So I have been thinking my carry and total yardage might be better than they actually are. Are these numbers pretty typical for a 23 handicap? I have power, but I struggle with consistency and experience.
Distance alone doesn’t really relate to handicap, but there are a couple of interesting things here. The main one is that you hit your 7 iron 160 yards (which is decent) but only hit your driver 190 yards (which isn’t so good). Your iron distances suggest you should be hitting your driver around 250 yards, and that could help improve your score. Dispersion, meaning how straight your shots are, is a big factor that helps tell me more about your handicap.
@Zeph
My main issue with the driver is that I NEED to slow my swing speed to avoid slicing. I’m not sure if it’s about club length or if it’s a personal issue.
MsPrettyGirl said:
@Zeph
My main issue with the driver is that I NEED to slow my swing speed to avoid slicing. I’m not sure if it’s about club length or if it’s a personal issue.
Is your 3 wood easier to control? If it is, have you tried playing a round without using your driver?
@Zeph
I just bought the 3 wood and this is the result of my first time hitting it (as well as the 4 hybrid and 5 hybrid). From my short test, the 3 wood is much better under control.
MsPrettyGirl said:
@Zeph
My main issue with the driver is that I NEED to slow my swing speed to avoid slicing. I’m not sure if it’s about club length or if it’s a personal issue.
What kind of flex do you have on your driver shaft? If you can hit a 7 iron 160 yards, you should at least have a stiff flex shaft. Switching to a stiffer shaft changed everything for me. I also felt the need to swing the driver smooth and slowly to control it, but that’s not ideal.
@Clove
The driver is stiff. My issue is slicing when I try to power down on my swing. I really have to slow it down whenever I’m hitting my 5 hybrid and lower.
I’m a 20 handicap with almost the same range. I’m a bit longer, but not by much.
This was my situation about two years ago. Two things stand out: your low irons are about 10 yards shorter than they should be, and your driver is on the shorter side. With your low irons, you’re likely just scooping and not compressing the ball, or you’re delofting the club at impact. With your driver, you probably have a negative angle of attack—work on hitting up on the ball. It’s a different swing than the rest of your clubs.
@madisonwilson
I send my drives high. I almost hit the ceiling of the simulator with my driver yesterday, which was quite embarrassing. I do agree that I’m not compressing my irons. I’m just kind of slinging them out there. My yardages aren’t consistent either. Sometimes I hit my 7 iron 180 yards, and other times it’s just 60 yards.
@MsPrettyGirl
That’s just how it is as a high handicapper (which I still consider myself at 19). Time spent on the course fixes everything.
Do you always get about 22 yards of roll with your hybrids?
Morgan said:
Do you always get about 22 yards of roll with your hybrids?
This is just the average I figured out over 10 shots on the simulator for each club. I just bought those hybrids, and this was my first time using them. I’m sure I could get a little more distance once I get used to them.
It’s more about your shot dispersion than your distance.
Your slice isn’t caused by your swing speed, and slowing it down isn’t helping. The club path and club face are the two factors that cause a slice, so you should figure out which one (or both) needs work.