No matter what Club used -- Driver or Putter or somewhere in-between -- the Stroke is always executed Down Plane to Low Point (1-L #13). When Left Wrist Velocity Power (6-B-2-0) is employed, that also means to Full Extension (Left Wrist Uncocked per 2-P).
The only variable, then, is Ball Position (12-3 #2 and Chapter 14 / Second Programming Routine).
All Strokes must comply with the essential geometry of the Stroke (Masters Execution / 3-F-6 per 5-0). Or, incorporate a Compensation.
Now it feels like home again!
Thank You,
Kevin
__________________
I could be wrong. I have been before, and will be again.
Hmmm so even if you tee a ball forward of low point you must hit all the way Down and Out before the club eventually goes Up and In, post low point to hit the ball. The Down and Out bit being lost on most folks who simply try to hit Up..........and disrupt the clubhead orbit in the process. Im going to the dome today to try that out.
When I started to play decent as a junior, I teed the ball low, took it inside and up and smashed down on it, at times taking a divot. I could really drive it well for a 135 pound weakling. Then a well meaning playing partner insisted I needed to tee it higher and take it straight back. I recently read a great article about Sam Snead who used a 2 wood for a driver and hit down on the ball, often taking a divot. Modern drivers tend to discourage this motion due to the weighting and size. I think Kevin has identified a valid way to swing, assuming the club's design helps. If you have a sole weighted 460 cc driver, it might be tough go.
When I started to play decent as a junior, I teed the ball low, took it inside and up and smashed down on it, at times taking a divot. I could really drive it well for a 135 pound weakling. Then a well meaning playing partner insisted I needed to tee it higher and take it straight back. I recently read a great article about Sam Snead who used a 2 wood for a driver and hit down on the ball, often taking a divot. Modern drivers tend to discourage this motion due to the weighting and size. I think Kevin has identified a valid way to swing, assuming the club's design helps. If you have a sole weighted 460 cc driver, it might be tough go.
Great point Dodger. Equipment has changed so much during our lifetimes that the game has changed drastically! Remember when we thought a 300 drive was super human? Now its 400!
Kevin
__________________
I could be wrong. I have been before, and will be again.
Snead didn't take divots with a teed up driver. I've seen him hit too many teed up shots without ever taking a divot. He did hit the driver off the deck quite a bit and I don't think *trying* to take a divot with a fairway wood or even a driver off the deck is a bad way to go about it.
You can hit today's drivers off the deck if you're pretty precise. I have a Cleveland Hi-Bore XLS 10.5* with a low kick point that I can hit pretty well as long as it's not a downhill lie. I think it's one of things I've been proud about since I've gotten back into the game, being able to swing it well enough to stripe a modern day driver off the deck on a consistent basis.
Snead didn't take divots with a teed up driver. I've seen him hit too many teed up shots without ever taking a divot. He did hit the driver off the deck quite a bit and I don't think *trying* to take a divot with a fairway wood or even a driver off the deck is a bad way to go about it.
You can hit today's drivers off the deck if you're pretty precise. I have a Cleveland Hi-Bore XLS 10.5* with a low kick point that I can hit pretty well as long as it's not a downhill lie. I think it's one of things I've been proud about since I've gotten back into the game, being able to swing it well enough to stripe a modern day driver off the deck on a consistent basis.
3JACK
Wasn't Palmer famous for taking divots with his fairway woods?
Good ole God fearing "Hitter"!
Kevin
__________________
I could be wrong. I have been before, and will be again.
Snead didn't take divots with a teed up driver. I've seen him hit too many teed up shots without ever taking a divot. He did hit the driver off the deck quite a bit and I don't think *trying* to take a divot with a fairway wood or even a driver off the deck is a bad way to go about it.
You can hit today's drivers off the deck if you're pretty precise. I have a Cleveland Hi-Bore XLS 10.5* with a low kick point that I can hit pretty well as long as it's not a downhill lie. I think it's one of things I've been proud about since I've gotten back into the game, being able to swing it well enough to stripe a modern day driver off the deck on a consistent basis
3JACK
I cannot hit my Callaway FT-9 off the turf, totally phsychological. I had Powerbilt build me a driver in the early 1980's when I was in the business that had a shallow face, and 12degrees of loft. I could really bang on it. I think shaft length matters too, it is hard to get steep enough with a 45 plus inch shaft, particularly when you are an underplaner. I disagree with your Snead observation somewhat. His last instruction book, a little one ala Penick discusses the divot he took with a teed up driver as routine. I simply am going by what he said in the book. I didn't realize you watched the slammer play in the 50's, you look my age. Only joking Richie, I think your insights are great. Thanks Dodger
Was with a former tour pro last week who ended up building clubs in tour vans and continues his trade today. He showed me (outdoors verified on Trackman) how he could take a 9.5 degree ping driver and with a 104 mph swing carry the ball close to 270 yds (290 ttl) by hitting up (18 degree launch and low 2,000 spin) using average condition range balls. He was launching the ball really high although not always straight. It was fun to watch although I could not figure out how he was hitting it so high with such low spin. He was playing the ball inside his left foot.
I prefer my driver to have a trajectory with little enough spin to have a ballistic trajectory even with the wind in my face. I could probably get 10-15 yards carry with more loft but a more moderate trajectory works best for me regardless of wind direction.
Being a lefty from Norway I didn't find many drivers to test in the proshop. And for a while there good heads and good shafts were really cheap compared to ready-made drivers. So I basically e-shopped until I had something that worked. For a while there I had a huge andvantage when I had the modern high-launch/low-spin trajectory while everybody else were spinning the ball towards the moon....
I am currently using a Bangster OL head 9 degrees and Harrison FL 2.5 shaft with firm flex. Love the club except when it is raining. The club face is so smooth that I can still use it as a mirror, some 4 years after I started using it. And when the rain is pouring down and the club face is wet the club doesn't produce back spin. But apart from that it works great.
I have the ball as long forward as I can without compromising the stroke geometry. As long as you don't run out of righ arm and don't cheat with the alignments, you still strike down even if the club goes up - right?
300 Yards is still superhuman to me. It's reachable on the hard turf in Scotland links with benign wind conditions and a very good stroke but rarely else. I'm happy to be past 260.
And yes - I play blade-ish clubs. Mizuno MP 32. I was anxious to take them out on the course the first time because I do not always find the sweet spot. But they do deliver pretty well on off-center hits as well. The difference from my former 845 SS is that I can feel better where I hit the ball. And even more important: I can hit it hard and low when I want to. I think the sweet spot is overrated. As long as the stroke physics is good the result will be acceptable even though it feels like hitting with a plank. I will not hesitate going for a set of Mizuno muscle backs the next time. But I don't mind a large MOI as long as the COG isn't set to low and as long as the club looks good from fix. The last part is probably the most important to me and I HATE to look down on a huge offset.
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