Building a golf game

[RASWING]

MJ,
If you have a strong short game; how would you build your golf game around it?
V/R

[Michael Jacobs]

MJ,
If you have a strong short game; how would you build your golf game around it?
V/R

RA,

Not sure how to answer that... by that do you mean should the long game just be a lengthening of your short game? Or are you trying to have separate techniques?

[RASWING]

I was wondering if you have a strong short game and you went out to play golf, How do you build a game around it. Like do you try to keep it in play being super conservative or due work on your long game ( get longer of the tee and with the irons). When you play from what some would say is short courses for us Amatuers or You play from longer courses where there is a reward for being longer of the tee and with the irons. How do you build around what seems to be you strong point. Are you a 5 handicap becuase of your short game? Or are you a 5 handicap becuase you can over power courses? For me it is the first one. I dont seem to be getting longer but with work i have gotten MUCH straighter but the long courses seem to be what all the Am events are being played on?
R/
RA

[Michael Jacobs]

I was wondering if you have a strong short game and you went out to play golf, How do you build a game around it. Like do you try to keep it in play being super conservative or due work on your long game ( get longer of the tee and with the irons). When you play from what some would say is short courses for us Amateurs or You play from longer courses where there is a reward for being longer of the tee and with the irons. How do you build around what seems to be you strong point. Are you a 5 handicap because of your short game? Or are you a 5 handicap because you can over power courses? For me it is the first one. I don't seem to be getting longer but with work i have gotten MUCH straighter but the long courses seem to be what all the Am events are being played on?
R/
RA

RA,

Always play to your strength....... shorter hitters need to put the ball in play and its best to play the softest ball possible. Shorter hitters are always looking for distance balls and clubs yet they are far better off playing the softest balls and softest wedges possible for continued strengthening of their short game.

No doubt that tournament conditions have become inundated with super long golf courses. It is unbelievable how the golf associations that set these courses up have par 4's at lengths of par 5's. 230 yards par threes are the norm.... Hybrids have helped and shorter hitters and are a must!

[RASWING]

MJ,
Yeah I agree with you, Last week I played a two day event it had 4 holes of 430 and 1 hole 452 par 4's and 3 of the par 3 where 215 and above with one at 246 made no sense.
So today I played with a bunch of buddies we called it a turkey shoot out a few mini tour guys and a few very very good amatuers. We played the course all the way back at 7,100 pretty fun since we where playing for a small pot. I had a decent round but some of the holes where tough. What I did do is watch the pro guys and a the low handicaped amatuers ; how they got around the course and the shots that they where hitting.
So we should play with softer balls to aid in streghtening our short game. I guess thats why i like the Pro-V1 better than the V1x and so on with other brands the spin ball better than the one thats suppose to reduce spin.

I hit it ok today but my driver again was the challenege I think i was trying to hit it to far and over swinging as I think about it because my ( straight away ball flight soft fade ) Was turning into a draw and i was aiming down the left side thinking i'd get my baby fade and the ball was turned left instead of right. and the guys where saying " I was aimed there" I was like yeah I am aiming a bit left thinking i get my little baby fade but no luck just a straight ball with a draw left trees ( punch out ) have to use that short game ... and when i miss the putt its a bogey then you end up with an 82 instead of a 78 you end up paying out instead of collecting

So back to the practice tee working on the long game. I have been trying two things lately on the practice tee. 1)tee it high hit up on it ( ball goes left more often like the D plane says it should. So I need to aim right? Bigger hook, My pivots works better when I aim left as Bmanz showed me ;I think. But if i aim left with the driver should i still hit up on it? I know trackman says YES but i cant control it however; i get more distance when i hit up on it though. (2) I have been teeing it low and hitting it more level or a bit down on it and I get more often a straight ball. But out of 20 shots I hit; 15 would be great and 5 would be Underplane hooks. What do I do?

