I have a plan to hit it higher....then longer

m3golfjackson

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Ok, I'm 6'2, athletic, strong but I'm a wimp off the tee compared to most of my friends with similar ability.

My first problem is that I'm an extreme low-baller. Anything downhill or straight away with no trouble, I'm golden. But anything uphill or that requires a carry I'm doomed. I'm losing a ton of distance unless I get lucky. But I am pretty accurate and have a very small "miss" window.

Here's what I'm going to try.

1. Alignment - I need to ball further up in my stance aligned with the inside of my left toe. Sometimes I have it too far back in my stance
2. Left shoulder - I need to make sure I'm keeping my left shoulder high through impact. I have a tendency to dive or drop on the ball.
3. If I can conquer 1 and 2 then I should be able to 3. tee it higher and hit up on the ball at impact so that it flies higher. This is the major key. It may sound easy to do, but for me it's not.

Obviously, I have a few concerns with this - one I may loss some accuracy and two the ball may spin more and get less roll out. But the best and longest drivers I know rely on carry distance more often than roll out.

I can always go back to the status quo if this doesn't work but I'm always trying to find ways to get better at golf.


Any low ballers find a way to start hitting it higher off the tee?
 
Hitting up and high on the face gets less spin then down and low on the face. Launch it 15* or more with sub 2500 spin and it will carry far.
 
Ok, I'm 6'2, athletic, strong but I'm a wimp off the tee compared to most of my friends with similar ability.

My first problem is that I'm an extreme low-baller. Anything downhill or straight away with no trouble, I'm golden. But anything uphill or that requires a carry I'm doomed. I'm losing a ton of distance unless I get lucky. But I am pretty accurate and have a very small "miss" window.

Here's what I'm going to try.

1. Alignment - I need to ball further up in my stance aligned with the inside of my left toe. Sometimes I have it too far back in my stance
2. Left shoulder - I need to make sure I'm keeping my left shoulder high through impact. I have a tendency to dive or drop on the ball.
3. If I can conquer 1 and 2 then I should be able to 3. tee it higher and hit up on the ball at impact so that it flies higher. This is the major key. It may sound easy to do, but for me it's not.

Obviously, I have a few concerns with this - one I may loss some accuracy and two the ball may spin more and get less roll out. But the best and longest drivers I know rely on carry distance more often than roll out.

I can always go back to the status quo if this doesn't work but I'm always trying to find ways to get better at golf.


Any low ballers find a way to start hitting it higher off the tee?

Can you elaborate on "being a wimp off the tee"? How far do you hit your driver and how much further do you want to hit it?

I think your plan is spot on, but Luke Donald went chasing yards off the tee and it ended up hurting his game.
 
Ok, I'm 6'2, athletic, strong but I'm a wimp off the tee compared to most of my friends with similar ability.

My first problem is that I'm an extreme low-baller. Anything downhill or straight away with no trouble, I'm golden. But anything uphill or that requires a carry I'm doomed. I'm losing a ton of distance unless I get lucky. But I am pretty accurate and have a very small "miss" window.

Here's what I'm going to try.

1. Alignment - I need to ball further up in my stance aligned with the inside of my left toe. Sometimes I have it too far back in my stance
2. Left shoulder - I need to make sure I'm keeping my left shoulder high through impact. I have a tendency to dive or drop on the ball.
3. If I can conquer 1 and 2 then I should be able to 3. tee it higher and hit up on the ball at impact so that it flies higher. This is the major key. It may sound easy to do, but for me it's not.

Obviously, I have a few concerns with this - one I may loss some accuracy and two the ball may spin more and get less roll out. But the best and longest drivers I know rely on carry distance more often than roll out.

I can always go back to the status quo if this doesn't work but I'm always trying to find ways to get better at golf.


Any low ballers find a way to start hitting it higher off the tee?

Sliding your body forward off the tee?

I was a real lowball hitter up until last year when I started working on turning through the downswing and staying behind the ball at impact, rather than sliding forward. Allows me to hit the ball on an upward path resulting in higher, longer bombs. Judging by your cap in your profile and equipment in your sig, you have no problems making solid contact. So what I worked on might be the key for you. I went form a 9-10* launch angle with a driver set at 12*, to 14-16* launch with my driver set at 9.75*.
 
Sounds like you have the same problem as me. I'm a low hitter. Generate no spin. Ball was starting off low and was just dropping out of the sky. I believe I have managed to sort it.
First thing I sorted was my stance. I was a little narrow. Get those feet shoulder width apart. It creates a stable base, but more importantly, it gets you setting up with your body behind the ball. Tee the ball high (not ridiculously, I aim for 2 thirds to be sticking up above the driver.) Play the ball of the left heel. I've got more height and more distance and I can feel my strike has improved. Getting that stance out to shoulder width really was the big difference for me.


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I use to get off low tee shots, then I began teeing ball higher and forward more and now I get great loft and better distance. Accuracy has improved as well. I'm now hitting on average 12 of 14 FW's
 
Can you elaborate on "being a wimp off the tee"? How far do you hit your driver and how much further do you want to hit it?

I think your plan is spot on, but Luke Donald went chasing yards off the tee and it ended up hurting his game.

I'd say I average 250-260 off the tee. I know I can hit it longer. How much farther? Honestly 10 yards would be fine. I want the height more than anything.

I fear the idea of getting worse just like Luke, but I don't plan on changing anything else. I just want to hit it higher off the tee and hopefully, eventually longer.
 
Last edited:
Sliding your body forward off the tee?

I was a real lowball hitter up until last year when I started working on turning through the downswing and staying behind the ball at impact, rather than sliding forward. Allows me to hit the ball on an upward path resulting in higher, longer bombs. Judging by your cap in your profile and equipment in your sig, you have no problems making solid contact. So what I worked on might be the key for you. I went form a 9-10* launch angle with a driver set at 12*, to 14-16* launch with my driver set at 9.75*.

Oh yea, I'm a slider - or a diver is what I like to say. It's something I've worked on for years but can't always do it right.

I'll have to use that swing thought - turning through the downswing. Thanks, hope to be where you're at soon!
 
Oh yea, I'm a slider - or a diver is what I like to say. It's something I've worked on for years but can't always do it right.

I'll have to use that swing thought - turning through the downswing. Thanks, hope to be where you're at soon!
Just don't let that index follow mine! :D

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
Sounds like you have the same problem as me. I'm a low hitter. Generate no spin. Ball was starting off low and was just dropping out of the sky. I believe I have managed to sort it.
First thing I sorted was my stance. I was a little narrow. Get those feet shoulder width apart. It creates a stable base, but more importantly, it gets you setting up with your body behind the ball. Tee the ball high (not ridiculously, I aim for 2 thirds to be sticking up above the driver.) Play the ball of the left heel. I've got more height and more distance and I can feel my strike has improved. Getting that stance out to shoulder width really was the big difference for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks for that Mark_UK. Getting my stance to shoulder width is part of what I'm working on. I do believe that I can get too narrow as well.
 
Oh yea, I'm a slider - or a diver is what I like to say. It's something I've worked on for years but can't always do it right.

I'll have to use that swing thought - turning through the downswing. Thanks, hope to be where you're at soon!

It did make a huge difference though. Carry distance for me went from 230-240 range to 280-300 with the adjustments. Holes where I had to play around obstacles (bunkers, trees, etc) I go over them now.
 
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