A close look into Early Extension and Ball Flight.
What you do with your body will affect your launch conditions and ball flight.
We had the opportunity to work with one of our up and coming players back in October, then again in January.
Initially, he reported distance control issues specifically while playing into the wind. We viewed his golf swing using 3D electromagnetic sensors and found he was early extending, (thrusting his lower body toward the golf ball during the downswing).
Later we checked his equipment and measured his ball flight characteristics using a launch monitor. We learned he generated PGA Tour average ball speeds and launch angles however his backspin rates were higher than optimal particularly while hitting his long irons and driver. The excessive backspin rates caused his shots to balloon.
A “ballooning” shot is one that starts on a given trajectory but rises to it’s apex too quickly then falls rapidly creating a steep angle of descent into the ground. The problem with ballooning ball flight it that it reduces overall carry distance and is minimally effective while playing into the wind.
The launch monitor we used provided a face impact map which identified where each shot impacted the club face. We reviewed the launch monitor data and discovered that our player was making impact toward the heel of the golf club while early extending during his downswing. Without significant manipulation of the golf club during early extension the face impact position will move from the center of the club face toward the heel. When heel impact is made, a greater rate of backspin is imparted than if impact were to occur in the center of the club face.
Since we had observed the player’s early extension in 3D and recorded heel impact using our performance monitor we concluded that the player’s motor pattern was at fault for the excessive backspin rates and ballooning ball flight.
Certain scenarios allow for stronger lofts or the utilization of various shafts and equipment to reduce backspin rates to more optimal levels. However, since our player had ideal ball speeds and launch angles we did not want to apply stronger lofts in this case. The primary reason being we didn’t want to lower his launch angle (particularly in the long irons) and create too flat of a ball flight with the longer clubs making it difficult to hold greens from long distances.
At the end of this player’s initial visit we prescribed a workout plan to attack physical faults, particularly a correction for his deep squat test, which we know correlates highly to early extension. We also prescribed motor learning drills and decided to attack the issues seen in the body before addressing his equipment any further.
Let’s jump forward to his second visit.
Our player returned and went back through 3D. This time we didn’t find evidence of early extension concluding that the physical work and motor learning drills we had prescribed did the job.
Next we observed his ball flight characteristics. It’s interesting to note that before we began to hit shots on the launch monitor the player indicated that he no longer had problems controlling his distances while playing into the wind.
We were happy to see the launch monitor confirmed his findings. This time, the player not only exhibited ideal ball speeds and launch angles with the same clubs tested in October, but his backspin rates were optimal as well. In fact, his backspin rate was reduced by 1,000rmps in certain clubs. Furthermore the player did not produce any more ballooning ball flights, his ball speeds with long irons and his driver had increased, and we observed more central impact on the club face.
Overall, this was a case where had we initially gave the player stronger lofted clubs to limit his backspin rates (as he requested) he would have now been suffering from too low of backspin rates since the physical and motor corrections.
It’s not only important to understand how the body relates to the golf swing but also equally important to foresee how potential changes in equipment and the body will effect your play.
Sometimes the best resolution to problem in your golf game may be a change in equipment, other times it’s a change in the body or motor patterns, sometimes it’s a little of both.
In any case we anticipate potential results of any changes we recommend before we act. This approach allows us to work together with players efficiently, all the while obtaining the most effective results.
Comment below to share a story of your ball flight or swing issues, or for a private reply to your story send us an email at feedback@swingworksgolf.com.
Tags: Ball Flight, Early Extension, Swing Fault
