Launch angle - a nightmare

[drbuk]

Hi Forum users,

My first post - and have reached the desperate stage of resorting to a Forum to help me with my golf woes.

Simply put - I have spent an hour this morning at a Custom Fitting session. Ending with the fitter saying "I give up "

LEST USE my 6-iron as the base club for this discussion.

Simple stats:
- RH/6ft 3
- handicap: 8
- current driver angle: 7.75 (Titleist delofted)
- current irons: Ping G15's (yes, yes beginner clubs I know)

Here's the problem: I hit the ball straight (very slight natural fade) - great..... but I have a launch angle of 25 Degrees.

I changed Drivers - so went from a 9.5 down to a 7.5 - which has CHANGED MY game - quite literally - golf has become fun again. I have added some 30 yards to my drives - simply by changing my driver loft.

So - I thought I would try the same with a custom fit set of irons.

This morning: the fitting session went as follows:
- suggested move to PING i20 Irons / regular / stiff - launch angle went UP - to 33-34 degrees
- tried forged set (Ping Anser)with extra stiff: launch angle 32
- tried titleist (forget club name - forged: stayed at 33 degrees.
- tried a MIZUNO (not sure which one) - no difference

Its worth mentioning that in-between trying different clubs - I purposely went back to my OWN club to ensure that my swing was not getting tired. As soon as I did this - the 5 shots hit with my own club - put the launch angle back down at 25 degrees. Also, I have a really regular swing plane - simpy because I had a 10 yard left to right spread of my landing zone.

But as you would accept a 25 degree loft is still to high and ideally should be around the 18-20 degree mark.

So, all in all - NO SUCCESS.

I mean, is it literally just a matter of accepting the fact that if I want to hit 150 yards I have to stick with 6 iron ? Or do I need to think about de-lofting my conventional irons - ie go from 29 degrees to 26 or maybe 23 degrees?

I currently RUN OUT of club selections when I get to the 185-210 range (which as you know is pretty standard for the longer Par 4's we as weekend golfers face) - I have a Ping Hybrid 17 degree and 20 degree lofts to compensate for the 185-200 yrd gap - and drop onto my 3 wood from 200-210 (carry), and a chocked 1-wood for 220'ish. And YES - I hit my 7.5 degree driver OFF THE DECK on the fairway - regularly - and without much hassle.

So, I am thining - I have a steep swing plane, right? and sounds like I get a pinch of some sort?

The computer this morning - also but my Spin Rate at around 5000-6000RPM. Which as you know is HUGE - and as a result: high spin rate, high trajectory and ANY BREATH of WIND = a hellish day. Any wind = another 10-15 yards off any of my irons.

ANY THOUGHTS - would be hugely appreciated.

 

[BTatHome]

Lessons

Just swapping lofts etc is not going to be enough to get the launch down.

 

[drbuk]

Hey BTatHome,

Lessons to do what? Change swing plane?

Not sure thats the right approach - I hit the ball perfectly - I mean literally with a small enough landing zone for me to know that more or less every shot will be landing within 10 yards of where I aim.

If I start fiddling with the swing - I am worried that I will loose that "consistancy".

I am all for lessons - and have been to a number of "Head PGA" professional/accredited lessons - but they have done nothing more than get me to hit the ball straight... consistantly.

So if your best suggestion is to go back to the "pro" and say - flatten my swing plane, or change my swing path - then fine happy to accept.

My biggest EVIDENCE though is my 1-wood. SIMPLE change of loft added 30 yards.

Look forward to other opinions as well.

 

[Region3]

I don't think your spin is particularly high if the 5-6k rpm you quote is for a mid iron. From memory my 6 iron was about 18° launch angle with 5,500rpm of spin, and it carries about 170yds.

Off 8 you can obviously play a bit, but without seeing you swing I'd say it was you that's doing something to get the very high launch rather than the clubs.

If you've got a video of yourself hitting a ball there's some very knowledgeable people on here.

Oh, and welcome

 

[fundy]

This may sound slightly off but where was the fitting and are you sure it is correct? Mid 30s for a 6 iron launch angle is inordinately high. Having seen a few fits of late, launch angle around the 18-20 degree mark with high 4000s spin seems to be the ball park for optimal (obviously they need to be tuned for each individual). Personally would be tempted to get a 2nd opinion. A decent fitter should be able to bring your ball flight down through shaft choice as well but not sure about 10+ degrees lol

 

[BTatHome]

More likely your angle of attack, and with your custom fit sessions data it would be fairly easy to see where the issue is. I would have thought anybody seeing such a huge launch angle would want you to change something rather than trying to flog some new kit. A lower loft and different shaft can only do so much to counter act that high launch.

 

[drbuk]

Thanks ALL

Indeed - all valid comments.

I am planning to go to a "different" fitting centre tomorrow - and now that I have a baseline - it will be interesting to see "their" findings.

OK so - yes - agreed: from what the "fitter" said 18-20 degrees is optimal. Thanks for your confirmation.

Will focus on spin later - one step at a time.

 

[fundy]

Thanks ALL

Indeed - all valid comments.

I am planning to go to a "different" fitting centre tomorrow - and now that I have a baseline - it will be interesting to see "their" findings.

OK so - yes - agreed: from what the "fitter" said 18-20 degrees is optimal. Thanks for your confirmation.

Will focus on spin later - one step at a time.

good luck and hopefully this one will be more successful, let us know how you get on

 

[Lump]

If you've tried lots of clubs and all come out with the same answer. It must be a swing fault? Are you a flipper?

 

[shewy]

if you ever find out let me know! I have exactly the same problem, I have been told an early release can cause this.I hit the ball perfectly well and it goes into orbit.

 

[mab]

I'm no PGA Pro so take this with a pinch of salt, but...

I imagine you must be flipping / scooping, adding loft at the point of impact that is akin to hitting a much shorter iron. I, too, believe lessons are in order as a clubhead or shaft change would struggle to bring you back down to what would be considered normal, let alone optimal.

You don't necessarily have to fundamentally change your swing. It could be as simple as keeping you left wrist straight at the point of impact to stop you from adding what must be a significant amount of loft.

 

[G1BB0]

doesnt Rory have an exceptionally high launch on all clubs, doesnt do him to badly
(ok it does with clubs that have a nike swoosh on them)

 

[Lump]

doesnt Rory have an exceptionally high launch on all clubs, doesnt do him to badly
(ok it does with clubs that have a nike swoosh on them)

He has a high ball flight. Not a high launch, as with most pro's.

 

[Ethan]

25 degree launch is very high and is wasting loads of distance. It obviously relates to a technical swing fault and that needs some teaching advice. Very few PGA pros use 7.5 degree drivers. Many use 10.5 or even 11.5.

Optimal driver launch varies with swing speed and spin but 18 degrees sounds rather high. I think 14 is probably more typical for decent club players.

I would postpone fitting until you get the swing sorted as your fitting needs will radically change.

 

[SocketRocket]

I would also suggest you are adding loft at impact. This may be through flipping the wrists and/or casting.

Try to imagine you are hitting the ball under a low bar that is set around 10 foot infront of you and one foot high.

Here is a video that may also help you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWLlXb8Yhs8

 

[Region3]

Flipping was my first thought, but would you be able to hit a 7.5° driver off the deck doing it?

 

[MGL]

What shafts are you using in your driver and your irons?

I couldn't see that in your initial summary but my thinking is that you must have a decent swing speed to be making a driver loft of 7.5* work so is it something as simple as the irons shafts are too soft towards the tip section of the shaft or have a low/mid kickpoint, etc??

What shafts did he have you test out and what were your SS & Tempo numbers?