Not enough distance

[cheezemaster]

I've been playing golf for four years. broke 100 3 times only played 10 rounds in my life yet practice in my yard every day and go to the range often. curious why i don't have distance. i used to only hit my pw 50 yards! absolutely RIDICULOUS! now it only goes about 60 and my driver 170. i've tried everything i've been told like hitting harder or swinging easier or relaxing, lag, fast hip rotation and all the methods you can possibly imagine. so what the crap???!!!

[cheezemaster]

by the way everyone says my swing is perfect including the pros at my course. so its not my swing.

[jvincent]

Not trying to be an ass, but if you are only hitting driver 170, it is your swing. If it were "perfect" you should be hitting it farther.

You haven't given us any information that might be helpful (age, height, etc).

[cheezemaster]

im basically 17 5'6 and generally very weak without any build.

[cheezemaster]

but truthfully i don't want to think too much about golf swing mechanics because there's so many contradictions like someone says to swing hard another says to swing easy. its strange. i just want to know how to get more distance without technique improvements. i see many golfers who have terrible swings yet they bomb it 290 down the fairway. just one question to end this thread: is distance important or not? should i just stop worrying about it or should i simply give up distance searching and just play the game?

[Travis]

Take 2 weeks off then quit forever.

[jvincent]

To hit the ball longer, you need to swing the club faster. It's as simple as that. Technique plays a big part of that but in the end, you need to learn how to get the club moving faster.

Assuming there is nothing physically wrong, you should be able to hit it further. As an example, I have played with some of the juniors at our club who are younger and shorter than you who hit it a lot further.

[Travis]

...kidding.

Without seeing you or your swing my first inclination is that you don't have the swing speed that you need to generate the distance you are looking for. Operating under the assumption that your fundamentals are sound and your equipment was made in the last millennia, I would begin working on your swing speed. Get out to the range and start ramping up the pace. Watch some videos online from the tour guys and if you can, film yourself. Perhaps seeing yourself on camera will make something click. I know that's how I learn best.

Good luck...now go eat a cheeseburger.

[cheezemaster]

Good luck...now go eat a cheeseburger.[/QUOTE]

yes i will. cheeseburgers are awesome. so speed hmmm? i think that equates with swinging harder. could that be? though when i do swing hard i lose all control....... sorry i'm new to forums i tried reply with quote.... sorry

[jvincent]

so speed hmmm? i think that equates with swinging harder. could that be? though when i do swing hard i lose all control.......

Swinging harder does not always mean a faster clubhead speed. That is where technique comes in.

[nokids]

im basically 17 5'6 and generally very weak without any build.

This will either motivate you or you'll quit golf and find a new sport.

I was in a golf tournament two weeks ago and saw a 16 year old girl from Smith's Fall hit it 250. She's like 5'6.

[justsomeguy]

Its your swing. If you're looking for a quick and easy solution - it doesn't exist.

Clubhead speed only matters at impact. The only time you should even be thinking about clubhead speed (if at all) is just before impact. Everything up to that point is about proper technique, which will give you faster clubhead speed at impact without you having to think about it. So yeah, you have to learn the proper technique.

You're a beginner, and you've tried figuring it out on your own without success. Some people have a natural talent for the game and/or have the opportunity to learn the proper technique from friends or relatives. It would seem that you are not one of these lucky people, so I think its probably time to bite the bullet and scrape up some money for lessons (even group lessons would be beneficial at this stage) in order to get some proper coaching. At least then you can practice with a purpose.

[jeffc]

im basically 17 5'6 and generally very weak without any build.

reza, is that you?

[cheezemaster]

usually when i swing full out i lose all control. often when i get good contact i can bomb my wedge 150. but only when i have good contact. maybe its contact i need to work on? no idea. i tried a test with a ball just today earlier. i threw a ball nice and easy without any effort. it didn't go very far. then i threw full out and it went 6 times further. strange. sorry to bother you guys with my questions.

[URstillaway]

Club head speed is generated by proper technique. There is no easy way in golf. This is why people are so passionate about the game... They have put the time and work in to understand the fundamentals. Just to put in perspective 170 yards is an 8 iron for me.

[John]

, that actually made me laugh out loud.

reza, is that you?

[savosean]

Distance is not important if that short distance is from 220-250, in other words anything below 220 yards off the tee seems to be a big problem. Main areas you need to focus on for distance, and most of them revolve around your swing. Try killing the ball a couple times, get the feel for swinging as hard as you can. Once you have gotten that feeling, start hitting the ball with your old setup just way faster.

