Impact pattern the size of a quarter--but WAY towards the heel!

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

So, playing tomorrow and went to range this evening for a bit of practice.  In looking for a practice glove in my bag, I happened across some impact strips.  Haven't used them in years.  After warming up, put one on my six iron and started hitting balls.  Mostly decent shots (for me), tended to be a bit left, which is norm for me.  But the ball mark on the club face was way towards the heel.  The outside of it didn't even reach the center hatch where the center of the ball is supposed to hit.  Every single shot, even though I was trying to hit the subsequent shots in the center.  Tried stepping back, toeing the ball at address, nothing helped (except to create a couple of bad shots).  Took a break, and pointed out the very concentrated and very inside pattern to the guy next to me, who looked to be a lower/mid handicap player.  We surmised that it must be a reflection of my deeply ingrained over the top move that I'm working on eliminating.  I'll bring the impact strips with me to my lesson Thursday.

 

I did get a couple of swings where I did feel like I got the club in the slot and did hit the center of the club face and did get a very nice and quite a bit longer shot.  But definitely does not come naturally.  I guess I was most surprised on how consistent the impact pattern was.

[SeeRed]

Have your irons been checked for proper lie? You described the same impact pattern I used to see until I got irons that have a flatter lie (1.5*). Could be a contributing factor, anyway. Be interested to hear what your instructor has to say.

[Salmon]

I find making a swing change transition a lot easier is to jump out in the back yard and break the movement down and build it up into a full swing. All without actually hitting a ball. I say this because the brain tends to take over when there is a ball in front of the club and everything goes back to where it started.

 

For example I'm making a similar change from an upright over the top swing to a better postured straight through swing. With the couple of things my pro is getting me to work on I was able to determine exactly where I should be half way through the backswing and how to get there, then exactly where I should be at the top and how it feels, then performing a downswing to just past impact to work on getting the correct path and head position coming into impact.

 

Using these three positions I grabbed my old 2 iron from my previous set and jumped into the backyard and went through position drills to really nail the feel down and to make it feel natural. I made a slow have swing focusing on the feel and where the club was, then brought it back to address. I repeated this three times then on the third I brought it up to the top of the backswing making sure its in the right position and tried to feel that position as best I could. Then repeated that once more and made the correct transition at about 1/2 to 3/4 speed really focusing on path and head position.

 

I was able to get out and do this for a couple of hours over a week and jumped back out on the course that Saturday and could not believe the impact it had on my swing. Everything wasn't fixed over night but it felt natural and I no longer had to think about making that particular swing and was able to just trust the feeling and the swing. Of course it wasnt gone for good and I had the old swing creep back every now and again but it was very obvious from a feel stand point when that happened. To help against that I just do a shortened version in the pre shot routine to refresh the brain before making the shot.

 

It's not a new technique as "greasing the groove" has been around forever but I never realised the effect of putting a ball in front of you had such a large impact.

[RoverRick]

I was hitting dead center of the club face.  And have made some swing changes.  I noticed I was hitting a lot more shots towards the toe, and also fat and thin shots more often.  I hit a ton of them like that starting last June.  Before I played irons slightly longer than standard, but had an early release.  Last spring I worked really hard to get rid of the over the top, early release swing, and honestly it took me until the end of the year.  It would come back under pressure.  But the "better" I got the more the mishits seemed to come up.

 

Last month, I did a little experiment.  I bought a set of C Tapers that were standard length and put them in a set of MP68 blades.  Oh my, not a single mishit in 54 holes in adverse weather conditions.  Now, I seem to have a set of irons do not fit my swing.  Before with the Over The Top, Early Release swing I was 1" long and probably a 1.5* flat.  Now, I am hitting a set of standard length 1,5* upright.

 

I would not begin to tell you what is wrong with yours, but I will say two things.  First, you can improve drastically with your current ugly swing and perhaps misfit irons by improving your short game and learning to not hit to penalties.  Second, as you improve your swing, which you should certainly try, the specs on your irons may very well change.

 

BTW, when I say mishits increased, I really mean not making center contact.  The ball I was expecting to fly 155 went 140, or I caught it a little thin and it went 160.  These were generally on line just short or long or left.  Also, I have developed a 3/4 go to shot.  So that when I don't have my a game and get into a can't hit it in a certain spot, I can pick a 5 instead of a 7 and a 6 instead of an 8 and hit the 3/4 shot and get the same distance without the worry.

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

I was hitting dead center of the club face.  And have made some swing changes.  I noticed I was hitting a lot more shots towards the toe, and also fat and thin shots more often.  I hit a ton of them like that starting last June.  Before I played irons slightly longer than standard, but had an early release.  Last spring I worked really hard to get rid of the over the top, early release swing, and honestly it took me until the end of the year.  It would come back under pressure.  But the "better" I got the more the mishits seemed to come up.

