why are my golf drives so low

Causes of a Low Drive in Golf

• Overview. Among the most desirable shots to many golfers is a quality drive. However, achieving a quality drive is no...
• Weight Distribution. When a golfer places too much weight on their front foot, it increases the chances of a golfer...
• Tee Placement. Often times, a low drive is caused simply by teeing the ball up too low. A number of...

Full Answer

What causes a low drive in golf swing?

Jul 22, 2010 · Causes of a Low Drive in Golf Overview. Among the most desirable shots to many golfers is a quality drive. However, achieving a quality drive is no... Weight Distribution. When a …

What are the causes of a low drive?

Let’s tackle some causes and cures for both groups. Cause: Insufficient clubhead speed – If you swing the driver at 90 mph or less, the ball won’t compress as much on the clubface and, …

Why do most golfers launch the ball too low?

Poor angle of attack. Another common cause of low and short drives is an incorrect angle of attack. Specifically, players who hit down steeply on the ball when swinging the driver may …

What causes low trajectory in golf?

Aug 12, 2009 · Although a softer flex may have a better "upkick" when the club hits the ball, the shaft alone shouldn't be enough to cause a super severe issue, especially with a 10* loft. If you …

What causes low drives in golf?

Why am I hitting my drives so low?

How do I get more height on my drives?

How do I stop hitting the golf ball so low?

Why am I topping my drives?

Why are my drives going low and left?

How far should you hit a 7 iron?

Does tee height affect driving distance?

How do I get more trajectory with my driver?

Why do my irons go so low?

How do I get more lift on my golf shot?

Why can't I get my iron shots in the air?

What happens if you hit a golf driver ball too low?

If you are fighting a golf driver ball trajectory too low at the moment, you are probably wasting your swing speed early in the downswing and not saving it up for impact. That leads to weak contact with the ball, and a shot that lacks the speed and spin to really get up into the air.

Why is my golf swing flat?

Cause: Swing is too flat – If your swing travels around the body on a flat (horizontal) path, the clubhead will approach the ball from inside the target line, effectively reducing its loft.

How does spin affect golf?

Spin makes the ball climb. While the launch angle of your shots determines the initial height of the ball flight, it is the backspin that you put on the ball that really determines the trajectory. If a shot has too little spin, it will remain close to the ground and take a ‘flat’ trajectory toward the target. Too much spin, however, will cause it to climb high into the air quickly, and it will likely fall short of where you expected it to land. The ideal amount of spin combines these two so the ball will hang in the air and travel the maximum distance down the fairway.

How to get better at driving a golf club?

Cure: Stand closer to the ball: By inching up on it, you’ll be forced to swing in a more vertical or upright manner, creating a steeper clubhead path, utilizing the club’s full loft and boosting the height of your drives. Also, make sure you aren’t teeing the ball too high, which flattens the swing.

What is low trajectory golf?

Low trajectory is a common affliction among golfers who lack clubhead speed, but even powerful players sometimes hit the ball lower than they’d like. Let’s tackle some causes and cures for both groups.

Why does my golf ball launch at 90 mph?

Cause: Insufficient clubhead speed – If you swing the driver at 90 mph or less, the ball won’t compress as much on the clubface and , therefore, it will launch on a relatively low trajectory without enough backspin to send it higher .

How to improve driver trajectory in golf?

One of the best golf swing tips to improve driver trajectory that you can get is simply to swing all the way through the shot with no hesitation at impact. Too many golfers struggle with a lack of confidence as they get toward impact, so they slow down their swing in fear of hitting a bad shot. Obviously, this is going to lead to poor results. Instead, make a confident swing and accelerate the club all the way through the hitting area to a full finish. You aren’t going to hit a great shot every time, but you will be far more successful this way than if you doubt yourself at the last moment.

Why does my drive fly low?

If your drives tend to fly low and travel shorter than you expect, the problem is clubhead speed – or rather, a lack thereof. Regardless of your size, fitness and flexibility, the body's big muscles (hips, torso, shoulders) must work in unison to create maximum speed.

Why are older golfers driving the ball past you?

So why are older, smaller golfers always driving the ball past you? Part of golf's great beauty is that size and strength aren't necessary to hit the ball long distances. Sound, efficient swing mechanics are much more important. That said, a solid swing paired with good physical tools can be a powerful combo.

How to improve your golf swing?

