Too much height

[Whee]

3 months ago I was swingIng was very flat, around my body rather than a normal swing plane. After some work on the range, steepening my attack, and slowing my backswing down, I find I'm getting a lot more height on the ball. I usually had a high-ish ball flight anyway, but now the thing is coming down with snow on it. It looks ridiculous at times.

On the plus side, I'm hitting the ball far better, and more consistently than I was before, and getting it to stop on greens when I hit them.

I'm probably a club or two 'shorter' in some areas on the course, because of the extra height. For example, a par 3 here where wind is normally left to right, I could slap a pitching wedge on to it, but after coming up short last time out, with a 9 iron, I was frustrated.

I know hitting the ball consistently is more important, but my driving used to give me easier 8 or 9 irons into flags, rather than a 5 or 6.

Any recommendations for keeping the ball flight lower than small aircraft?

Cheers fellas.

 

[bobmac]

How far do you hit a 7 iron on a flat day...and be honest

 

[Whee]

Probably 145-155 depending on the strike quality Bob. Its more with the 8, 9 and PW where I've noticed I'm much shorter.

Shouldn't matter too much though should it, I'm happier my ball striking is a lot better and giving me better results, it's just about learning the revised distances again.

I was wondering if the shaft might be the reason for a higher flight though, I've got a much fuller, more controlled backswing now and I'm concentrating on hitting all the way through the ball and following through fully.

 

[G1BB0]

are you sure its not just the change in temperature/conditions. I played yesterday and was upto 2 clubs short on a lot of shots.

 

[Whee]

Temp will be linked, definitely, but its the ball flight that's so much more noticeable. You see a lot of players that have a mid-height mall flight, that penetrates the air on its way to the target. With mine, if I hit my normal shot into the wind, the ball pretty much starts coming back towards me.

 

[chris661]

Where is the ball position? Maybe it's too far forward.

 

[Whee]

Middle for 7-PW and a touch forward for longer irons Chris. When I'm at address, I concentrate on target side of the ball, hitting down to that point.

 

[chris661]

How do you check it? I only ask as I used to think it was middle but found I had the ball nowhere near middle.

Well the obvious answer is new clubs as that will cure anything

 

[Whee]

My feet are parallel to my target line, and the ball is slap bang in middle. I used the V-Easy while checking alignment as well, (cheers, Bob) and its there. If anything, it looks closer to my back foot whilst stood over it. Could it be an open club face that's causing it?

 

[Whee]

Chris, you're right on new clubs haha. I'll have had mine 2 years in June. Already softening HID for an early Xmas present next Summer....

 

[Oddsocks]

Interesting whee as im currently having the same issue, hitting the ball better, striking the ball better, but getting very high flight. Could it possibly be that because we are hitting the ball harder and cleaner, its generating more spin which is why its getting higher. yesturday for example i ripped 3w up 16th wind against i reckon this ball must have dropped from 150ft...

Im currently looking into this seriously as my wind game is poor, yet other i know hit low punchy shots that pierce through the wind...

 

[Whee]

Sounds about identical to me odd socks. I don't have the problem with driver, wood or hybrids though, just the irons.

I hope I haven't sounded whingey, I'm happy with the improved contact. Just wondered why I'm getting twice as much height as anybody I play with.

Cheers for the replies gents.

 

[Oddsocks]

are you trying to really crunch the ball... its seems lots of net videos ( you tube link http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...0l12769l26l19l0l9l9l0l461l2664l0.3.4.2.1l10l0 ) indicated the harder you try to smash it, the more back spin meaning the higher it climbs in the wind. im off to the range tomorrow to see if i can use some of their tips for low punchy shots.

 

[Essex_Stu]

I have the exact same problem. I hit my 7 iron 150 yards in the summer with a very high ball flight but in the winter Im only getting 130 yards due to the temperature and wind holding the ball up. I position the ball in the middle of my stance but ive tried moving the ball back with no success. In the summer I love it as I stop the ball so easy on the green. A few unwise people have recommended changing irons as the soles on my cobras are very thick. I also don't have any problem with my woods.

 

[Oddsocks]

i found this usefull - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCfj-X2u2K8

 

[chris661]

A few unwise people have recommended changing irons as the soles on my cobras are very thick. I also don't have any problem with my woods.

Might not be that unwise as your irons are designed to get the ball high.

 

[Essex_Stu]

Might not be that unwise as your irons are designed to get the ball high.

I say unwise as these are people with similar handicaps to me who have given me some bad information before in the past. I was told by one of them to flatten my swing which caused me no end of problems and a full month to get my old swing back. I know my irons are designed to get the ball in the air but will have a custom fit before changing.

 

[Mattyboy]

There could be a few possible reasons for this. The wrong shaft is possible. Into the wind with too much spin the ball will climb a drop out of the sky, comming up short. Also, as has been said, too much club head speed could impart too much spin (dont try and kill the ball).
A couple of other possibilities. Check your divots. Are they big and deep? this could indicate that you are comming down too steep onto the ball.
Also, make sure that your hands are ahead of the ball at impact, especially with the shorter irons (this is my guess as to the problem - but its a guess).

 

[Whee]

It's probably the speed of my downswing that's the problem then - as i'm slow on the way back, and i'm trying to hit all the way through. It's quick, but looks (and more importantly, feels) controlled.

If I try to slow it down, I get lazy on the shot. This results in poor contact and me quitting on the swing after contact.