[Michael Jacobs]

MJ,
Yeah I agree with you, Last week I played a two day event it had 4 holes of 430 and 1 hole 452 par 4's and 3 of the par 3 where 215 and above with one at 246 made no sense.
So today I played with a bunch of buddies we called it a turkey shoot out a few mini tour guys and a few very very good amatuers. We played the course all the way back at 7,100 pretty fun since we where playing for a small pot. I had a decent round but some of the holes where tough. What I did do is watch the pro guys and a the low handicaped amatuers ; how they got around the course and the shots that they where hitting.
So we should play with softer balls to aid in streghtening our short game. I guess thats why i like the Pro-V1 better than the V1x and so on with other brands the spin ball better than the one thats suppose to reduce spin.

I hit it ok today but my driver again was the challenege I think i was trying to hit it to far and over swinging as I think about it because my ( straight away ball flight soft fade ) Was turning into a draw and i was aiming down the left side thinking i'd get my baby fade and the ball was turned left instead of right. and the guys where saying " I was aimed there" I was like yeah I am aiming a bit left thinking i get my little baby fade but no luck just a straight ball with a draw left trees ( punch out ) have to use that short game ... and when i miss the putt its a bogey then you end up with an 82 instead of a 78 you end up paying out instead of collecting

So back to the practice tee working on the long game. I have been trying two things lately on the practice tee. 1)tee it high hit up on it ( ball goes left more often like the D plane says it should. So I need to aim right? Bigger hook, My pivots works better when I aim left as Bmanz showed me ;I think. But if i aim left with the driver should i still hit up on it? I know trackman says YES but i cant control it however; i get more distance when i hit up on it though. (2) I have been teeing it low and hitting it more level or a bit down on it and I get more often a straight ball. But out of 20 shots I hit; 15 would be great and 5 would be Underplane hooks. What do I do?

RA,

Sounds like a very common pattern of shots and frustrations.... I see this all the time... Any swing footage you can post up? Some driver swings from front view, and some driver swings with the camera on the ball line. From what it sounds like your standard pattern is a bit too 'steep' so to speak.. seeing it would help.... when you were on the trackman what was your HSP reading?

[RASWING]

I will try to get my buddy to take some shots of me since; i have seen Bmanz and talking with you it has got SO SO SO much better! just searching for more.

The numbers with the driver where : Avg of 20 shots
Swing speed 105 mph
AOA 1.7
Club path 4.3
Vert swing plane 44.7
HSP 6.0
Dynamic loft 14.7
Face angle 4.6
I had a two way miss going on that day with ball finishing left and right the ones left where the larges miss though.

The numbers with a 6 iron avg of 20 shots
Swing speed 83 mph
AoA -3.8
club path -2.3
VSP 53.2
HSP -6.3

Before Bmanz and all this info:
Underplane ( swinging way right) - short backswing( still have short backswing) Maxed out hitters pattern ( pretty strong ) was getting my 7 iron head high no pivot played the ball back hit punch shots all around the course. All my balls started right of the target. Couldnt hit it high for anything. Driver say 240 strong stiff shaft high loft aim right low hooks "Arnold Palmer style" Really good short game 10 handicap- Long courses gave me a challenege to compete stayed around 83 to 81 with a bunch of rough days.

After Bmanz and you guys info I know this is your site just wanted you to know how much info you share with me thats helped me a bunch, you help make sense of the swing.

On plane much better I have produce more zeros for my plane than ever the ball stays on the course. Still have a short back swing with a quick tempo ( it wont go away ) working hard on it!!! not swing way right/ swinging down the yellow brick road ; Better body pivot through the ball more hip turn more left shoulder far away from the ball more axis tilt more right shoulder down through the ball on video i look like a golfer through the ball; way better impact alignments. head still infront of the ball ( a bit of lean left ) Backswing challenge still working hard on it. !!! Ball flight with irons High straight away with small fall right starting the ball at the flag and about 6 yards right of it . When i start it left then i am on the flag. scared i will hit a pull though, thats why i miss my irons some times not trusting what i know will happen when done properly "a straight ball with a bit of a tail right"
I can now get i Fairway woods up in the air out shot with the fairway woods ( High cut shot ) The challenge is still the driver ( I will keep working on it )

Would being to far way from the ball cause me to hook the driver? Reaching out for it would that cause me to get under the plane?

