Thanks Graham. These are precisely the answers which I'm trying to find. I still don't feel as if I'm really 'slapping' the ball well, so I wonder if I'm wasting a lot of impact on slicing or spinning the ball. The other day I did hit a shot where the ball did seem to start of low and then rose after a while - but perhaps that was due to the wind or something afterall

pnearn : I guess that's the disadvantage of playing off the mat. I can't really tell what kind of divot I am taking. I know I'm supposed to and thought I have been "hitting down" on the ball all this while, but now I'm beginning to question whether I am even getting that concept right. Then again, is it really possible for me to scoop 110yds with the 7i? I have seen people scooping the balls in the range, these typically go around 60-80yds I think. My shots do fly high and nice (and straight), but I am just lacking that extra 20-40yds which I am aiming for. I only recently managed to get my backwing looking decent and on plane (specifically to keep my left wrist straight and not cupped - I've had a lot of problems with that), but now the downswing has become a whole new ballgame for me