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Am i seeking the wrong goal?

INgolfer

INgolfer

Internet Golfer
Joined
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Indiana
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My game has improved quite a bit over the last year. I have put in a lot of work and still have a lot more I want to accomplish. I thought I knew what I needed to find in order to improve my performance,but the more I read about what others goals are I'm not sure if I am trying to go in the right direction or not. Let me start here....

I went through my first ever fitting last year at the Callaway Fitting Studio in Chicago. It was one of the coolest experiences I had leading up to The Morgan Cup last year. I gained a lot of knowledge about my swing, and it was completely different than what I thought I needed. However, some of you may remember that after my fitting I was concerned about the shaft I was fit for. I had ordered a set of Diablo Forged (not for the MC, this was just for personal use) with some Nippon shafts. Upon playing with these irons I gained 20-30 yards per iron, but my flight was super high, and many shots ballooned any time I played in any wind above 5mph. My club pro said that the spin on the ball was completely dying at the apex of the flight, and that the shaft I was using was made to hit the ball high, and I tended to be a high iron hitter to begin with. The results were not good, but I took all the great info I got from my fitting, such as knowing I needed a shaft between stiff and regular, in order to make the decision to go to the PX 5.5 on my Callaway X Forged irons to bring the flight down. I still went with the 1/2" long recommended by my fitter. The result was the best golf of my life. My game improved, my accuracy was great, and my ball striking improved. However, my flight is still relatively high on my irons. I thought maybe it was just in my head, but some fellow THPers and my club pro pointed that out to me. It is not uncomfortably high like the Nippons, but I know if it is windy (which is common here in Indiana) I definitely have to take that wind into consideration.

So my next goal was to see if I could get the flight a little lower. A few people have recommended trying the C Taper. I've had a couple people say that the PX Flighted is about as low of a trajectory as you can find in most steel shafts, and I've had some just say to stick with what I've got because it is working so well. I thought I should go with a lower trajectory, but it seems like the more I read others posts about irons they always get excited about a higher flight. I know higher can sometimes mean more distance, but for me if I can get the same distance with a lower trajectory I would think that would be ideal, right? Am I just wasting my time trying to get a lower trajectory though?

This morning, for instance, Tadashi posted about the 6i testing he was doing with the X Hot, and he was glad that he was seeing higher flights after a while. So while some golfers are seeking that higher launch, I feel like I'm crazy for seeking a lower launch. Some of you have seen my game, some have not. For those who have seen it, I welcome all suggestions or comments on if I'm seeking the right goal or not. for those who arent familiar with how I play, feel free to Gove me some thoughts on why you choose to go after higher trajectories or lower trajectories. I am just starting to feel that I may be trying to go in the wrong direction, and after all the progress I have made I dont want to set myself back.

So after all that rambling...why do you seek a higher trajectory or lower trajectory based on your own personal experiences and how have the results effected your game?
 
I also hit a fairly high ball and was complaining about it to my pro and his response was that he likes a high ball. After switching to my Pings, my ball flight is a bit lower than it was with the SGI irons I was playing. I hit a really high drive the other day and didn't like it until I saw it carried longer than my normal drive ends up. I have seen the advantages of hitting a high ball on my course since most of our greens are elevated. I've also seen the disadvantage on windy days.
 
I think of trajectory as a means to an end. I was happy with extra trajectory after moving the RocketBladez irons because it meant (I think) more distance and better receptiveness into the greens with longer irons. What is your objective with changing trajectory? Are you seeing negative impacts from playing in the wind? Do you perceive that you'd get extra control with a lower ball flight? I guess I think 'too high' is relative...too high for what?
 
IN- you have to follow your own path. Personally I think you would be greatly aided with a lower more piercing ball flight. The two times I have played with you, your distances have been off. Too much trouble with a high ball (like yours)

I also think your swing creates a high launch and switching shafts won't bring it down like you think. I say you keep dancing with who you brought and go Ctaper R flex. You have solid game and don't need to tinker with it.
 
Tadashi70 said:
IN- you have to follow your own path. Personally I think you would be greatly aided with a lower more piercing ball flight. The two times I have played with you, your distances have been off. Too much trouble with a high ball (like yours)

I also think your swing creates a high launch and switching shafts won't bring it down like you think. I say you keep dancing with who you brought and go Ctaper R flex. You have solid game and don't need to tinker with it.
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Well stated Freddie. He does have a very solid game. Heck he shot a PB on Sunday last year at the MC.
 
I like a high ball flight with the exception being into the wind. My thought has always been that the longer the ball is in the air, the further it will travel. The key is learning to hit a low ball when hitting into the wind and I'm fairly good at that. I've never gained anything close to the kind of distance you have gained (20-30 yards) when changing irons. That is pretty huge. As long as you have control those kinds of gains is something we all would like.
 
I've been seeking a higher trajectory on my irons and woods this past year. After some lessons I've been having some success and hope it continues through my MC journey.
 
tequila4kapp said:
I think of trajectory as a means to an end. I was happy with extra trajectory after moving the RocketBladez irons because it meant (I think) more distance and better receptiveness into the greens with longer irons. What is your objective with changing trajectory? Are you seeing negative impacts from playing in the wind? Do you perceive that you'd get extra control with a lower ball flight? I guess I think 'too high' is relative...too high for what?
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My goal is accuracy, not distance. I lost those extra 30 yards by going to the PX from the Nippons, but I cut 4-5 strokes off of what I was shooting with the Nippons. But I am an average length hitter even with the PX (ex. 170 on my 6i). But I don't want to lose more distance by switching to something lower. That is why the C Taper interested me, it doesn't seem like those who like them lost any distance.
 
I don't think you're crazy at all, I have an extremelyyy high ball flight and dislike it as well. Mine is most likely a swing flaw being so new to the game.
 
Brad I've only seen your game once but its very solid. I do agree with Freddie in that your flight could down some I know the day we played in Ohio, neither of hit the ball exceptional well but I felt like I seen a fair amount of your skill. I think that your swing is just going to produce a higher flight, much like Canadans does. I'm not sure there is a lot that you can club/shaft wise to get the flight down. And lower launching shaft will help, but I'm not sure how much it will help get the boring flight you want. I would just dance with the girl that brought you to where you are out and work at adding a lower flight to your game. Keep the higher ball as your stock shot and work on adding a lower flighted shot to your skill set to allow you to play in the wind. But I think getting a chance to play or test some different iron shafts would be a great thing for you to do. Not necessarily to get fit to one but to just see what different shafts will do with the flight of your ball.
 
Tadashi70 said:
IN- you have to follow your own path. Personally I think you would be greatly aided with a lower more piercing ball flight. The two times I have played with you, your distances have been off. Too much trouble with a high ball (like yours)

I also think your swing creates a high launch and switching shafts won't bring it down like you think. I say you keep dancing with who you brought and go Ctaper R flex. You have solid game and don't need to tinker with it.
Click to expand...

I think if I were to give the C tapers a try I would go with the R+ so I can stay between stiff and regular.
 
Bradd what is your main goal when hitting irons?? spin, distance, shot shaping or wind control ???
 
Just to hit it straight, lol. If I don't have to worry about the wind as much that would be great. I get a nice mid trajectory with my driver and I love how it penetrates through the wind and hardly moves, I'd love to see the same thing with my irons.
 
Maybe I just need to work with the pro on adding a lower shot to my abilities and just figure out what it is about my swing that creates a higher flight. That way I can have my normal shot that has been working well and when I need to avoid the wind I can figure out how to keep it low.
 
INgolfer said:
So after all that rambling...why do you seek a higher trajectory or lower trajectory based on your own personal experiences and how have the results effected your game?
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After playing a year with S300 shafts on my irons, I've been planning to change to KBS Tour, to get a slightly higher trajectory. With my swing, the higher trajectory gives some added length.
 
