Howdy boys, me again. Probably seems like the most noobie question there is, BUT, i hope by now you know that I am pretty dedicated to improving all areas of my golf game. I’m only a small fella (5’7 or so) and want to be hitting the ball further than I do (who doesn’t I guess..). My 1w on average travels about 235-245m and my 6 iron travels around 150m. I am very athletic and can achieve a full rotation in my backswing (to where my shaft points at the target at the top of my backswing).

I don’t know that I’ve given you enough information to help me out but I guess I would like to know what areas to address to help me increase distance on my shots (increasing clubhead speed? or strength training are two I can think of and are perhaps related).

Cheers, Mr C

there is nothing wrong with them distances mate

u find alot of pga pro dont hit the ball musch ferther

MrC, while you may still have some length left in that younger platform than lots of us, haha, I would concentrate right now on the accuracy side of your game and to develope a killer short game. Its the short short stuff that most people struggle with.

Yea the majority of my practice time (about 70-80%) goes to my short game. I don’t mean to change my practice routine but rather add to it in a way that may lead to gains (even small gains) in distance as I believe that every other facet of my game is covered by my routine (I believe that you need to push all the boundaries to become an allround better player). When playing soccer I used to gym to ‘buff up my legs’ so that I could put more behind my shots and was wondering if the same would apply to golf. The thinking is that if I was to strengthen the parts involved in the action and swing at the ball as hard as before, it would go farther because there was more force behind it and because I wasn’t swinging any harder, I wouldn’t lose my control. (Is the thinking there sound?) So I guess my question comes down to will increased flexibility and being stronger lead to more distance and I guess with that extra distance, if I wasn’t swinging any harder would I be losing much control?

Hope you can decipher that.. Cheers, Mr C.

The faster you can swing, given perfect impact, the further it will go.

Learn technique first, then the added speed will be used rather than abused.

Thats probably good advice. I guess its not like I can’t make any of the greens in regulation so whats the problem ey :) I miss more greens wide than I do short so perhaps you are right there guru. Bit of an epihpany moment me thinks :) I guess one question begs to be answered then, is it worth incorporating a gym routine in my weekly golf workout then or is the time better spent on the course/range?

I get what your saying MrC
Ive seen and read a lot on this subject and most seem to agree it comes down to the core muscles.
Garry Player has a home made device he’s been using for years to strengthen his swinging muscles.
From memory it consisted of a rope mounted on a pully just above head height with a weight on one end and a grip on the other. He would then hold the grip and go through the swing motion.

This is completely unqualified advice, I don’t pretent to be a bio-mechanic expert in any way but from what I have read there are a few concepts in sport that may apply to golf club swinging that may assist to add lenght…... maybe…

Its all about muscle and mechanics. Flexibiity is #1 warm-ups and cool downs are essential. Improve flexibilty through streching, yoga or pilates any of that kind of stuff will also help core body strenght, balance and world peace.

Sencond I think would be the types of gym things you do. I’d avoid the bladder bursting heavy weights in favour of lower weight higher reps. Work on improving your fast twitch muscle fibres rather than slow twitch. I presume a golf swing is more akin to a 100m sprint than a 42Km marathon. If you are of the white skin variety you will find it harder to develop these muscle groups than if you are dark skinned. Probably why we rarely see white men in the 100m at the olympics and the reason we white fellas cann’t jump.

Failing all that…. just swing harder.

:)

Socks, that sounds similar to the cable machines at the gym do you have a picture of it? I will have to do some research on the subject of strength training in golf after my exams I think. Anybody know where I’de start?

You could check out the Titleist Performance Institute…www.mytpi.com.

You could also look at the Golf School Section and read up the physcal exercises in there from those in the know.

Socks, that sounds similar to the cable machines at the gym do you have a picture of it? I will have to do some research on the subject of strength training in golf after my exams I think. Anybody know where I’de start?

MrConsistency is a bit obsessed with iseekgolf…

Yeah that is how I’d describe it.
Unfortunately i don’t have a pic nor could i find it on you tube.
I saw it about 6 months ago on foxtel. i think it was a Gary Player Bio.

I did see an interesting site with advise on fitness from Player.
He basically says power comes from the lower body.In particular the legs.

http://www.fitnessforgolf.c...

Thats three really good sources guys. Much appreciated. And to braidwood, I found your post very enlightening. Might have to steal the missuses pilates dvds.. ;) Thanks all.

Howdy boys, me again. Probably seems like the most noobie question there is, BUT, i hope by now you know that I am pretty dedicated to improving all areas of my golf game. I’m only a small fella (5’7 or so) and want to be hitting the ball further than I do (who doesn’t I guess..). My 1w on average travels about 235-245m and my 6 iron travels around 150m. I am very athletic and can achieve a full rotation in my backswing (to where my shaft points at the target at the top of my backswing).

