# Help! I've suddenly lost 20 yards?!



## NoIdea247 (Aug 16, 2020)

Hi all.

I'm having a bit of a meltdown as I've suddenly lost 20ish yards off all my iron distances.

I've been to the range twice in the last week 6 days apart to check it wasn't a one off and no, I suddenly can't hit my 8 iron past 120 yards?!

Strangely, my dispersion is OK and it feels like I'm im mostly hitting the ball fairly nicely, its just not going the distance.

Has this ever happened to anyone before?!


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## harpo_72 (Aug 16, 2020)

Yeah I did a bit of that, I was steering the shot, wrist wasn’t releasing and the club head speed was down. 
But I suggest you see a professional get a quick lesson, and freshen up on the basics before it gets you really down.


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## IainP (Aug 16, 2020)

Yep it happens when you put question marks and exclamation marks together 😉😁

Seriously, it's likely to be strike or speed. Sometimes range balls leave marks on the club face, or there are other ways like foot spray to check your strike. Would suggest starting there.
If there's a top tracer range nearby that may be worth a look too - may highlight some differences in ball speed, launch, height from your good vs bad.


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## jim8flog (Aug 16, 2020)

NoIdea247 said:



			I suddenly can't hit my 8 iron past 120 yards?!

Has this ever happened to anyone before?!
		
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Welcome to my world.


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## NoIdea247 (Aug 17, 2020)

IainP said:



			Yep it happens when you put question marks and exclamation marks together 😉😁

Seriously, it's likely to be strike or speed. Sometimes range balls leave marks on the club face, or there are other ways like foot spray to check your strike. Would suggest starting there.
If there's a top tracer range nearby that may be worth a look too - may highlight some differences in ball speed, launch, height from your good vs bad.
		
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It was actually on a top tracer range, wish I had recorded some of the details now although there weren't any good shots in terms of my old yardages to compare against.

Ended up trying to get the yardages back through more speed and just ended up pulling the shots left.


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## harpo_72 (Aug 17, 2020)

NoIdea247 said:



			It was actually on a top tracer range, wish I had recorded some of the details now although there weren't any good shots in terms of my old yardages to compare against.

Ended up trying to get the yardages back through more speed and just ended up pulling the shots left.
		
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That’s probably due to starting the swing by pulling your arms, I do this as well when I am seeking more power. I have worked on getting my swing on the inside, but also weight more onto my lead foot - you can preset this at address and maintain through to your backswing and start your swing .. it’s about driving through the ball, the length of back swing doesn’t give you power, it’s the hitting through, the ball is just hit as you swing the club to a finish. A couple of half back swings to full finish help as well


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## spongebob59 (Aug 17, 2020)

My local too traced range has dialled down the distances.
anywhere you could check on your course to.get actual distance ?


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## clubchamp98 (Aug 17, 2020)

NoIdea247 said:



			It was actually on a top tracer range, wish I had recorded some of the details now although there weren't any good shots in terms of my old yardages to compare against.

Ended up trying to get the yardages back through more speed and just ended up pulling the shots left.
		
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I don’t trust them toptracer things.
Last week it told me I was hitting 3 wood 280yds.
I only hit my driver 250yds.
Get on the course or practice ground and check before you start changing anything.
Or ask your pro to have a look.


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## NoIdea247 (Aug 17, 2020)

spongebob59 said:



			My local too traced range has dialled down the distances.
anywhere you could check on your course to.get actual distance ?
		
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I did wonder about this but there is a big basket in the middle of the range which is about 140-150 yards away. I used to get in there with an 8 but now I can't. Unless they have moved that back as well... 🤔


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## patricks148 (Aug 17, 2020)

i had the same problem, mine was from using a net during lockdown, go too steep hitting down on the ball causing way to much spin.

once i stopped using the net and could see the flight on a grass range sorted it


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## robbeh32 (Aug 17, 2020)

Yer sounds like you're trying to hard to hit the ball and you're slapping across it and probably lost your rythm, same thing I had a few weeks back. Take your time slow down your swing until you're hitting ball better and bring it back to speed.


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## SocketRocket (Aug 21, 2020)

What does impact feel like. Are you hitting thin or fat, are you slapping the ball, are you getting high or low shots?


