Speed Kills

[CMAC]

Just read an interesting article from Johnny Miller, there was 10 key points but this one stood out and was topical as we've had a lot of 'big hitter' threads recently.

Quote;
Speed kills.
I can see wanting 10 more yards with the driver, but squeezing extra distance out of your irons is the kiss of death. In my prime, my standard distance for the 9-iron was 125 yards. I hit my 6-iron 160, and my 4-iron 185. I didn’t want to be long with my irons, only smooth. Reining in my swing speed was key to distance control and accuracy. If you can resist the tendency to swing more than 75 percent, you’ll have better balance and rhythm. Your mechanics will be better, and you’ll find the sweet spot more often. You don’t need a crazy swing speed to spin the ball, either: Pure backspin comes from good contact more than anything else.

food for thought

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Just read an interesting article from Johnny Miller, there was 10 key points but this one stood out and was topical as we've had a lot of 'big hitter' threads recently.

Quote;
Speed kills.
I can see wanting 10 more yards with the driver, but squeezing extra distance out of your irons is the kiss of death. In my prime, my standard distance for the 9-iron was 125 yards. I hit my 6-iron 160, and my 4-iron 185. I didn’t want to be long with my irons, only smooth. Reining in my swing speed was key to distance control and accuracy. If you can resist the tendency to swing more than 75 percent, you’ll have better balance and rhythm. Your mechanics will be better, and you’ll find the sweet spot more often. You don’t need a crazy swing speed to spin the ball, either: Pure backspin comes from good contact more than anything else.

food for thought

Nothing new there. We all know that if we swing shorter and smoother we make better contact. Its no different for the pros except they have got it through their heads to actually do it regularly whereas we get on the course and have to try and batter it into oblivion. Funy how your range tempo is infinitely better than your on course one.

 

[CMAC]

actually point number 4 was also a good swing thought.

Quote
Distance trumps direction.
If you’ve ever wondered what magic threshold you must cross to become a first-rate player, it’s simple: You must control distance with your irons. I’ve always been obsessed with distance control. When I felt my iron game was at its peak, I’d sometimes ask my caddie for the distance to half a yard. You control distance by hitting the ball solidly and varying the length and speed of your swing. If you do that well, you become more precise, which rubs off on your direction, too. The week I won the 1974 Tucson Open, I hit hole or the flagstick 10 times.

 

[Captainron]

a slower tempo is the main reason forr me dropping from 12.7 to 8.0 in 3 months. I was always a long hitter seeing as I am 6'6" tall but I was wilder than Lindsay Lohan after 16 Jaeger bombs. All changed when I slowed down. Funilly enough the distance didn't decrease!

 

[richart]

In the early to mid 70's Miller was the best iron player in the world. He played all his irons with the ball just inside his left heel, so hitting them high, and being able to stop even long irons on hard greens. The grooves in those days were not like they are today. His driving was another matter.

Strange though that if you watch his swing from those days, it was not the smoothest, and he had a lot of foot action as if he was losing balance from hitting too hard.

 

[richy]

When I'm at the range I concentrate on a smooth (not slow) tempo but for some reason when I step on the course it all goes to pot and I think I have to swing at the speed of light.

 

[Region3]

I've often thought it would be a blessing to hit my irons shorter, just because I'd have less situations approaching the green where I had to play a partial shot.

I've tried it without much success as I couldn't consistently take the same amount off the swing. Maybe if I practised a lot I'd get it but that isn't going to happen.

 

[chrisd]

A shorter swing with good rhythm is the answer, I felt it yesterday and the result was 3 birdies and 8 pars - just can't work out why I can't get it all the time



Chris

 

[Pants]

How often have you decided to play an easy iron to lay up short of trouble and got another 10/15 yds out of it and still ended up in the clag?

Good tempo and not trying to force the shot will always result in better ball striking.

(Just wish I could get that thought into my head on the course).

 

[SocketRocket]

They say that the best way to hit a 7 iron as far as Tiger is to use it to lay up infront of a lake.

Rather than think of using a shorter swing I like to use a wide, long swing but with a steady tempo. I find that swinging this way improves accuracy and still creates good distance due to improved leverage. If the left arms and club are in alignment at impact then you are hitting the ball with something around a 6 ft lever and more likely to be hitting out of the sweetspot. If the clubhead is passing or traling the left arm at impact this leverage is greatly reduced even if you are swinging out of your socks.