 

Last month, I did a little experiment.  I bought a set of C Tapers that were standard length and put them in a set of MP68 blades.  Oh my, not a single mishit in 54 holes in adverse weather conditions.  Now, I seem to have a set of irons do not fit my swing.  Before with the Over The Top, Early Release swing I was 1" long and probably a 1.5* flat.  Now, I am hitting a set of standard length 1,5* upright.

 

I would not begin to tell you what is wrong with yours, but I will say two things.  First, you can improve drastically with your current ugly swing and perhaps misfit irons by improving your short game and learning to not hit to penalties.  Second, as you improve your swing, which you should certainly try, the specs on your irons may very well change.

 

BTW, when I say mishits increased, I really mean not making center contact.  The ball I was expecting to fly 155 went 140, or I caught it a little thin and it went 160.  These were generally on line just short or long or left.  Also, I have developed a 3/4 go to shot.  So that when I don't have my a game and get into a can't hit it in a certain spot, I can pick a 5 instead of a 7 and a 6 instead of an 8 and hit the 3/4 shot and get the same distance without the worry.

RR, Appreciate the input.  On the lie, I do have to say that I was fit on my irons and they are 2* upright, so, if I understand your situation, which was too flat, I'd have to say, if anything my irons are a bit too upright.  So, I'm guessing I can't blame it on the clubs.

 

But, especially after today, I hear you on the short game!  Had a horrible day today, score-wise.  Horrible.  Yet, my tee ball was again way, way better than average.  One penalty stroke on a drive that leaked right into the hazard.  But on every other drive, I was in a position to hit the green on a reasonable second shot, and had two drives that were the longest I had ever hit on those particular holes, even though in very muddy, 50 degree conditions.  Irons were off, however, only a couple of greens hit.  But they were not way off (meaning, no strokes lost shots).

 

Analyzed the score after the round.  Looking at where I was after the shots into the greens, I figure I lost 14 strokes over what I am normally capable of from under a hundred yards in!  It was brutal.  and 12 of those 14 strokes came on the last 11 holes.  

 

We're dealing with severe mud right now.  Grass isn't growing, lots of rain and the ground isn't drying out.  I've been having huge problem recently chipping and pitching off sparse grass and muddy ground. Mostly mental.  I did ok for the first 5 holes, but one of my playing partners was having a huger problem with the mud, chunking and blading all over the place.  Got in my mind, as I saw myself in prior rounds in many of his shots.  So, of course it started.  15 feet off the green on a par 3, chunk, blade, jab, two putt triple bogey.  Two holes later, same thing.  Par 5 next hole, great drive, great 5 wood to 15 yards.  Three miserable chips and two putts for a double.  Double from 10 feet off the green next hole, and so on.  I actually putted pretty well--30 ft birdie, probably made 8 of 10 four to ten foot putts.  But the mud got me, chips, pitches and wedges.  Worst score from a good driving, good putting day I've ever had, by a long shot.  

[RookieBlue7]

When you were fitted did they just use lie tape? Or did they also use face tape or a sharpied line on the ball set perpendicular with the ground? Reason I ask is because a lot of people get fitted with only tape on the sole and that can cause issues as you get a good pattern on the sole but could still have funky stuff going on with the club at impact. If the line on the ball (assuming one uses the sharpie method) isn't perfectly horizontal on the club, then the lie still isn't right. I suck at explaining it, sorry, but my buddy that does my adjustments can explain it much better. You want proper turf interaction with the sole as well as the face matching up.

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

When you were fitted did they just use lie tape? Or did they also use face tape or a sharpied line on the ball set perpendicular with the ground? Reason I ask is because a lot of people get fitted with only tape on the sole and that can cause issues as you get a good pattern on the sole but could still have funky stuff going on with the club at impact. If the line on the ball (assuming one uses the sharpie method) isn't perfectly horizontal on the club, then the lie still isn't right. I suck at explaining it, sorry, but my buddy that does my adjustments can explain it much better. You want proper turf interaction with the sole as well as the face matching up.

They did what you described--it was a Tour Academy fitting.  You'll note in the forum review section, that I'm reviewing the new Cobra Bio Cells.  The tape test above was done on those at the range.  I played them on the 98 day.  I ran to the range for a half bucket yesterday to try a theory.  Put the tape on my old 7 iron.  Mostly center with a couple of bad swings that hit toward the heel.  Tape on the new club--mostly all toward the heel.  Played my old clubs today, shot an 84, with three 3 putts, even though my driving was not nearly as good as the 98 day (distance wise).  Hmmm (although most of the shots lost Tuesday were chipping and pitching issues).  BUT 9 GIRs today, 1 on Tuesday.  Thus the need to get the set-up on the Bio Cells checked out.  One round is not a fair test and the conditions today were much better than Tuesday, so I'm not saying anything yet on their relative merits.  

