I'm really excited to share today's question with the Surge Nation because it's one that I don't think I've ever had in the thousands of daily videos I've recorded over the last few years. It has to do with the relationship between the Peak Performance Golf Swing and ball flight.
Ron Kriete has noticed that ever since he switched to the PPGS, he hits his wedges, 9, 8, and 7 irons all a lot higher than before. He says that he's hitting them straight, just very high and was wondering what causes this and if it's something to be worried about.
Surge, why do I often hit towering shots with the lower irons, 7-gap wedge? Very straight, but VERY high?
Ron K.
Well Ron, there's absolutely nothing wrong with hitting the ball high. This is actually one thing a lot of players mention to me when they see me hitting balls on the range.
Just go look at golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw. In their primes and into their days on the Champions Tour, they all played behind the golf ball. They were playing golf with their arms straight at impact and they swung up to a very level finish. Even while they were swinging to a reverse "C", it caused the ball to go even higher.
There's no problem hitting the ball high as long as it's penetrating and holding it's line. That means you're hitting it solid and relatively straight. There's nothing wrong with height on a golf shot, but you've got to be able to hit the ball low as well.
The key is to learn how to hit the ball lower when you have to. The way to do that is to cut off your follow through. You could also put the ball a little farther back in your stance. Either way, your ball flight will be lower if that's what the shot calls for.
Having a high ball flight can be an advantage because it allows the ball to land softly on the greens. This can be especially helpful if you're playing a course with really fast greens that are dry and baked out. So, use this aspect of the PPGS to your advantage!
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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Comments
Appreciated
Thanks Robert. Yes, great round and wonderful partner and wife:)
Truly blessed.
Thanks for sharing
Robert
Happy anniversary. What a way to celebrate it pal.
Congrats, on both counts,
Dick
Fun stuff
Thanks Dick. You know we treasure the moments that it all comes together.
Yes and while celebrating life with a wonderful partner that plays golf too. Wow. how sweet it is.
cut off swing
i tend to hit the ball on a low trajectory, i think the reason for this is exactly as Surge stated i tend to cut off my swing, i dont actually want to do this but i seem to find it difficult to get to the proper finishing position, any tips to help with this?
cheeers richard in the UK.
need help with this
I grew up trying my best to copy Jack and his leg drive, then went through a decade, or 2, of getting my chest over my left foot to both trap the ball and ease the stress on my back.
I have a terrible time with staying over the ball until my hands have passed my chin. Do any of you fellow surgeites have a drill or swing thought I can use to fight my age old tendencies?
Thanks.
Drill
Not sure if this would help but this seems to be slowly but surely working pretty well for me.
All it takes is a driveway stake and a pool noodle, or in my case a piece of PVC pipe and a piece of pipe insulation.
You can either put it beside your head or touching your forehead (that works better for me). Hard to get a lot of unnecessary movement as long as I try to keep the insulation against my head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5kw3g1wi00
Drill
Thanks Steve, I had no idea you were so photogenic! :-) I will set this up in the back yard at least for some practice swinging.
So is the overall swing thought one of following the right (or rear) shoulder to the finish? That's how I have been trying to feel it at the range.
Swing thought
Never thought about it but it sounds like it would be OK.
I'm usually only thinking about where I want the ball to go when I'm on the course. My brain can't handle much more than that.
In that drill I'm only thinking about trying to keep my head on the insulation and not much else (except maybe hoping I don't swing and miss). Ha ha!
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