Hit down on your irons - the pros don't!

[garyinderry]

Maninblack - have you watched that video above. it reiterates what jimarod says in his last paragraph.


Hitting down was something that changed my game the minute I stared doing it. I was making solid contact for the first time every time. problem was I was most likely hitting down far too much. I would hit the ball then take a huge massive divot after the ball. Big bubba chunks. I still have the tendency to this from time to time.

I was probably hitting down 7,8 or more degrees at times. I might work on this swallowing move a bit over the winter. If fact I have no choice but to hit down less when the ground becomes sodden.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Hit it, find it and hit it again. I've enough to think about with my game without considering if I should or shouldn't hit down to optimise the best strike

 

[ManinBlack]

Hit it, find it and hit it again. I've enough to think about with my game without considering if I should or shouldn't hit down to optimise the best strike

I thought you were a fan of lessons. Do you have a lesson then not think about what you've been taught?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I thought you were a fan of lessons. Do you have a lesson then not think about what you've been taught?

Of course but to be honest I think that solid swing fundamentals will lead to a correct strike without having to worry about it. I have a habit of taking the club too far inside with too much had action and have worked on a wider and smoother start. It improved strike and distance without me having to even think about it

 

[ManinBlack]

Maninblack - have you watched that video above. it reiterates what jimarod says in his last paragraph.

Eventually found the time to watch it. An interesting way to explain it. I think the problem I've had, although not for a long time, was to hit down excessively instead of incorporating shaft lean. The last lessons I had got me addressing the ball with the hands further forward, which built some shaft lean into the shot and, interestingly, getting the swing started on a less inside track.

 

[Matty]

I've just sat and worked through all the formulas for the 5iron - presuming you accept that they are derived correctly of course - I didn't of that.

If you convert the unit appropriately to SI unints so using Kg and meters/second instead of miles/hour then the 5iron has a downward velocity of 4 meters/second impart at impact, however as the contact time is 400 millionths of a second this would be a downward movement of millimetres.

So, negligible in the context of all the other movement that is happening I'd have thought.

 

[ManinBlack]

I've just sat and worked through all the formulas for the 5iron - presuming you accept that they are derived correctly of course - I didn't of that.

If you convert the unit appropriately to SI unints so using Kg and meters/second instead of miles/hour then the 5iron has a downward velocity of 4 meters/second impart at impact, however as the contact time is 400 millionths of a second this would be a downward movement of millimetres.

So, negligible in the context of all the other movement that is happening I'd have thought.

Unfortunately my Google Greek translator doesn't seem to be working just now.

 

[ScienceBoy]

It's so true that advice we often give it's just too simplistic.

"Hitting down" really means move the lowest point of the swing in front of the ball.

As with over simplified advice it works some or most of the time or for a while.

When it stops working it's time to add the complexity.

For some it's lesson two, others it's a lot later. It should be done though to keep up improvements.

I would tell an absolute beginner to hit diwn to make the ball go up and later on suggest looking at the swings lowest point... But far tine trey should be able to process the finer detail.

 

[Norrin Radd]

just hit the little ball before you hit the big ball

 

[ScienceBoy]

just hit the little ball before you hit the big ball

Won't that deflect the big ball out of its orbit around the sun?