Main reason you are probably not getting distance, and people say you have a nice swing is because you are swinging like an old granny.

You need to put power into your swing, use your entire body to generate power. You need to use your hips your arms your legs, you need to really want to hit passed the ball in order to strike the ball with any sort of power.

[savosean]

Also I am trying to figure out how your PW goes 60 yards on a full swing, your club head speed must be like 40mph...

60 yards is a half swing 60degree for me and for most aswell, PW is in the 140-160 range for most.

[habsfan]

Also I am trying to figure out how your PW goes 60 yards on a full swing, your club head speed must be like 40mph...

60 yards is a half swing 60degree for me and for most aswell, PW is in the 140-160 range for most.

Really??? I dont think "most" people get anything close to 120yds with a 60deg 100yds max and most people dont hit their PW further then 120-130yds.

[Txxxxxxx]

Really??? I dont think "most" people get anything close to 120yds with a 60deg 100yds max and most people dont hit their PW further then 120-130yds.

Agreed. I tend to de-loft my irons a bit, and I use my PW for 130 max. 160 PW!!?? HAHA!

[jeffc]

Really??? I dont think "most" people get anything close to 120yds with a 60deg 100yds max and most people dont hit their PW further then 120-130yds.

Agreed. my PW goes max 125 yds. My LW about 70 yds max. I'd consider myself pretty average in terms of length. I know a few guys that can get their PW out 150-160 but not many.

[jvincent]

I know a few guys that can get their PW out 150-160 but not many.

Unless of course we're not talking about a bladed wedge. In that case I can knock my LW out there about 160. Never gets more than 5 feet off the ground of course.

[savosean]

A half swing does not mean the ball is going to go 2 times further with a full swing. It may seem mathematically correct but in golf this is not true. You can make a half swing and go 75% of the distance you do on a full swing especially with a 60 degree that when I full swing I am hitting it about 70-80 yards in the air. My 60 degree goes about 105 full swing.

PW is my go to 150 marker club for me, I cannot see myself hitting less then 140 with it. When someone ask me what club I am using they are always surprised by my response because of my body weight and well it just does not add up. But, I am a long hitter I guess...

[sharkshooter]

Agreed. I tend to de-loft my irons a bit, and I use my PW for 130 max. 160 PW!!?? HAHA!

160? That's what my 5 iron is for. Why would I need to hit a PW that far?

[savosean]

160? That's what my 5 iron is for. Why would I need to hit a PW that far?

You lose a lot of control, using a 5 iron instead of a wedge...

[John]

I have to agree with Savo on the 60 degree piece, i max mine out at 110 carry but it will have a load of spin on it, however i often play it as a half swinger and can easily hit it 90 yards playing a knock down type shot.

[Txxxxxxx]

I have to agree with Savo on the 60 degree piece, i max mine out at 110 carry but it will have a load of spin on it, however i often play it as a half swinger and can easily hit it 90 yards playing a knock down type shot.

I will max out my 60 degree at 110 as well, but I'd prefer not to be in that situation. As you said, this comes with a ton of spin, which at my course, will get you in trouble unless you land in the right spot.

[BullDog]

My PW goes 130 max. I could only get 160 with a strong wind and what... 30 feet of elevation change?

[Kiwi]

Well, I have not seen this answer, so here it goes. IF you have a "perfect" swing according to the pros, then my vote would be it's your clubs. Suggest you go to a club/range that has a demo day and get something that another pro says fits your perfect swing. If you hit the ball within acceptable limits, then it's your clubs, if not then I'm guessing it's your swing and you need to find a new pro. I've been golfing since my mid 20s, and now am 63. My excuse is that I have yet to learn how to keep my hands ahead of the ball at impact and regularly add loft to my clubs/shots. I can skull a PW 130+, so it's not the club, it's the swing... Good luck!

[ironmaster15213]

It could also be a lack of acceleration during the swing, I call it the Michael Phelps syndrome. You can take a big swing and not hit the ball farther than taking a three quarter swing simply because you are swinging the same speed troughout the whole swing. The swing can be beautiful and balanced but that's not the problem. You will have to start with a short swing, say a hip shot, find out how far the ball goes and slowly increase the speed of your core thru the short swing, always keeping your sequencing or timeing of the body parts moving together. You may start off only hitting the ball 20 yards and that's fine, but start to feel the core and legs moving together a little faster and faster until you can hit that shot 40 to 50 yards and then you will feel what acceleration is and it will open up a whole new demension in your swing. I can hit a hip shot (club head only goes back to the level of your hip) 60 yards with full acceleration.