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

Range session today.  Guess I brought an entirely different swing (had a lesson in the interim).  Impact tape again, all pretty much center except for one swing where I really fell forward into the swing.  Playing tomorrow, will use the new ones, sneak peak results after the round on this secret thread.  

[Lonnie96]

Heed this advice,,and impact will be nonessential,..worries.Golf gets fun when you learn that no matter how well your body can function and perform when you use the tip of the shaft at your will and that whatever it takes to WHIP FLIP FLICK MOVE OR use the tip in order to CREATE the golf shot needed the you will tend to not want anything else. Now What things look like dont always go down how one thinks but SOMEHOW we must get the tip to PASS the other end very well very fast and very smart.In this state of mind your not into or thinking compression only shot and ball management also steeo will favor the ability to hit anything you could dream of the lower that tips plane is the more limited and tougher things become. Lower tends to seem to make the person get more into or out of the tip higher feels like nothing threr to get but allows you to go get it and make it happen much easier. Tiger by far best ever in the history of not careing if he whipped flipped scooped did whatever to make or at times get that tip connected to that head to make things happen be accountable for his game and live with sometimes the facts are that club just cannot perform as well as one likes or keep up. Best advice you can get is go out find the tip of your club and find the path of best performance and notice he does not hinge and hold or lag much in competition while at practice yes . Make the tip a pointer or a pencil and learn to control it both ways over control it through and under control it not through. Find out if ones even possible and it may surprise you. Learn that your not going back to the ball like yo think it can be done and that swiping or pointing or flipping or moving the tip back through where it started and then some has a point in which you must find where it simply needs all the movement and everything else is basically standing somehow inside its travel and that pointing it trough the earth or grass may be the best way to think about it. The what steep whats shallow is just a debate but the what works and where and why is a game improvement total possibility Tiger actually was a keep it simple i get and understand that and stood there and applied others will waive it around find what makes you feel best understanding that.. You wont get to another level in golf unless you think better about what your actually doing one learns by getting entire shaft bound that its hard to perform and play feeling and using that so get tip of shaft and lets say sole bound try that use that as a possible game improvement idea. Also there is not perfect hand grip or matching right left one no strong weak there is just those two things and some days you grab it however it takes because you may understand how well it could work for you. . Give it a try you do not have to use it has he does as far as plane pattern or path you have to use it as he understands it can be used and find the one that you find how you find it wide narrow in or out you will have to find it and the more you mess with it the more you learn what NOT TO DO WITH IT AND WHAT LOAD ON IT CAN AND CANNOT DO FOR YOUR GAME. Not a golf shot doesnt need compression it doesnt need center face it needs some attention to that and when you FLUSH IT and its over short right or left well thats not flush thats you wanting flush but not wanting the TIP TO FLIP AND WORK THROUGH OR UNDER the BALL and without that FINDING THE TARGET GETS REALLY DIFFICULT TO DO YOU CAN FIND FLUSH ON EVERY RANGE THERE IS NOT MANY FIND THE TARGET AND LOOK IN THE TIP AND SOLE FOR HELP OR UNDERSTANDING. Good luck see what you learn.

 

there is dragging it and not dragging it you will need both to get better again this is just advice and a way I learned to understand the not dragging side of things and for hold well hold the tipp down going throw at least see if that helps get these jobs done. Setup to the tip and dont let it work you learn how to work it its a very fine balance and you can overwork it to your favor as well never underwork it to your favor.

[JMiller]

I find making a swing change transition a lot easier is to jump out in the back yard and break the movement down and build it up into a full swing. All without actually hitting a ball. I say this because the brain tends to take over when there is a ball in front of the club and everything goes back to where it started.

I agree, A ball and even a club at times is nothing but a distraction at first.

 

To sort of add to this idea:

For me I tend to start with grabbing my left thumb in my right palm (I'm RH golfer) then simply make the move I am working on isolated w/o a club / ball. For example, only the takeaway, only the to the top move, only the transition, only into impact, only the follow through.

 

Once I can do it without a club at normal speed I will toss in the club grip down and repeat the process.

Once I am at 100% speed with the club grip down, I turn the club into the normal position.

Once I am at 100% speed with the club in the normal position then and only then will I attempt to hit a ball with it.

 

Three things that help a ton:

1) An instructor that can tape the move he/she wants you to work on of you doing it in a lesson

2) A mirror / video camera (use a cell phone if you want) to tape and confirm that you have the proper positions

3) Reps should help you find a FEEL / trigger to consistently get into that position you are working on.

 

A final note on swing changes. Don't do a Tiger Woods swing overhaul, keep what you have and just tweak it a little.