In other words, good swings use their various parts in the proper order to accelerate the club all the way from the top of the swing down into the ball. Remember, the club has to stop at the top to change directions, so you aren't carrying speed from the first half of your swing into the second. All the speed that you create in your swing has to be found somewhere between the top of the backswing and the moment of impact. To get your sequencing right, you will want to start the downswing by rotating your hips toward the target. If you can get your hips to lead the way, things will start to fall into place from there. Your lower body will be turning to the left, the club should fall 'into the slot', and you can fire on through the ball with confidence. Starting with your hips from the top is going to take practice – especially if you are used to starting down with your hands first – but making this change can have a powerful impact on your game as a whole.

How to do a downswing in golf?

Begin downswing with the lower body: A proper downswing starts with the left foot presing into the ground. This initiates the sequence in which the hips, torso, shoulders, arms and finally, the club, follow in order, and the clubhead accelerates into the ball. For more information on Thomas Golf drivers click here.

How to get better at hitting?

Here are a few ways to boost your swing speed and hit higher, longer drives: 1 Make a full shoulder turn: Standing before a mirror, test your flexibility by placing arms across chest in the form of an “X,” then rotating your shoulders to the right as far as possible. If you can turn until they're perpendicular to the mirror, you should strive for a backswing where the shoulders reach a 90° angle to the target line. 2 Transfer weight properly: At address with the driver, about 55-60 percent of your weight should be on your right foot. At the top of the backswing, you'll feel most of your weight on the right side. Swinging down and through, you must transfer weight to the left side to get the full force of your body's unwinding action into the ball. Try this drill to improve your weight shift.

What happens if you hit down steeply on the ball?

Specifically, players who hit down steeply on the ball when swinging the driver may struggle to get the ball up into the air. The combination of low swing speed and a downward angle of attack is particularly troublesome. Without much speed to work with, you'll struggle to impart much backspin on the ball. When that low spin rate combines ...

What does lag mean in golf?

Basically, lag means that you are lagging the club head behind your hands on the way down into impact. Rather than letting the club head lead the way, your hands are leading the way and the club head is going along for the ride.

How to know if you are delofting a golf club?

My guess is your hands are ahead of the clubhead at impact. Take video footage of your swing from the front and then play it frame by frame. Make sure you are hitting UP on the ball. Sometimes you will be surprised that what you see on the video is not what you felt when you swung the club.

Where is the contact on a golf club?

Check the face of the club to see where exactly you are striking the ball. It may be that you are making contact below the equator of the curved club face , rather than at the center or slightly above.

Why does my driver spin so much?

Well, remember that excessive spin with the driver is caused by having a negative (downward) attack angle. This means you need to try and shallow out your downswing path as much as possible. You should be attacking the ball from a level or even slightly upward angle (hitting up on the golf ball).

Why does my driver lose distance?

The most common cause of a sudden loss of distance with the driver is that golfers hit slightly down on the ball, which causes it to spin more. The more spin you put on the golf ball, the more energy is diverted from propelling the ball forward.

Why does the golf ball wear out?

This is because the repetitive impact between the golf ball and the clubface will slowly wear out the face of the driver. Also, during each contact with the golf ball, the shaft will flex causing it to wear out over time. Combined, these things can result in a decrease in distance.

How to maintain lag in golf?

Instead, you should maintain lag in the downswing (keep hands ahead of the clubhead) and hit down on the ball with your irons. This will ensure you’re using the loft of each iron properly and that it travels the appropriate distance.

Why do my irons travel the same distance?

If all your irons are traveling the same distance, it’s likely because you are not using the loft of each club correctly. Instead of hitting your irons with a downward strike, you’re probably releasing your hands too early and “scooping” the golf ball.

How much distance do you lose on a golf course?

Most golfers will achieve their max distance around the age of 30 or younger. After that, however, you can expect to lose about 10 yards every ten years.

What is the best way to improve golf swing?

When they hit the gym, they’ll focus on golf-specific strength training exercises that help build speed, power, and other essential components of the golf swing. Strengthening the muscles, ligaments, and joints puts you in a better position to handle the physical demands of the golf swing and prevent injury.

How does a slice affect golf?

That path is a ball flight killer because it leads to shots pulled to the left (for a right-handed player) or sliced off to the right. That path not only leads to pulls and slices, it also de-lofts your club so you’ll hit down too much on the ball and decrease important launch angle conditions. The result is once again lower shots and less distance. So, if you can fix your swing path issues, you’ll not only fix your slice, you’ll also flight the ball higher.

How high does the PGA pro hit the ball?