INgolfer said:
Just to hit it straight, lol. If I don't have to worry about the wind as much that would be great. I get a nice mid trajectory with my driver and I love how it penetrates through the wind and hardly moves, I'd love to see the same thing with my irons.
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Well the PX is definitely designed to give a more penetrating flight. I have found myself balloning balls of late but only when i go after it. I'm currently using the uniflex Callaway shaft in the Razr X Blacks but think the PX 95 in 5.5 would be better this time around
 
Yeah I know the PX Flighted is intended to give a penetrating flight, thats why I'm not sure if a C-Taper would help much. Like some others have said, I think it just my swing that creates the high flight and it works very well for me, so maybe I should stick with it. I just need to find a way to add a low ball to my arsenal in case the situation arises where I need it. I am already planning on getting a series of lessons again this year to fine tune some things, and that is definitely something that could be considered instead of trying to change up something that is working so well for me. The one thing that makes me nervous about trying a different shaft such as the C Taper is that I heard it has a completely different feel to it, and I don't know how that would effect my swing. This is definitely something I intent to talk to the pro about a little more also as I begin working with him again once the weather breaks.
 
I think your ball flight is pretty good man. I might leave it alone and try to work on some sort of knockdown shot that you can go to consistently but keep everything else the same. I know people who would kill for your ball flight.
 
I am in the same boat as you are, I too have a high ball flight. I tend to hit the ball a lot higher than people I play with, but my launch angle is good, and while going thru fitting sessions, never has the height of my ball flight raised an eyebrow. I tend to get max carry, but minimal roll due to this as well. In my driver, I would LOVE a lower ball flight, just to get more roll, but that I am sure will come with lowering my spin rate which is something I am working on. Now with my irons, I get a lot more carry than most of the people I play with, thus allows me to hit shorter irons into greens than they do because of this.

I am working on a knockdown shot for windy days, but as much as I have wanted to change my ball flight, I have decided to leave that alone as it has never "hurt" me.
 
Really, I am not sure that shafts and setup are the answer. From your handicap and some of the other posts, you are clearly a skilled golfer. I imagine that you have the ability to work with your pro to have several trajectories in your locker, so a high floater that lands soft and a driller that pierces the wind. Nice problem to have!
 
I personally feel that 99.9% of amateurs and 40% of teaching professionals dont know what too high is. Hitting a high ball is the absolute best trait you can have in your overall golf game. And the best skill you can have is learning to flight it lower.

Lower may look nicer, but it certainly doesnt play nicer. Ask Rory, he hits one of the highest balls on the PGATour iirc.

Ive been waiting to gain the funds to be able to purchase irons that I can hit a good 30 feet higher, because I just hit it too low.


Jman is a good candidate for answering in this thread as well.
 
Brad, while I have not seen you hit a ball (yet!), you need to play the shot that you have the most success with most of the time. Now, in saying that, if you keep your 'higher' shot, you might consider working on getting a knock down or closed shot with your woods and irons for those wind situations. That might be a bit easier to work on than a whole game change!
 
good thread IN.... i think most people don't realize what a good ball flight should look like. i am lucky in i have always had a high ball flight so even with C tapers i still have a high ball flight. which is fine for me especially with my irons i feel like i can hit good distances with little roll out even from lower lofted irons so its easier to play smarter golf. when you don't know how much roll out you are going to get i think it causes more problems with your irons. but i also get no roll with my driver so i guess i would want a much lower ball flight with my driver and higher with my irons. I'd go for another fitting and see what they say for your spin if the spin is good and you can keep it lower i think thats good. that way you'll have a nice ball fight and hold greens.
 
Keep in mind that you want all of your clubs to go the same height (within a few yards of each other). And depending on your swingspeed, Im guessing on yours, you want your max height to be 80-90 ft in the air.
 
IN- getting a flight shot in your game wouldn't be bad but I don't think your goals are wrong. Having several shots in your bag doesn't hurt. As for a low or mid ball, I played that way for years with no issues. I always had enough spin to stop the ball where it need to be.
 
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