breaking into the 80's more regualry. I will practice as much as I can but there isn't a place downtown where I can go hit balls (downtown toronto) except one range and they are so expensive

ThoTho, have you tried going down to the docks driving range?... i know its pavement but atleast you can see what your carry distance is.

[fundonny]

Didn't we have a thread a month ago, how far do you hit your 6 iron? Mine was 185. I'm huge. LOL

[Nat Williams]

What about a 6I say ~170 yards that more acceptable?

I wouldn't put a definate # on it ... obviously the longer better while maintaining accuracy. Ideally, somewhere up around 190 would be a solid 6i distance to be able to control ... but even 1 or 2 clubs less (170-180) would be fine ...

just that # of 140 sticks out as being incredibly short for a young, healthy person. That number would suggest serious mechanical problems (although i'm not bashing the teacher, you have to move in stages ... i'm saying if it never goes up, or levels out around 150 yards after the season and the lessons are done, then something is wrong) ...

I have a friend that went through a rebuild that killed his distances ... similar scenerio (except he went through months of lessons and ended w/ this swing ... ) he's a good 6ft and in good shape, and to hit it that short suggested some problems.. sure enoguh, he had been coached into a bad backswing that prevented him from generating any serious speed.

[dH]

Do offset clubs add distance compared to no offest?

[Nat Williams]

Do offset clubs add distance compared to no offest?

I'm sure someone like BC has a better answer for this, but I'll throw my hat into the ring and try to answer it .

A draw will tend to play longer than a fade. So if the offset affects your ball flight, then it can increase your distances...also if the offset aids in your ability to make contact w/ the sweet spot ... but that's a given/

[dH]

maybe just early in the year and mechanical but i found i was hitting my offset clubs much further than my new blades.

[Nat Williams]

Correction to my above post about the friend w/ the bad backswing ...

I have had 2 friends w/ completly different, but equally horrible backswings that prevented them from generating proper club head speed. Both were done by an instructor ... again, I can;'t comment o nthe instructor as I did not witness the lessons, or take lessons with them, it could easily be misinterpretation by the student ...

All I'm saying si that this sounds familiar

[dH]

yeah maybe toooo much emphasis is put on accuracy a golf course isn't THAT small as long as you have good accuracy with your wedges... Distance is dope.

["Richard"]

do you guys remember last year someone said a right handed player should tee up on the right side and aim to the left of the fairway, what was the reason for this again? I searched for the thread but couldn't find it

[Dunny]

Who care how far any of your irons go as long as you know! It doesn't matter if you hit a 6 iron 155, if it goes that far every time your set!! I'd rather be the shortest hitter in the group and turn in a scorecard of 77 than hit a 200 5 iron one time and 170 the next time, only to fire a HUGE hitting 95

[Nat Williams]

do you guys remember last year someone said a right handed player should tee up on the right side and aim to the left of the fairway, what was the reason for this again? I searched for the thread but couldn't find it

it's for slices...

if you know you don't hook, start on the right side and aim to the left most area that is "safe" if it goes straight... if it does go straight you are good, if it slices you have maximized the amount of landing space available

[Nat Williams]

Who care how far any of your irons go as long as you know! It doesn't matter if you hit a 6 iron 155, if it goes that far every time your set!! I'd rather be the shortest hitter in the group and turn in a scorecard of 77 than hit a 200 5 iron one time and 170 the next time, only to fire a HUGE hitting 95

I agree that you don't need to be the longest, but the shorter you are, the more steps you have to take.

Hitting a 140yrd 6i means that if your distances are relative then a 400+ yrd par 4 is unreachable, it means you are playing for an up and down...2 putts = bogey.

Being that short can limit your ability to score low.

[dH]

I did that yesterdsay at Manderly North #2 straight into the pond. Expecting a massive slice and got none! Good times.

On another note; the pros are obviously deadly accurate but if they couldn't hit the ball X distances than it wouldn't matter how accurate they were they just wouldn't be able to go low... Makes sense; that guy I mentioned who plays bogey gofl said the same; he can't score any lower because he can't reach them.

[Nat Williams]

ooops, shoulda appened this to my last post ... eplease read it like it is attached

I guess what I'm trying to say is that there has to be a cut off point where distance vs accuracy meets, and losing any more distance will hurt you despite the increas in accuracy...

let's say hypothetically I hit my 6i dead straight EXACTLY 109 yards every time.

i am at 100% accuracy, but distance is so brutally low, that I can't expect to complete on a full sized course.

For me, IMO, 140yrds for a 6i is well below that distance to accuracy point

[dH]

How far do you want a 6i to go?