From: "James F. Tims" <p00168@psilink.com>
Subject: Re: help - high shots
Organization: none
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 16:44:51 GMT
X-Mailer: PSILink (3.2)

>FROM:   MR J CAMPBELL <jcampbel@metz.une.edu.au>
>
>From article <1993Jan20.203836.26454@ncsu.edu>, by ksb@adm.csc.ncsu.edu (Kelvin S. Bryant):
>> I hate to rehash this question again (it was discussed a few
>> months ago), but I hit excessively high shots.  I can't hit
>> a 3-iron beyond 170 yds (but it flies a mile high and almost
>    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[...]
>Kelvin if you can't get a 3 iron out there past 170 yards (155 metres) then
>I think there is something else amiss in addition to your ball traj.
>I play a 3 from 200 out (metres = 220 yards) and whilst I guess I am

He said he was a high-handicapper, and I'm not so sure this THAT bad,  
And 220 with a 3-iron is a long way if you're not playing in Denver.
Not a silly long way, but most golfers cannot aspire to this sort of 
power. I can CARRY a driver about 250-260 yards, but I can only hit a 3 iron 
about 195-200, for example.  (I am 5'8" 150 lbs and carry a 3 hcp, just for 
reference.)



[...]
>ball is favoured by most touring pros and is by no means a bad thing 

This seems to vary, year to year, depending on the style of the players 
winning the most money!  But Cambo's right -- there's nothing wrong with 
a high shot, per se.

>Again as I said best to see a pro. Best of luck.

Best, yes, but optimal?  Hey!  The net's right here!

Describing yourself as a high-handicapper alway leads me to suspect 
weight-shift problems, especially when mentioned in context with short 
hitting.

Let me ask a couple of questions:

1) Is your weight on your forward foot at impact?  If not, you are 
"hanging back" and letting the clubhead go past the grip at impact.  
Even with the face square to the hole, a great deal of loft is added to 
the "expected" loft of the club.  It's not enough to leap quickly into a 
pretty finish after you hit it, you actually have to have the weight 
going onto the leading foot at impact.

2) Is your left side breaking down before impact?  Once again, this lets 
the clubhead pass the hands at or slightly before impact, adding loft.
Learn to keep the left side extended just through imact before it starts 
folding as the right arm did on the backswing.  It's tough at 
first, but it adds a LOT of yards and makes it far easier to meet the 
ball squarely and consistently. Notice that the left arm does fold after 
impact. If your left arm is sticking up in the air during your follow 
through, you are definitely "scooping" it, with results similar to what 
you describe.

Put a ball on the rug and set a club flat behind it.  Aim the clubface 
directly at something and set the butt about an inch ahead of the ball.  
This is the approximate impact you should be aiming for.

It's also possible that you're fanning the clubface open and 
compensating by aiming left.  This doesn't produce a slice or even a 
fade necessarily, and produces very high but shorter shots that actually 
go straight at the hole where the clubface is pointed.  I use it 
for going over trees and things.  You could be doing this with a 
perfectly good weight shift, so check your alignment.  You may not be 
swinging directly down the flight line.

-jim




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