How do you know if you are hitting the ball too high?

[dlow206 6,894]

Let me preface this, I used to hit all of my irons low and left. Because of that, I was fit into the Mavrik Max irons with Nippon 950 Neo shafts (high launch, mid-high spin shaft). This combo increased my peak height with my 7 iron by 15 feet, so it was a good fit at the time. 

Now, with some swing changes, i hit a high fade, which is much better and more behaved than the low and left shots. I still swing a little left too much and still swing a bit too steep, but my instructor said its playable. 

With all my short irons (8 iron and above), I feel like I hit a sky high fade, that seems almost too high. I know most amateurs actually don't hit the ball high enough and need more spin, but I am questioning whether i am now in the category of those that hit the ball too high and losing some distance. On full swings, my ball normally stops dead on the green right where it lands, or rolls back slightly (but not the crazy zip back backspin that the pros have). 

[Golfspy_CG2 26,583]

You probably need to get on trackman or GCQuad to get good information.  As a combination of launch, Dynamic loft, spin, apex and desent angle all combined will give you the best answer.   
 

Without those, it’s truly a guessing game. Any one of them individually could lead you to a wrong conclusion. 

[RickyBobby_PR 5,988]

As Rob mentions there’s no way for anyone to tell if you are hitting to high and that height is causing you distance without seeing numbers.

With that said looking at what your ball is doing at the apex will indicate if you are spinning the ball too much and losing distance.   If your ball gets to the apex and then continues to rise likes ballon you have to much spin.

If you are having too much spin it’s more than likely going to be how you deliver the club rather than the club/shaft combo

[Golfspy_CG2 26,583]

7 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

As Rob mentions there’s no way for anyone to tell if you are hitting to high and that height is causing you distance without seeing numbers.

With that said looking at what your ball is doing at the apex will indicate if you are spinning the ball too much and losing distance.   If your ball gets to the apex and then continues to rise likes ballon you have to much spin.

If you are having too much spin it’s more than likely going to be how you deliver the club rather than the club/shaft combo

This is a great point.  I believe that point on how the club head is delivered vs shaft was a topic on one of TXG’s videos. 

[RickyBobby_PR 5,988]

4 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

This is a great point.  I believe that point on how the club head is delivered vs shaft was a topic on one of TXG’s videos. 

I recall one of their videos covering that. Iirc andrew rice has posted some videos with lm data on that as well as contact points

[dlow206 6,894]

I will try to get some Trackman numbers soon, and probably go for an iron fitting sometime after the new year. Waiting for those G425 irons to come out lol.

[RickyBobby_PR 5,988]

4 minutes ago, dlow206 said:

I will try to get some Trackman numbers soon, and probably go for an iron fitting sometime after the new year. Waiting for those G425 irons to come out lol.

What do you think the g425 will provide the MAVRIK max doesn’t 

[dlow206 6,894]

36 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

What do you think the g425 will provide the MAVRIK max doesn’t 

Something new LOL.

Other than that, want to try the power spec lofts, see if i can get more distance with similar dispersion. Also, considering graphite shafts, would like something easier on the body, especially the elbows.

[TMAG-FIREMEDIC 56]

2 hours ago, dlow206 said:

Let me preface this, I used to hit all of my irons low and left. Because of that, I was fit into the Mavrik Max irons with Nippon 950 Neo shafts (high launch, mid-high spin shaft). This combo increased my peak height with my 7 iron by 15 feet, so it was a good fit at the time. 

Now, with some swing changes, i hit a high fade, which is much better and more behaved than the low and left shots. I still swing a little left too much and still swing a bit too steep, but my instructor said its playable. 

With all my short irons (8 iron and above), I feel like I hit a sky high fade, that seems almost too high. I know most amateurs actually don't hit the ball high enough and need more spin, but I am questioning whether i am now in the category of those that hit the ball too high and losing some distance. On full swings, my ball normally stops dead on the green right where it lands, or rolls back slightly (but not the crazy zip back backspin that the pros have). 

 

Have you ever been to a Tour event? Those guys LAUNCH it!  But they do flight their wedges situation dependent......if you can bring your flight down in the short irons, I wouldn't be overly concerned with any other club......except driver, if you're not getting runout with driver then a change might be needed....

Iron shots that use decent angle is a great way to play. 

 

What is your hdcp, 7i carry and swingspeed is known?  

[dlow206 6,894]

16 minutes ago, TMAG-FIREMEDIC said:

 

Have you ever been to a Tour event? Those guys LAUNCH it!  But they do flight their wedges situation dependent......if you can bring your flight down in the short irons, I wouldn't be overly concerned with any other club......except driver, if you're not getting runout with driver then a change might be needed....

Iron shots that use decent angle is a great way to play. 

 

What is your hdcp, 7i carry and swingspeed is known?  

My driver is a different story, I tend to launch too low.

My handicap is between 21 and 22 right now, have been playing golf regularly for the last year, but had played for short periods at various stages of my life, but never consistently like this year. My 7 iron carry has gone down recently, i need to check on Trackman, but its probably around 155. Don't know my swingspeed with a 7 iron these days, but driver swing speed is around 99 to 105. 

[Hook DeLoft 293]

If you have good gaps between your irons, I don't think you have an issue.  Your instructor should be able to teach you to hit a knock down shot when needed.  Otherwise, enjoy the shots that come in high and stop on a dime.