PGA Tour pros hit the ball a lot higher than you’d think. On average, the apex point of a tour pro’s ball flight is close to 100’ with every club in their bag. So when I see an average player hit what amounts to a line drive I know that they are losing lots of distance not to mention the proper spin on their shots.

Where is the lead ear on a golf ball?

At our golf school we like to get your lead ear in line with your hands and the back of the golf ball. We also like to see the lead ear at the back of the ball at impact. If your head moves forward during your downswing you’ll hit down on the ball too much resulting in a lower than optimal ball flight.

Should you move the ball forward with shorter irons?

There’s an old thought that the ball should move back in your stance with shorter irons but that is a faulty idea with today’s equipment. Different swing shapes will lead to slightly different ball positions for some players but, in general, get your ball forward if you want to hit your shots higher. Copy this neutral grip and you’ll start playing ...

Is hitting down a bad idea?

In general though, hitting down is a bad idea because it leads to less loft on the club and less forward motion to your target and finish position.

Is a strong grip good for golf?

Copy this neutral grip and you’ll start playing better golf. Your Grip Is Too Strong: A strong grip in golf is a real loft killer. If your hands are turned clockwise too much as you look down at them they’ll have a real tendency to over rotate through impact and de-loft the golf club.

Why is my golf ball low?

The low ball flight is because you're likely hitting down on the ball. Place a head cover 10 inches past the ball and try not to hit the head cover, this will promote an angle of attack of hitting up on it.

Why does a golf ball start off straight?

The ball starts off reasonable straight because of the open face (open to club path, square to target line) but will have side spin and slice.

How to straighten a golf ball out?

Another thing that will straighten the ball out is to change the swing plane so you are hitting on a higher swing plane than your current swing. Try to position your hands a little higher at the top of the swing. Try to get hands above your head at the top of your swing. One other thing you can check is your grip.

How to hit a golf ball through a stick?

Take a stick, old golf shaft, whatever and stick it in the ground about six feet in front of your ball on a direct line to the hole (or target) . Standing directly behind the ball. Line up the stick, ball, and flag (or target). We agree that you need to hit the ball through or over the stick to be on an exact line to the hole or target, right? guide: golf-tipsandfacts.com/.../

What causes a hook in a golf club?

A hook is caused by a super closed club face as well as probably flipping the hands and wrists through impact.

How to fix a wrong shaft on a golf swing?

You could have the wrong shaft for your swing. For a quick fix, try weakening your left hand on the grip, in effect opening the face of your driver. This, if done properly, should add height to your drives and eliminate your hook. Spend some time at the range to figure out how much to weaken your left hand grip.

Can you change your swing on a slice?

I have been able to fix 90% of people’s slices and over-the-top swings simply by pointing out this geometry fact to them. No swing changes are required; just knowing where to hit will change the swing on its own.

Why is the average golfer losing distance?

Did you know that the average golfer is losing a ton of distance, simply by not optimizing ball launch physics? Most golfers launch the ball either too low, with too much spin, or a combination of both — sapping their game of distance.

What does AOA mean in golf?

Angle of attack (AOA) relates to whether your club is coming down, level or up into the ball through impact. Combine this with the loft of the club, and it affects both our launch angle and our spin rate.

How to feel your hands moving through impact?

Feel as if your hands move upward through impact. Ideally, this is done by allowing your left shoulder to rise through impact, although some great ball strikers such as long-driver Jamie Sadlowski do it by allowing the left arm to bend slightly through impact. Look at the underside of the ball as you impact it.

Is chipping a good short game?

I think that’s because both chipping and putting are primarily “feel” shots. Yes, technique is important, but I’ve seen good chippers with all kinds of form and fundamentals.

Can recreational golfers improve their scoring?

I’m totally convinced the majority of recreational golfers can make the quickest and biggest improvement in our scoring if we will just dedicate the time to learn good chipping technique and to practicing that technique with a purpose.

Do you putt with a lighter club or putter?

In employing this technique, however, realize that the club you are “putting” with weighs much less than your putter, so you want to grip the club much lighter to make the club feel heavier. It takes just a little practice to see what different clubs will do with this putt/chip technique.

Can golfers chip the ball well?

I’ve always admired golfers who can really chip the ball well. Through my years in golf, I have seen players of all handicaps who are excellent chippers, and all tour professionals are masters of chipping it close. But for such a simple little stroke and challenge, chipping seems to be a part of the game that eludes many of us.