I don’t know that I’ve given you enough information to help me out but I guess I would like to know what areas to address to help me increase distance on my shots (increasing clubhead speed? or strength training are two I can think of and are perhaps related).

Cheers, Mr C

MrConsistency is a bit obsessed with iseekgolf…

dude what’s your hc ??

On the flip side… I’ve been trying to shorten the distance I hit and focus on accuracy. I have slowed and reduced my backswing to less than a half swing but still hit the 9 150+ yds and a hybrid 5 220+ yards.

I constantly play 2 clubs under my mates who have been playing far longer and are off far better handicaps.

Whenever anyone see me play the advice they give is to hit is softer.

Should I be concerned about this, or just take it as a good thing and keep focusing on my accuracy?

p.s. been playing for 6 months and am off approx 24

Adz, hitting it hard is not usually an issue unless you lose balance and control doing so.

Howdy boys, me again. Probably seems like the most noobie question there is, BUT, i hope by now you know that I am pretty dedicated to improving all areas of my golf game. I’m only a small fella (5’7 or so) and want to be hitting the ball further than I do (who doesn’t I guess..). My 1w on average travels about 235-245m and my 6 iron travels around 150m. I am very athletic and can achieve a full rotation in my backswing (to where my shaft points at the target at the top of my backswing).

I don’t know that I’ve given you enough information to help me out but I guess I would like to know what areas to address to help me increase distance on my shots (increasing clubhead speed? or strength training are two I can think of and are perhaps related).

Cheers, Mr C

MrConsistency is a bit obsessed with iseekgolf…

dude what’s your hc ??

Well the official handicap is 23.5. I play well under that on most days.. When I have an absolute shocker I still end up on about 34-36 points… An average round might see me in the mid 80s, but I’ve ventured into the 70s twice now (playing a par 68 track). Cheers.

To Adz, If I could hit my 9i 150+ yards with a half swing, I certainly would not have started this thread!

yeh that is some serious distance for a half hit 9 iron. Maybe check the loft one that one!

Thats massive !

This site has an interesting chart showing average yardages
http://golf.about.com/od/be...

yeh that is some serious distance for a half hit 9 iron. Maybe check the loft one that one!

The bag is nearly completed…..until i find something else i want :)

150 yards = about 135 m. Not really a huge 9 iron, in fact could the half swing he mentions be a full swing?, Ie, his full swing may have the club head hitting his arse.

Adz70, is that way wrong?

No, half swing is really a half swing, left arm not going past parallel to the ground. Club level with right shoulder.

Am also consciously slowing both my backswing and the start of my downswing. All this in order to increase accuracy but it also increases my distance.

Mr Consistency, I don’t want to hijack your thread, but thought that it may be interesting to look at the flip side of the issue. I.E. can you hit the ball too long?

Nah, I’ve hijacked more than my fair share of threads so don’t sweat it ;)). As for your question of whether you can hit the ball too long. I gather that you mean that hitting it too far is a symptom of swinging too hard? My idea is that if I were to make the platform from which I swing (my body) stronger, it will lead to more speed on the clubface coming through with the same strength swing. My outlook on it is that my goal off the tee is to get as close to the pin as possible. Just like you want to leave a putt as close as you can to make your next shot easier.

Having said that, for me Golf is all about pushing the boundaries and while I don’t look to get onto the long drive tour, more distance is definately a goal.

And socks, that kind of chart was very useful cheers!

Mr. C

No, half swing is really a half swing, left arm not going past parallel to the ground. Club level with right shoulder.

Am also consciously slowing both my backswing and the start of my downswing. All this in order to increase accuracy but it also increases my distance.

Mr Consistency, I don’t want to hijack your thread, but thought that it may be interesting to look at the flip side of the issue. I.E. can you hit the ball too long?

That type of swing would seem to promote more of a punch shot or a delofted club face adding distance in favor of a more lofted flight of the ball. Hitting the ball too long is not an issue. If you can sacrafice distance though to hit it higher so it lands more softly on the green I would certainly do that.

Mr. C,

If you are a 23.5 handicap then all you need do is work on the fundamentals so that you make more solid contact and distance will come with it. I am currently working on hitting the ball cleaner. My divots are often too far back. Rather than starting just in front of the ball they start just behind the ball. I am an inch or less from hitting the ball with better contact and subsequentally straighter and further. I will not have to swing any harder to get that distance either. I will add a little more compression to the ball and away it will go.