[AcesAndHoles 33]

23 hours ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

This is a great point.  I believe that point on how the club head is delivered vs shaft was a topic on one of TXG’s videos. 

Do you have the link by any chance? Would love to watch that. 

[AcesAndHoles 33]

On 11/1/2020 at 5:45 PM, dlow206 said:

Let me preface this, I used to hit all of my irons low and left. Because of that, I was fit into the Mavrik Max irons with Nippon 950 Neo shafts (high launch, mid-high spin shaft). This combo increased my peak height with my 7 iron by 15 feet, so it was a good fit at the time. 

Now, with some swing changes, i hit a high fade, which is much better and more behaved than the low and left shots. I still swing a little left too much and still swing a bit too steep, but my instructor said its playable. 

With all my short irons (8 iron and above), I feel like I hit a sky high fade, that seems almost too high. I know most amateurs actually don't hit the ball high enough and need more spin, but I am questioning whether i am now in the category of those that hit the ball too high and losing some distance. On full swings, my ball normally stops dead on the green right where it lands, or rolls back slightly (but not the crazy zip back backspin that the pros have). 

The first question really is, what is "high"? Generally speaking it's all relative and doesn't have to be to tour spec so long as you're putting the ball where you need it consistently. I have a similar problem where I sky just about everything I hit including my driver. It's great when you need to clear obstacles, but a nightmare if there's serious wind. To give you an idea of what I mean I'm looking at 38yds avg height off my 7i where the tour avg is 32yds. Distance is still acceptable for me so I haven't gone crazy changing my setup and will be working on my swing in the off-season. If you feel like you're coming in too high and it's affecting your distance it may be worth considering de-lofting your clubs a bit before buying a new set. Get some data, it'll definitely help!

 

[THEZIPR23 5,438]

Too high it not really a thing. 

Too much spin is. 

 

[Chip Strokes 3,723]

like a lot of people are saying, “high” or “too high” is completely relative. 

club speed and dynamic loft are going to dictate your launch angle, and consequently the height of your ball. 

for example: this shot went “too high”. my 7i has 34* of loft. ideally, i’d like to deliver 27-28* of dynamic loft at impact in order to get my ideal ball flight.

on this shot i delivered 33* which launched the ball extremely high. i forget the actual ball flight data on this shot, but i think the apex was around 150ft, where the tour average 7i goes about 100ft in the air  

as a result, i lost 6-7 yards of carry from my usual 7i distance...and that’s on a LM with no wind to deal with. into even a 5mph headwind, i’m coming up 15 yards or so short of the green on my approach. 

in short - a quick indication of “too high” would be continuously coming up a club or more short on your approaches. either your ball is too high and getting bullied by the wind, or the trajectory is just too steep and you’re not getting the carry you should. 

[Golfspy_CG2 26,583]

1 hour ago, AcesAndHoles said:

Do you have the link by any chance? Would love to watch that. 

Ah man.  Sorry. I’ve seen so many of their videos, i can’t recall.  Often times its not even the subject of the title, but Ian will let loose with some golden nugget of information.  And you’re just like...wow! 

[AcesAndHoles 33]

1 hour ago, THEZIPR23 said:

Too high it not really a thing. 

Too much spin is. 

 

Too high is totally a thing! Played Bethpage Black for the first time this year with absurd levels of wind in soggy conditions. Contact with my irons was absolutely out of this world (shocked since I was so nervous) and it did absolutely nothing for me. The ball kept floating off in the most frustrating of patterns on what felt like pure shots forcing me to play out of craters in the rough, sand or fairway. I'm pretty sure the local wildlife was facing extinction from the meteors that were dropping off my club. 

Too high + too much spin is a death sentence 

[AcesAndHoles 33]

31 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

Ah man.  Sorry. I’ve seen so many of their videos, i can’t recall.  Often times its not even the subject of the title, but Ian will let loose with some golden nugget of information.  And you’re just like...wow! 

I know the feeling. I get sucked into video after video that I can't possibly relate to and then realize it's 3h later, I learned so much about people so far-fetched from my ability, and haven't gotten any work done. And then, of course, I always wonder what kind of drugs do I have to source to get to Matt's numbers... 

[THEZIPR23 5,438]

15 hours ago, AcesAndHoles said:

Too high + too much spin is a death sentence 

Not caused by hitting it too high. Caused by too much spin. 

[NRJyzr 576]

On 11/3/2020 at 11:11 AM, THEZIPR23 said:

Not caused by hitting it too high. Caused by too much spin. 

Agreed.  

I've told this before, so I'll try not babble on too much.  I spent a fair bit of time playing Mizuno MS-11s, hit them rather high, and with too much spin; I was getting killed on into the wind shots.  On a lark, I'd hit some Eye2+, and I was so excited about the 1000-1500 rpm lower spin, I didn't pay attention to the launch angle. 

On the course, I was a little alarmed at how high I hit the Pings, noticeably higher than the Mizunos.  However, I found I could not only play decently into the wind, I could ignore breezes that formerly caused me to club up.  As the Zipper says, spin rules.

For actual numbers....   Mizuno 6 iron, 7000+ rpm, 19* launch.  The most spin I could generate with the Eye2+ 6 iron was 6100, most shots were a couple hundred rpm lower.  The 6i was my 175-180 club.
 

Edited November 8, 2020 by NRJyzr