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## ScienceBoy (Aug 21, 2020)

NoIdea247 said:



			I suddenly can't hit my 8 iron past 120 yards?!
		
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My 8 iron is my 130 yard club so don’t worry too much as I get around a course just fine with that distance.

Get out on the course and take the 8 from 120, if it goes long then adjust, I would always ensure I test distances while out on the course hitting to real greens to truly understand what club to use when.

Often it can be, as others said, hitting too hard. Clubbing up can usually help with that, just give it a nice swing, 95% rather than 120% or 80%.


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## NoIdea247 (Aug 22, 2020)

Hi all,

I thought I'd post a update on this one.  After a lot of googling, I thought the most likely culprit was an early release so looked at a couple of youtube videos and found this one.






The guy is a little mental but tried it in the garden a few times and it felt great.  Really wanted to get to the range before this weekends game to try it out but didnt get chance so just decided to give it a go on the course and it worked instantly.  Yardages back and much lower penetrating flights.  Shot to handicap for the first time in a while even with a pretty awful driving and putting performance, absolute miracle cure.  Now just need to find a fix for the driver, short game and putting....


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## SocketRocket (Aug 23, 2020)

NoIdea247 said:



			Hi all,

I thought I'd post a update on this one.  After a lot of googling, I thought the most likely culprit was an early release so looked at a couple of youtube videos and found this one.






The guy is a little mental but tried it in the garden a few times and it felt great.  Really wanted to get to the range before this weekends game to try it out but didnt get chance so just decided to give it a go on the course and it worked instantly.  Yardages back and much lower penetrating flights.  Shot to handicap for the first time in a while even with a pretty awful driving and putting performance, absolute miracle cure.  Now just need to find a fix for the driver, short game and putting....
		
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That's good, I have found that very few pros explain the correct impact position with irons.

Your driver should be different though, you don't want a forward leaning shift at impact, the driver is designed to be in line with a flat rather than bowed left wrist.  Try releasing the driver much earlier to square it at impact.


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## Lord Tyrion (Aug 28, 2020)

NoIdea247 said:



			Hi all,

I thought I'd post a update on this one.  After a lot of googling, I thought the most likely culprit was an early release so looked at a couple of youtube videos and found this one.






The guy is a little mental but tried it in the garden a few times and it felt great.  Really wanted to get to the range before this weekends game to try it out but didnt get chance so just decided to give it a go on the course and it worked instantly.  Yardages back and much lower penetrating flights.  Shot to handicap for the first time in a while even with a pretty awful driving and putting performance, absolute miracle cure.  Now just need to find a fix for the driver, short game and putting....
		
Click to expand...

I've lost a good 10yds or so with each iron recently. That wasn't particularly bothering me until the last two days where I have been playing courses that frequently needed shots hitting in the gap i now have between my 7 and my hybrid. It really needed resolving anyway but this has confirmed it.

The video looks good, although the guy tired me out just watching his hyper delivery . 5 points is too much to thinkabout in one go but a couple of things in particular hit home, the hip turn and the release, that are weak spots for me. Hopefully they will help.


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## NoIdea247 (Aug 28, 2020)

Lord Tyrion said:



			I've lost a good 10yds or so with each iron recently. That wasn't particularly bothering me until the last two days where I have been playing courses that frequently needed shots hitting in the gap i now have between my 7 and my hybrid. It really needed resolving anyway but this has confirmed it.

The video looks good, although the guy tired me out just watching his hyper delivery . 5 points is too much to thinkabout in one go but a couple of things in particular hit home, the hip turn and the release, that are weak spots for me. Hopefully they will help.
		
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I agree with 5 being too many so I just focused on on hips and release, I find if I turn my hips to start the swing my arms naturally lose the tension.

Its still working a treat for me, hitting so many more greens, with a lower trajectory but stopping nicely.


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## Lord Tyrion (Aug 28, 2020)

NoIdea247 said:



			I agree with 5 being too many so I just focused on on hips and release, I find if I turn my hips to start the swing my arms naturally lose the tension.

Its still working a treat for me, hitting so many more greens, with a lower trajectory but stopping nicely.
		
