golf fanatic 57

Situation: I went to the driving range today and hit about 75 balls. I have a rough slice. I adjusted my ball placement, grip, and tucked my elbow in. In doing this, my slice was not as bad. I did hit a few straight. When I pracitce swinging, it looks great and straight. When I get up to hit a ball, it not so hot.

Question: On a scale from 1 to 10(1-none, 10-all), How much muscle do you put in your swing? I am putting little in my practice swing, and much when I go to the driving range. Could this be one reason I still have a slice?

300Yards

To be honest with you, I don't feel I put hardly any effort into my swing. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being no muscle, and 10 being 100% muscle, I'm about a 3. Honestly. Don't try as hard! You ahve the right idea on your technique, just keep trying and you'll get it right!

tkessel

Getting a smooth relaxed swing is what I try to do.

If I try to hit the ball hard, I might miss it completely.

When I swing the club properly, I feel like it is almost effortless, and the ball goes far (for me, for example, 155 yards with a 5 iron and range ball is good). If I start trying to hit the ball hard, I will top it, miss it, slice it, hit it fat and take a big divot behind the ball, etc.

Having a couple of lessons with a good pro really helped.

__________________
Ted Kessel in Columbus, OH
Ping G5 12deg driver (currently only used at the range!),
Ping G5 3 Wood,
Ping Rapture 18 deg., 21 deg., 24 deg. hybrids,
4-PW Rapture Irons. Ping Eye Sandwedge.
Ping Ug-Le Putter.

300Yards

Yep, same for me. I know my comfort zone..and if I exceed it..well, bad things can happen. I don't try any harder, becasue my drives already go over 300..any more distance is just really unnecessary, IMO. It's all about the short game!

King

learn how to hit it strait before you put muscle behind it

Foster4

umm when you swing your actually using muscle but its more a contricting and restricting movement...so your using alot of muscle whether you swing hard or easy...the club head speed is based on your rotation and the coc of your wrist and how you release it on your downswing.

golf fanatic 57

Thanks, guys. I need to learn how to relax and try not to rush it. I went in the back yard last night and hit some practice balls. They went straight when I didn't try to put alot of muscle behind it.

TMC

One great thing about not rushing it is you'll be able to keep a more relaxed grip. My pro told me recently that my backswing was too fast. And because of this, I had to clamp down on the club so it wouldn't fly out of my hands (exaggeration, but you get the idea). That was throwing off my swing a lot! Once I slowed down on my back swing a bit, my balls went a lot straigher and further!

Cheers,
-TMC

__________________
Driver & 3 Wood: Pinemeadow Doublewall
5 & 7 Wood: Maltby Logic Gold
3 & 4 Hy: Pinemeadow Command Hy brid
5 - W: Rimfire Performance + with True Temper Custom Lite Sensicore shafts
Putter: Chipshot $0.50 Promo
Balls: Nike MOJO 2005 Vintage

Butz

Hey,

I think the more muscle you put into your swing, whether 3/4 or full swing, the more you will slice your ball or topped it.

Instead, swing it naturally and effortless. Just relaxed and swing a smooth swing.

When you goto a practice range, the balls you used their are old balls, and when you goto the fairway and used a slightly used or new ball, your ball flight will goto a 20 to 30yard distance.

for example, at the practice range, my pitching wedge is around 120yards, but when im on the fairway, with a new ball, it flies to 150 yards or even farther.

at the practice range, my 8th iron flies to 170 but with a new ball, my 8th iron flies to 200 yards ( without bounce .)

When your muscle is stiff, the more you will not swing perfectly. Becoz you are too conscious, just empty your mind, look DOWN at the ball, and let your caddy looked where your ball is going.

Enjoy the game.

__________________
For the Love of the Game,

Butz

Foster4

As for the tight grip the reason you want a loose grip is so your muscles can relax to constrict and release through your swing...a tight grips cuases the muscle to tighten not allowing them to contrict and more importantly release...

your using alot of muscle whether or not you think about it