Ot:golf clubs

[cuseincincy]

You'll be fine with a 13.5 driver...but seriously...is there anyone left that still can't hit their driver with today's technology?

I'm just saying...todays drivers are nothing compared to trying to hit a driver 20+ years ago.

 

[AZOrange]

Thanks for the response. I used to have a wicked slice but have been able to work that mostly out of my game. Now it's basically spraying the ball which is why I'm thinking I'm just not making consistent contact with the angle the clubhead is at at impact. I'll try the stronger grip and working with my feet a little bit. Those are some good ideas to work out at the range. I have a feeling that it's the driver - still getting good contact at the sweet spot, just not getting the ball flight.

Agreed with Brooky on first steps. Sounds like it could also be a speed through the ball issue. Had swing speed measured?

 

[upperdeck]

for many people the swing speed of the 3 wood vs driver is almost zero so the distance loss isnt all that great off the tee. if the driver shaft doesnt match your swing you may really not seen any difference at all. the sweet spot of the driver may help but the smaller head of the 3 wood means you pretty much have to hit it solid to go any place.

 

[Brooky03]

RE: Driver loft.

OP, less loft isn't always better/farther. While 10.5 drivers fit about 65% of amateur male golfers, there's no guarantee you're in that group. Since we don't know if the driver is the perfect fit, 7 iron distance is typically a good way to approximate driver swing speed, which lets you know roughly the correct driver loft.

Do you know what distance you normally hit your 7 iron (carry, not including roll)? If you're in the 145-155 yard range, your driver swing speed is probably in the low-mid 90's and lofting down to 10.5 degrees might get you some more yards. If you're under 140, more loft is probably warranted because your swing speed would likely be sub-90 mph (11.5-13.5 deg. could be a good fit). If you're over 160 yards, 10.5 might still be a good fit but you could look to go even lower.

We could kind of figure out shaft flex, too, based on 7 iron distance/driver swing speed. If you fall into the sub-90 mph category, regular flex is probably what you want. Regular flex would still be a good choice with driver swing speeds in the low 90's, actually. Above that - so, if your 7 iron is carrying like 155+ yards - you could consider stiff flex shafts.

 

[jgeorge322]

Yeah, I'd rather be in the fairway anyway. realorange 's post is about actually using a 3 wood as his driver. I believe a real 3w is like 15-19 degrees give or take. so him losing 25-30 yards is like you losing 10-20 yards from your 13.5 degree driver. Well worth it as a beginner learning to play IMO

My 3 wood is 13 degrees. You can tell by the shape of the head if its a driver or fairway wood generally. That being said, for a beginner, it doesnt matter. You dont learn a good golf swing by bashing drivers.

 

[jgeorge322]

RE: Driver loft.

OP, less loft isn't always better/farther. While 10.5 drivers fit about 65% of amateur male golfers, there's no guarantee you're in that group. Since we don't know if the driver is the perfect fit, 7 iron distance is typically a good way to approximate driver swing speed, which lets you know roughly the correct driver loft.

Do you know what distance you normally hit your 7 iron (carry, not including roll)? If you're in the 145-155 yard range, your driver swing speed is probably in the low-mid 90's and lofting down to 10.5 degrees might get you some more yards. If you're under 140, more loft is probably warranted because your swing speed would likely be sub-90 mph (11.5-13.5 deg. could be a good fit). If you're over 160 yards, 10.5 might still be a good fit but you could look to go even lower.

We could kind of figure out shaft flex, too, based on 7 iron distance/driver swing speed. If you fall into the sub-90 mph category, regular flex is probably what you want. Regular flex would still be a good choice with driver swing speeds in the low 90's, actually. Above that - so, if your 7 iron is carrying like 155+ yards - you could consider stiff flex shafts.

This is all very complex for a person who is just picking up the game. I imagine any set for now will do until he/she becomes modestly proficient. Learn to hit the ball first. Then move on to the intricacies.

 

[Brooky03]

This is all very complex for a person who is just picking up the game. I imagine any set for now will do until he/she becomes modestly proficient. Learn to hit the ball first. Then move on to the intricacies.

My posts have been a little wordy, but I don't want OP to go to the course and see everybody standing around with 9 and 10.5 degree drivers and assume that's right for him. On the whole, amateur golfers tend to play drivers with too little loft, thinking that lower loft = more distance. One could figure out 7 iron carry distance quickly on a driving range and get a decent idea of the type of driver he needs based on that; that's all I was trying to get at.

 

[jgeorge322]

My posts have been a little wordy, but I don't want OP to go to the course and see everybody standing around with 9 and 10.5 degree drivers and assume that's right for him. On the whole, amateur golfers tend to play drivers with too little loft, thinking that lower loft = more distance. One could figure out 7 iron carry distance quickly on a driving range and get a decent idea of the type of driver he needs based on that; that's all I was trying to get at.

Sure. My thought was you need to hit a 7 iron consistently first though.

 

[brandokc]

Picked golf back up after almost 20 years last spring. Found a set of Ping Eye 2’s for $125. As far as I’m concerned they are some of the best clubs ever made.

I will echo the sentiments about hitting the driving range and taking lessons. The more you play the better you will get but you need some pointers so you can develop the right habits.

 

[jgeorge322]

Picked golf back up after almost 20 years last spring. Found a set of Ping Eye 2’s for $125. As far as I’m concerned they are some of the best clubs ever made.

I will echo the sentiments about hitting the driving range and taking lessons. The more you play the better you will get but you need some pointers so you can develop the right habits.

Ping eye 2s are no doubt classics but your info is a bit stale

 

[SU2NASA]

If I'm reading this right, you're hitting the ball with an open face? Meaning, it's just starting right and staying on that line for the most part, rather than starting straight or right and then fading/slicing further right.

If that's the case, the only clubhead change that I think would help would be irons with more offset, but the Burner 2.0's are game-improvement irons that already have a decent amount of offset. A lot of factors could cause you to leave the club face open, but I'd start by tinkering with grip and/or setup if you're confident with your swing mechanics.

A stronger grip should help you close the clubface. By stronger, I don't mean squeeze the club harder, I mean turning your left hand (for a right handed golfer) to the right. You can google images of a strong golf grip, but you're basically just gripping the club with more of the knuckles on your left hand visible at address. Don't twist the club face at address, just set it down behind the ball like normal and then grip with the stronger grip.

As for setup, it's a little more dependent on the lateral movement in your swing and your foot position. Keeping all else constant, try bumping the ball a tad forward in your stance; it might give you the extra time you need to close the club face. Fair warning, this can negatively effect impact and ball flight if you overdue it or if you have a steep swing.

If you're slicing the ball, consider the above options as well as a closed stance. It can be tricky to set up consistently with a closed stance (pointed right of target) because the tendency is to shift your shoulders open or closed to compensate. The key thought at address should be shoulders square to the target with feet closed. This setup is what pros tend to do when they want to hit a draw; then they move the ball up/back in their stance depending on how big of a draw they want to hit. Alternatively, to hit a fade, they'd open their stance. The whole idea behind this is that a closed stance should promote an in-to-out swing, whereas an open stance would promote an out-to-in swing.

Opened up my stance, played a few rounds with it and shot an 82 yesterday. My best round was a 91 before then. Good advice, I’d say.

 

[MSOrange]

I agree with others that getting good instructions is the key. I recommend this video