80 percent

[kid2]

Evening all...

Im just wondering what the forum's views are on hitting shots at less than full bely...
Im guilty of hitting all my clubs there maximum distances and if im honest its hurting my accuracy...
Im wondering is there a way of tailing off the power so that you can effectively hit shots at 80% power..

I struggle to commit to shots if i try this...An example being if my distance calls for my 8 iron 125-130 mtrs...Thats my max for that club...I might hit my target 3 out of 5 times...But if i try to hit a smooth 7 i just dont commit to it for fear i airmail the green.

Im also at this crack to try save my back from getting any worse as i know that swing issues which im working on are also related to snapping at the ball through impact...Im working on getting my legs working more in the swing...

Am i right in also thinking that if i do manage to get the centre of the club more often then with minimum effort i should get maximum help from the clubs...

Im just interested to know what people think and maybe if anything has worked for you.

 

[GeordieAggro80]

I had a lesson last week on my short game. Before doing anything the pro told me to hit 100 yards then 80 then 60. I did what most people do apparently and slowed my swing down or shortened my follow through. Although it worked a little thats not the way.

Obvious when pointed out but keep the same tempo, the same follow throug and just shorten your back swing.

We have a 200 yard par 3 on our course and just to try i pulled my driver out. Went for about a 3/4 swing, normal tempo, full follow through and i ended up 8ft from the pin.

Only way i now believe not to go full pelt us to shorten the backswing. Do not try and slow down or hit it any softer than you do now. Its not the way, i think

 

[hovis]

dont think about how hard to hit the desired club. pick the club, look at the flag and swing. your brain will do the rest. may sound silly but that was the best advice i was given by a pro. thinking is for the range.

 

[Alex1975]

i just dont commit to it for fear i airmail the green.

This is me too. I was on the range tonight and got my 8 out to warm up and ended up playig it most of the session. The difference in my full out and easy swing does not seem to be linear. I feel like I need that pop to feel better about myself .

I sat here and scrached my head for a bit thinking about this and the real truth of it is, I can make myself do alot of things but I dont think playing 80% shots for 18 holes is one of them. This really comes back to knowing your yardages and playing to them.

I am lucky enough to play with some pretty handy golfers on and off and I find that they play shots that enable them to play the next shot as a full shot where ever possable.

 

[richy]

I had a lesson last week on my short game. Before doing anything the pro told me to hit 100 yards then 80 then 60. I did what most people do apparently and slowed my swing down or shortened my follow through. Although it worked a little thats not the way.

Obvious when pointed out but keep the same tempo, the same follow throug and just shorten your back swing.

We have a 200 yard par 3 on our course and just to try i pulled my driver out. Went for about a 3/4 swing, normal tempo, full follow through and i
ended up 8ft from the pin.

Only way i now believe not to go full pelt us to shorten the backswing. Do not try and slow down or hit it any softer than you do now. Its not the way, i think

Just curious but where do you go for your lessons, I'm from Newcastle also.

 

[Tiger]

Are you talking about tempo or backswing? When I try to rip the @r$e off it my accuracy goes all over the show. When I have a smooth tempo it feels almost effortless, I'm more accurate but interestingly I hit it the same distance if not further. I don't adjust my swing with my irons just travel up and down the set. I do shorten my swing with the wedges for differing distances.

My question to you is ego blinding your club selection i.e making you want to take a shorter club? I hit my 8 iron 150 yards but the distance checks for me are:

• where is the pin
  how deep is the green
  where is the trouble (almost always at the front)
  what is the wind doing
  how soft is the ground

More often than not (epecially during the winter) if it's 150 to the middle all the above information tells me to hit a 7 iron

 

[Macster]

Tempo is everything in my opinion. I rarely swing at more than 80/85% with any club in hand.

Swing fast - and the timing required to square everything at impact becomes all the more difficult, resulting in lost accuracy.

Swing smooth - far higher chance of everything working as it should, and most importantly, finding the sweet spot.

I have a smooth tempo, always have had, but that doesnt mean that I dont hit the ball good distances.

All the Pro's we all really admire swing with a smooth tempo - Els, Couples, Kaymer, Donald, and most of the others too.

 

[GeordieAggro80]

I had a lesson last week on my short game. Before doing anything the pro told me to hit 100 yards then 80 then 60. I did what most people do apparently and slowed my swing down or shortened my follow through. Although it worked a little thats not the way.

Obvious when pointed out but keep the same tempo, the same follow throug and just shorten your back swing.

We have a 200 yard par 3 on our course and just to try i pulled my driver out. Went for about a 3/4 swing, normal tempo, full follow through and i
ended up 8ft from the pin.

