No Height on Hybrids & Fairway Woods
A student asked for help because he was not getting any height on his hybrids and fairway woods. Here was my response:
Hi Todd,
Generally, the biggest culprit when you’re not getting height with fairway woods or hybrids is incorrect ball position at setup—usually too far back in the stance.
If the ball is played in the middle of your stance or too far back, one or more of the following may apply:
- You’ve positioned it there because you want to use your hands to hit at the ball, and that feels like the best position to make contact.
- You won’t be able to rotate and will have to use your hands to save the shot; otherwise, you’ll shank it or block it to the right (for a right-handed golfer).
- You started with the ball in the correct position, but you didn’t keep your weight forward—60% or more on your front foot—during the backswing. Instead, you moved off the ball, effectively changing its position relative to your body.
If you slide onto your back foot during the backswing, you’ll need to slide back toward your front foot. If you’re sliding, you cannot be rotating, so you must use your hands to try to save the shot.
What to do
Set up with the ball aligned with your front hip socket or even your front toe. Learn to rotate rather than flip at the ball.
At impact, the shaft must be in line with your front arm, and you must be rotating. If you do this, the ball will get up easily, have height, and travel far and straight.
Ross
P.S. To know for sure which of the above issues—or combination of issues—is affecting your shots, I need to see a couple of videos of your swing. That way, we’re not guessing, and I can also look for other elements that will help improve your swing. I call this a Golf Swing Analysis.