[YodasLuke]

Yodasluke,

I would like to know your age. Age and athleticism are big factors in how far a person can hit. I know this because I often play will a group of older-timers which I wager to guess have been on the planet hitting golf balls long before you were even a twinkle in your mother's eye.

These guys sit around an remiss saying things to each other like: "when did you start losing it".... (They mean distance). Just because Jeff does not hit hit his 5 iron as far as you does not mean he has a "power leak". Besides... golf is about three games.... distance off the tee is only one of them, then there is the short game and putting. Winning means being reasonably good at all three.

And, I'm sure that because they were hitting balls before I was born, it makes a difference in the price of eggs in China. That's priceless.

I'm 39 until the 26th of this month. I'm aware that some use age as an excuse, but I won't put up with that garbage. Tell them to get in the gym, take a lesson, or stop complaining.

Unfortunately, there's news that they are eliminating the Super Senior Division at the World Long Drive Championship. There's a man that's taken many lessons from me that has competed in the event. But if you saw him walk up, you'd bet your life savings that you could hit it past him. He's presently 60 years old, and he's had both knees replaced. He doesn't walk as well as he swings. He just set his personal best drive of 343 yards, last year at 59 years old.

Another student, age 51, is the one that I've written about recently that in one year has gone from 84 mph with the driver to averaging well over 100 mph in clubhead speed. He's having the time of his life and has taken double digits off of his handicap.

So, I'm not playing the violin for your "old-timers". I don't believe that Gary Player will drop a tear, either.

I'm backing out of this thread now because.... Frankly none of what you wrote (in that last post) make a damn bit of sense to me (I don't know the book chapter and verse and never will).

Who would have guessed that?

But I thought were were talking about the face opening on the backswing and closing on the downswing not release. I thought the issue was what causes shanking. Anyway. .... Here are a couple of parting thought on the dreaded "S" word...

1) Check your balance.. if you are going forward (on your toes) you will shank it

2) Try gripping down a bit. One-size fits all clubs don't work (men's adults for instance) but can be played by about anyone but only if you compensate for your individual anatomy. If, say your arms are longer than normal or your legs are shorter than normal or god forbid both, then you are going to have too much club shaft between your hands and ball. That will cause a shank... and it may even vary from day to day. Bobby Jones would adjust his hands up and down the grip on any given day and we should too.

#2 is so far beyond repair, it's unfair for me to comment...