Golfers: Question for you

[PlatinumGold]

sweeping swing with iron vs steep swing.

the shorter the club the steeper the swing right?

is there ever a time you would use a more sweeping swing with say an 8, 9 iron or wedges?

under what circumstances?

 

[YoungGun21]

Umm... I just hit every club at 90% swing until I get inside the range of my pitching wedge.

I'd say the only time I change up my swing is according to the terrain (downhill, uphill, super muddy, super hard, etc.)

 

[GagHalfrunt]

1) Any properly hit iron is done with a descending blow. The term "sweeping" in a myth. Even sweepers catch the ball at the bottom of a descending arc and clip the grass. "Sweeper" vs "digger" is just a matter of degrees. They do about the same thing, it's just that the digger does it to a greater extreme.

2) Yes, but that happens naturally as you're closer to the ball. Don't try to make a steeper swing as you progress through the bag from 3-iron to wedge.

3) Until you're REALLY good you should concentrate on one single swing and use it exclusively. Unless you're a low single digit handicapper trying to invent a swing for rare situations is a recipe for failure. Don't try any swing unless you have a reasonable expectation of success and that's not going to happen unless you practice it before getting out on the course. That being said, YES, good players will often change their swing plane to fit the shot. Sometimes you want a high fade, sometime a low draw, etc etc etc. That's something you should work on at the range, but only after you're very consistent with your normal swing. If the swing you make 99% of the time isn't very reliable the one you use rarely will always fail.

 

[JS80]

GagHalfrunt really loves golf. It's the only thread he posts in.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: JS80
GagHalfrunt really loves golf. It's the only thread he posts in.

Really? My last 25 posts this is the only golf thread. But feel free to be stupid. As long as it ratchets up your post count intlligence isn't necessary.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
1) Any properly hit iron is done with a descending blow. The term "sweeping" in a myth. Even sweepers catch the ball at the bottom of a descending arc and clip the grass. "Sweeper" vs "digger" is just a matter of degrees. They do about the same thing, it's just that the digger does it to a greater extreme.

2) Yes, but that happens naturally as you're closer to the ball. Don't try to make a steeper swing as you progress through the bag from 3-iron to wedge.

3) Until you're REALLY good you should concentrate on one single swing and use it exclusively. Unless you're a low single digit handicapper trying to invent a swing for rare situations is a recipe for failure. Don't try any swing unless you have a reasonable expectation of success and that's not going to happen unless you practice it before getting out on the course. That being said, YES, good players will often change their swing plane to fit the shot. Sometimes you want a high fade, sometime a low draw, etc etc etc. That's something you should work on at the range, but only after you're very consistent with your normal swing. If the swing you make 99% of the time isn't very reliable the one you use rarely will always fail.

i've gotten pretty consistent with my primary swings.

my driver swing is much more of a sweeping swing than my iron swings, i think this is as it's supposed to be.

i'm pretty consistent with my lob shot, i can consistently put it high in the air, rarely blade that shot.

i'm pretty consistent with my sand shots.

my problems now have more to do with distance control. i guess that will come with more play.

i've also just started to learn how to draw the ball. i've been successful with about 60% of my swings that i try to draw with.



so, as to my orginal question, a steeper swing gives you more loft and more backspin and a more sweeping swing (basically, i take the head of the club back a bit lower than my normal swing, would give you a lower loft less of a back spin hit correct?

would a sweeping swing give you more distance?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Distance is a function of swing speed, launch angle and spin. There's no exact answer for length based on angle of attack as too many other factors influence it. Maximum length comes from getting all the aspects perfect. Too much spin is just as bad as too little spin. Too much launch angle is just as bad as too little. A slightly rounder swing that's less steep *should* reduce backspin. Keep in mind that that's not necessarily a good thing though. It will probably magnify sidespin and it might make your launch angle or spin rate worse.

There's a lot of talk, especially on TV for pro tournaments, about "low spin". That's true for guys with extreme swing speeds. At 120 mph you might get best results with 2500rpm of backspin. For most amateurs with slower swings ideal spin rate off the driver is MUCH higher, perhaps 3,500 to 5,000 rpm. At high ball speeds spin is the enemy as it makes the ball balloon up instead of going forward. With less velocity spinrate helps keeps the ball airborne and it improves carry. You need to get on a launch monitor to be sure, but if you're like most people backspin is your friend. You should not be trying to decrease it unless you know for a fact that you're spinning it too much.