V/R
RA

[Michael Jacobs]

I will try to get my buddy to take some shots of me since; i have seen Bmanz and talking with you it has got SO SO SO much better! just searching for more.

The numbers with the driver where : Avg of 20 shots
Swing speed 105 mph
AOA 1.7
Club path 4.3
Vert swing plane 44.7
HSP 6.0
Dynamic loft 14.7
Face angle 4.6
I had a two way miss going on that day with ball finishing left and right the ones left where the larges miss though.

The numbers with a 6 iron avg of 20 shots
Swing speed 83 mph
AoA -3.8
club path -2.3
VSP 53.2
HSP -6.3

Before Bmanz and all this info:
Underplane ( swinging way right) - short backswing( still have short backswing) Maxed out hitters pattern ( pretty strong ) was getting my 7 iron head high no pivot played the ball back hit punch shots all around the course. All my balls started right of the target. Couldnt hit it high for anything. Driver say 240 strong stiff shaft high loft aim right low hooks "Arnold Palmer style" Really good short game 10 handicap- Long courses gave me a challenege to compete stayed around 83 to 81 with a bunch of rough days.

After Bmanz and you guys info I know this is your site just wanted you to know how much info you share with me thats helped me a bunch, you help make sense of the swing.

On plane much better I have produce more zeros for my plane than ever the ball stays on the course. Still have a short back swing with a quick tempo ( it wont go away ) working hard on it!!! not swing way right/ swinging down the yellow brick road ; Better body pivot through the ball more hip turn more left shoulder far away from the ball more axis tilt more right shoulder down through the ball on video i look like a golfer through the ball; way better impact alignments. head still infront of the ball ( a bit of lean left ) Backswing challenge still working hard on it. !!! Ball flight with irons High straight away with small fall right starting the ball at the flag and about 6 yards right of it . When i start it left then i am on the flag. scared i will hit a pull though, thats why i miss my irons some times not trusting what i know will happen when done properly "a straight ball with a bit of a tail right"
I can now get i Fairway woods up in the air out shot with the fairway woods ( High cut shot ) The challenge is still the driver ( I will keep working on it )

Would being to far way from the ball cause me to hook the driver? Reaching out for it would that cause me to get under the plane?

V/R
RA

RA,

Those HSP numbers are the troubles.... those overall numbers are in no way too steep like I had previoulsy thought from your descriptions, I didn't know that your numbers were that dramatic in the positive. All the variations in accuracy are coming from the club path and the HSP.

[RASWING]

MJ,
So how do I change it? HSP needs to be more (what) ? Thats the aim to the target line? The Club path is either way inside of the HSP or way outside of it?
Thanks
Please advise?
V/R
RA

[Michael Jacobs]

MJ,
So how do I change it? HSP needs to be more (what) ? Thats the aim to the target line? The Club path is either way inside of the HSP or way outside of it?
Thanks
Please advise?
V/R
RA

RA,

With the driver You showed a HSP of 6.... That is 6 positive, which means the direction of the swing is 6 degrees to the right or inside out. This can be offset by hitting up more and increasing the AOA

HSP stands for horizontal swing plane which represents the overall direction of the swing. The club path is how the club removes in relation to this direction of swing or {HSP}

With the 6 iron you show a HSP of -6
With a six iron a number of -2.5 HSP would be more of what you would be looking for. The negative number denotes a swing that is left or outside to in. The slight left swing offsets the downward strike of the iron shot.

So basically, hit up more on the driver and swing a bit more to the inside with an iron would be a good start towards zeroing out