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Pleased to hear it's working. I watched the video and he makes it look so easy. Then I remind myself he is a pro so no wonder 😁.

I tried it this afternoon at a range, a simple turn of the hips, and was hooking the ball. Then I realised I'd forgotten the release part 🙄. It went well after that which was positive.

 I'm playing a long course tomorrow, one I haven't played before, so I'll start with this but may bottle it if it doesn't go well early. It's one I need to practice more with.

It's a clip I might keep coming back to though, a good spot of yours 👍


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## Jordanti9 (Aug 29, 2020)

I went to a top tracer range today, lost 10 yards off my wedges, 20 yards of other irons, the higher up the bag I went, the more I lost. 

Went straight to a local course range finder in hand. 130 from the flag, pw reaches (was going 109 on the range), 145 is 9 iron distance, again zapped with range finder, landing on the green, perfect distance (was going 123 on the range) 


Continued throughout the bag, and similar results. Not sure why I would be hitting it so much shorter on the range. (I’m pretty steep, so idk if that would cause it)


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## clubchamp98 (Aug 29, 2020)

Jordanti9 said:



			I went to a top tracer range today, lost 10 yards off my wedges, 20 yards of other irons, the higher up the bag I went, the more I lost.

Went straight to a local course range finder in hand. 130 from the flag, pw reaches (was going 109 on the range), 145 is 9 iron distance, again zapped with range finder, landing on the green, perfect distance (was going 123 on the range)


Continued throughout the bag, and similar results. Not sure why I would be hitting it so much shorter on the range. (I’m pretty steep, so idk if that would cause it)
		
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There are different settings.
No roll out and firm with roll out.
If it’s not that then I don’t know.
I don’t trust them anyway.


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## SocketRocket (Aug 30, 2020)

Jordanti9 said:



			I went to a top tracer range today, lost 10 yards off my wedges, 20 yards of other irons, the higher up the bag I went, the more I lost.

Went straight to a local course range finder in hand. 130 from the flag, pw reaches (was going 109 on the range), 145 is 9 iron distance, again zapped with range finder, landing on the green, perfect distance (was going 123 on the range)


Continued throughout the bag, and similar results. Not sure why I would be hitting it so much shorter on the range. (I’m pretty steep, so idk if that would cause it)
		
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Range balls are normally around 80% distance compared to a proper ball.


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## ScienceBoy (Sep 6, 2020)

I have got my distance back

56 is 80
52 is 90
PW is 110
9 is 120
8 is 130
And so on
100 is covered by taking a bit off a PW  by gripping down on it, I try not to leave 100 in though.

Chris Ryan golf and my pro on his track man plus a visit to a Toptracer range to confirm the numbers all helped.


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## Foxholer (Sep 6, 2020)

NoIdea247 said:



			Hi all.

I'm having a bit of a meltdown as I've suddenly lost 20ish yards off all my iron distances.

I've been to the range twice in the last week 6 days apart to check it wasn't a one off and no, I suddenly can't hit my 8 iron past 120 yards?!

Strangely, my dispersion is OK and it feels like I'm im mostly hitting the ball fairly nicely, its just not going the distance.

Has this ever happened to anyone before?!
		
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Yep! But there's a physiological reason for me - inability to actually engage hips/legs (body still!(!!) recovering from (effects of) hip replacement) so swing is entirely arms/upper body.

Could be similar reason (though not cause) for you - lack of engagement of hips/legs. Make sure lower body is contributing sufficiently - 'trail' foot should be 'forced' onto toes and 'lead' one should feel as if is supporting body/preventing having to take a step - all without actually swaying. That's not a great description (sorry), but should get the general idea across. Ensure you transfer weight and 'turn' in the downswing is the abbreviated version!

Update: Coincidentally, just received this vid from Golfpass. https://www.golfpass.com/proper-low...20200903&utm_content=proper-lower-body-motion


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## SocketRocket (Sep 8, 2020)

This video from Danny Maud may be helpful.


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## Rlburnside (Sep 9, 2020)

SocketRocket said:



			This video from Danny Maud may be helpful.






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Thanks for posting that video it’s exactly what I’m working on at the moment.


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