Only way i now believe not to go full pelt us to shorten the backswing. Do not try and slow down or hit it any softer than you do now. Its not the way, i think

Just curious but where do you go for your lessons, I'm from Newcastle also.

Just go to parklands mate where the driving range is (racecourse)

A few of the pros give lessons there on the range which is helpful. Only £17 too so not bad for half an hour. Helped me!!

 

[Robobum]

Swing it smoother, hit it better. You'll probably find that your distances will increase.

Do you have a video of you hitting flat out Kid2?? That "snap" you mention in your swing sounds as though it maybe robbing you of distance and accuaracy. That is not long for an 8 iron, especially if you're going at it full tilt.

 

[TheClaw]

Think it depends what you mean by 80%. I bet there's loads of players that are so tense swinging at "100%" that their swing speed slows right down. 80% may be a faster, more relaxed swing.

 

[Cobra_Nut]

I was chatting to a dad at my club who's 15 year old daughter has just started playing this year, to which I was surprised as she had a great swing, but the problems is she swings full pelt at everything including wedges, she hits her 3 wood 260, 3 Hybrid 190 as thats all she has driving wise, no Driver or 5 Wood. She has no handicap but is knocking around the 110-120 per round because her aggressive wedge play & the Pro who teaches her said he's trying to shorten her backswing to try & get control on the downswing which is'nt an overswing just parallel, he had her doing 9-3 swings but they crept up to 12 oclock again. Must be frustrating for both, she thinks shes swinging 80% the pro can see shes not

 

[User 105]

Tempo is key here. My natural swing is quick so I need to consciously slow things down otherwise everything gets out of sync.

One thing that works for me is slowing down my back swing, don't rip the club away in the back swing, just take it back nice and easy, full turn, then just swing back through.

Distance will be more consistent because of the more consistent strike. And probably at least as far on average, again because of a better strike.

I also read a tip somewhere about using mental timing queues for tempo. "Ernie Els" is one. Say the name in your head during the swing (not out load you'll get odd looks), Ernie as you take it back and Els as you swing through.

 

[One Planer]

To quote Nick Faldo

"Never swing with more than 80 percent effort.
My first teacher, Ian Connelly, gave me a lesson I've never forgotten. He had me hit six 7-iron shots as hard as I could. He then had me hit six 7-iron shots so easily they flew only 100 yards. He then asked me to increase the distance in 10-yard increments, six swings for each. Before I knew it, I was hitting the 7-iron the original maximum-swing distance, but with hardly any effort. It proved that good rhythm, not sheer power, is what makes the ball go long -- and straight."

 

[daymond]

Arnold Palmer in a book of his advocates a full swing with tempo but at 80% of an all out swing. A full 100% swing only to be used if you really "have to go for it"

 

[kid2]

Swing it smoother, hit it better. You'll probably find that your distances will increase.

Do you have a video of you hitting flat out Kid2?? That "snap" you mention in your swing sounds as though it maybe robbing you of distance and accuaracy. That is not long for an 8 iron, especially if you're going at it full tilt.

Nothing recent mate...
That 8 iron distance is going on recent rounds...I think its about 140 yards or so... But thats slowing things down with a smoother tempo....Im just struggling to keep it going throughout the round....

My 150mtr club is a 6 iron but again im not going after it lately....Maybe its since i changed to the i10 irons

 

[kid2]

My question to you is ego blinding your club selection i.e making you want to take a shorter club? I hit my 8 iron 150 yards but the distance checks for me are:
More often than not (epecially during the winter) if it's 150 to the middle all the above information tells me to hit a 7 iron

Definately not an ego issue with me Tiger.....
I couldnt care less what 1 person to the next hits....
Im just trying to unlock the secret of a smoother tempo

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I need to work on tempo anyway but have a naturally quick swing. It was the main focus of my winter work at the end of 2009 and the start of 201 and really made a difference. I find I only need to give myself a fraction of a second longer from making the backswing into the downswing to make a massive difference on the swing and the contact. Rarely though do I take it out for all 18 holes and whilst it is usually there at the start, after a few bad holes I either don't trust it or am too damn frustrated and the tempo speeds up. You can guess the rest.

My pro has got me trying to hit 100 yard 6 irons before and it really is tricky at first but once you get it, it does open up the concept that 100% isn't the way. Again, something that needs a look at. Tempo is becoming a key focus again

 

[Doh]

I always thinks 80 percent but only on the backswing it works try it.

 

[kid2]

Well here is where im confused....They say that the downswing should start at the same speed as the takeaway and backswing...Iv got a nice smooth backswing club is online and the like but then its like im in a rush to get back to the ball....Thats when everything goes Pete Tong.

 

[Doh]

Well ir you think 80 percent on the backswing you then start your down swing at 80 percent and from then on it's a smooth acceleration. you canot strike a good ball without accelerating through it.