Hinging and distance
 

Im curious to know what the difference would be in potential distance between horizontal or angled hinging. Is it possible to estimate, say, a percentage loss when using angled?

Asking because I think it's time to bite the bullet and just stick with angled hinging with the driver and 3wood.

Horizontal hinging produces the purest of impacts. The ball does not “leak” off the clubface because the ball compresses on the clubface longer. Angled hinging produces a fade because the ball slides up and off the clubface.
But neither hinging is longer or shorter since Hitters mash the ball harder, use more right arm muscle driving into the ball with extreme prejudice to overcome any lose of distance the hinge produces. Swingers with pure impact, the spin of a draw on the ball wouldn’t use a hard driving right arm and jeopardize the CF nature of the hinge motion.
So without factoring in other skills and equipment- both should drive the ball as far as you can.

OK i wasnt clear enough. Lets say there was some magical machine set up to be a manipulated hands swinger, it takes two swings, one with horizontal hinging the other with angled. Can anyone estimate the difference between the two (%), in terms of distance only.

(Machine / Yoda) :lol:

Top 5 longest drivers on PGA
 

Top five driving distance in PGA (7 May 05):
1 Scott Hend 315.2
2 Brett Wetterich 307.1
3 Hank Kuehne 301.3
4 Tiger Woods 301.1
5 John Elliott 299.9

hmm.....who hits with the driver? On the other hand, who swings? There is a reason why 95% of pros swing with their drivers (with horizontal hinge).

I would wager that most of us aren't pros with the natural talent they bring to the game. My experience finds little distance difference with either stroke. I prefer to Swing my longer clubs but not because of the distance but I have a harder time bringing the longer shaft into impact with a cross line approach. My 6i down to my PWs are absolutely mashed and have been consistently longer and straighter. I, like many pros, my guess here too, naturally pull the club in line and “Hitting” isn’t their first stroke language.

As I posted, a Swing with HH and its purest of impact will produce a longer shot then an AH, but an AH with a Hit stroke and the added right arm muscle can compensate any distance loss.

Some can crush it with a Hit stroke -- Ted. And some can't -- me. But my guess is that Ted could crush it Swinging too.

A student of TGM will find no reason to think one stroke will produce a shorter inferior shot.

Hitting and swinging seem equally efficient. The difference is in the players. If strong- Hit. If quick- Swing. If both- do either. Or both.

I personally prefer swining because it requires less effort and concentration. And generally, it looks more effortless. I'm lazy. Why try harder just to hit the same distance? (cuz it feels good!)

Total agreement.

It has always been "Pull, Pull, Pull," for me but the Joy of Hitting has been a rather unexpected treat, as many of us have discovered. An acquired taste perhaps. I don't feel it to be more of an effort to produce- in fact it is a lazy slow acceleration with high thrust then the cranked up release of the flywheel from the start. An acquired taste for sure. :D

glad you two have that sorted :wink:

now to the question :roll: :lol: