Question:
Hi guys, I’m a beginner who has had a few group lessons and I’ve been visiting the range regularly but a consistant problem has been too much loft, my 5 i flies like a 9i, consequently I don’t get a lot of distance, I struggle to 100 y. I’m guessing part of the problem is which part of the club head hits the ball as the sweet spot is the only part of the club head which is completely unmarked : ) Any suggestions appreciated. Mary
Response:
It sounds like you might be trying to lift the ball instead of hitting down into it and letting the loft of the club get it in the air. Actually, for a beginner, a 5i is going to hard to hit well anyways. Try using a 7i or 8i and get good with those clubs first before trying the longer irons. You might even want to check back with the pro and get a one on one lesson. They should be able to tell you exactly what you are doing wrong. Good luck and remember to have fun. :-) Bryan — Bryan Berguson RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/bergusonb.htm
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi guys, I’m a beginner who has had a few group lessons and I’ve been visiting the range regularly but a consistant problem has been too much loft, my 5 i flies like a 9i, consequently I don’t get a lot of distance, I struggle to 100 y. I’m guessing part of the problem is which part of the club head hits the ball as the sweet spot is the only part of the club head which is completely unmarked : ) Any suggestions appreciated. Mary
Response:
Hi guys, I’m a beginner who has had a few group lessons and I’ve been visiting the range regularly but a consistant problem has been too much loft, my 5 i flies like a 9i, consequently I don’t get a lot of distance, I struggle to 100 y. I’m guessing part of the problem is which part of the club head hits the ball as the sweet spot is the only part of the club head which is completely unmarked : ) Any suggestions appreciated. Mary
Mary, good for you to note the essential FIRST diagnostic tool: the impact point. Hitting on an edge of the club gives you absolutely nothing of information other than you need to get the club on the ball. THEN you will be in a position to start to figure out if you even HAVE a "swing fault." Expect as a beginner to do some fumbling – much like when you learned to walk (3 months of it?) or ride a bike smoothly. THEN you will, with clubFACE impacts, be able to see a pattern. At that point you will be able to start to diagnose what swing elements need to be addressed. If you are not skying the ball due to it being teed too high now, you might well be trying to shove the clubhead through –like waving a stick at the ball, and causing its loft to be way too high. In good swings the clubhead is being dragged and it really is a bit delofted at impact. In a short while revisit ball flight when you find fairly consistent clubface impact and when you also "know more" about what is actually happening. I admire your intelligently noting the most important piece of information – impact! George Hibbard www.perfectimpact.com
Response:
you could be hitting on the up swing, or reverse pivoting, where your weight is over your left side at the top of your backswing, then when you make a stroke you shift the weight back to the right. try putting your left foot up on the toes and take a back swing, you will feel if the weight is on the left. or dont. spence
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi guys, I’m a beginner who has had a few group lessons and I’ve been visiting the range regularly but a consistant problem has been too much loft, my 5 i flies like a 9i, consequently I don’t get a lot of distance, I struggle to 100 y. I’m guessing part of the problem is which part of the club head hits the ball as the sweet spot is the only part of the club head which is completely unmarked : ) Any suggestions appreciated. Mary
Response:
Hi guys, I’m a beginner who has had a few group lessons and I’ve been visiting the range regularly but a consistant problem has been too much loft, my 5 i flies like a 9i, consequently I don’t get a lot of distance, I struggle to 100 y. I’m guessing part of the problem is which part of the club head hits the ball as the sweet spot is the only part of the club head which is completely unmarked : ) Any suggestions appreciated.
Hit the sweet spot. Also, make sure your hands are ahead of the ball at impact. A video camera will show you. Sounds like a lesson is in order to learn better technique – no shortcuts grasshopper.
Response:
Beginners often use their hands too early in the downswing. Instead of maintaining the angle between arms and shaft, they "flip" the club with early hand action and end up hitting upward at impact. If you seem to be topping the ball frequently, that could be your problem. Hi guys, I’m a beginner who has had a few group lessons and I’ve been visiting the range regularly but a consistant problem has been too much loft, my 5 i flies like a 9i, consequently I don’t get a lot of distance, I struggle to 100 y. I’m guessing part of the problem is which part of the club head hits the ball as the sweet spot is the only part of the club head which is completely unmarked : ) Any suggestions appreciated. Mary
– Regards, Petemoss kindly remove the numbers for my real address
Response:
IMHO. "flipping" is usually the result of trying to compensate for hitting shots fat. A lot of self-taught golfers are self-conscious not only about their swings, but also about taking muskrat pelt sized divots [as the ball goes just 30 yds]. Flipping the club is one way to avoid the big divots. To unlearn flipping, lessons and focused practices are essential. A golfer w/ flipping problems has to learn a flatter swing and a wrist cock that occurs as a result of the transition – instead of a conscious early wrist cock [for the typical full swing]. Then he/she has to trust that the club will ‘release itself’ at impact w/o a conscious flip by the hands. Note that stop action photos of most pro golfers show that the full release of the club occurs AFTER impact – release occurs through impact, not before. The flipper tries to release the club at/before impact and tops it, hits it high right, or fades it, or pulls it and gets less distance with more effort even if the timing of the flip is very good. Except for some specialty short shots or deep rough shots, take the club back LOW & slow and let the swing transition at the top cock your wrists. Then use your shoulders, arms, hips and legs to provide the power that is released through impact. To prove this to yourself, try to avoid any releasing of the club in a normal swing. Unless you have a 10 gram clubhead, it’s almost impossible. Oily, yet quiet wrists are a key for me. YMMV of course 
Beginners often use their hands too early in the downswing. Instead of maintaining the angle between arms and shaft, they "flip" the club with early hand action and end up hitting upward at impact. If you seem
to be topping the ball frequently, that could be your problem. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –