Help hitting irons.

I've recently because quite proficient at hitting my driver. Usually carrying about 310-320 and sometimes beyond. Before this improvement, irons were my best, and basically any of them. Not so anymore. While I know the general things that cause me problems (dropping shoulder, popping up hips) I still don't really know what a good iron swing looks like or is made up of.

If anyone has a great step by step video or website about hitting say a 4 or 5 iron, I'd really appreciate some help.

Thanks

This is probably not the answer you are looking for, but...

it's the same swing.

The only thing different is ball placement. You are trying to connect between club and ball just before the bottom of your swing arc, instead of just after (like with the driver).

Since it sounds like making contact is the problem, try this next time. Take practice swings and try to take a shallow divot. Note where the divot occurs in your stance, and play the ball just at the start of the divot.

Let us know how that works out. Btw, what is your swing speed and what sort of shafts do you have in your driver vs. irons?

This is one of my major problems too. I can hit my driver and 3wood off the tee fine, not as far as you but can keep it in the fairway consistently. My chipping and putting are hit and miss but not too bad. Irons on the other hand...I find I will launch a nice drive and then end up topping or chunking my 2nd shot. Next thing you know it took me an extra 3 shots just to get on the green.

I'm not sure on the swing speed. I know I swing way faster with my driver. I've been trying to just make a nice smooth iron swing to help with accuracy. The shaft on my driver is the stock "S" shaft for the R5, I'm assuming that means stiff. For my irons I'm forced to used crappy graphite until I can afford some nicer clubs. I'll be getting steel when I do get something new.

So, by your advice the only thing different is ball placement, is that front and back only or also how far away I am from the ball? When I use a driver I stand much farther away from the ball. I think part of my problem is I just don't know where to stand for iron shots.

Yes you will stand closer with each iron. Think of the body as a tripod, as the club gets shorter, you stand closer to stay in balance. Likewise the stance gets narrower with shorter clubs.

Look up Shawn Clement on youtube. His videos should get you in the right direction.

one swing for all shots.

play the ball slightly less in the front of your stance then you would with a 3 wood or driver and then just take your regular swing, bring the clubhead down to the ball and voila.

Yes, it is the same swing basically, but there is something fundamentally different about hitting a ball off the ground rather than off a tee. If we could tee the ball up for every shot many of us probably would. I don't have a brilliant answer for you. If I did I would be hitting my irons much better. What is it about hitting it off the ground that throws us off. It is fat shots mainly for me. Damn ground comes up and grabs my club before I can hit the ball.

I play a 5 iron on occassion but my 4 iron is replaced with a hybrid 25 degree.

In your first post, you said your drives carry 310-320+? I would guess that you don't actually hit it that far, but have a high swing speed. In which case graphite shafts (I'll assume not stiff) probably are contributing to your troubles.

"Nice clubs" aren't nearly as important as properly fitted clubs. I would look into stiffening up your iron shafts. What are your iron shots doing?

i wish my driver carried beyond 320 yards....POOOWWWW!

I haven't had my swing speed checked but I'm certain of distance. I no-hopped a green at 305 whole last night with the green being probably 35-50 vertical feet higher than the tee box. I've also used my clubhouses range finder to double check some distances at the range as sometimes their posted measurements are suspicious.

When I strike them well they do what they're supposed to. It's just that my head screws with me and I'm not really sure about the proper swing. This leads to inconsistencies and shanks. With the driver I don't really think about anything, I just let'er rip. I'm thinking about just ponying up and paying for a brief lesson or three.

I hope I don't come off as a jerk here, but I always seem to be the one calling people out for stuff.

You usually carry 310-320 off the tee? So you usually hit it 340ish? That's pretty hard to believe. I don't know where you play, but most courses if you're hitting it that far, why do you even need irons? You should be going driver/wedge on almost anything that's not a par 5.

Believe what you want, it makes no difference to me. But about your other comment, I usually play city courses, and usually executive courses at that. The two 9 hole courses I frequent the most only have 2 holes where a driver is needed. a 305 and a 290-something. There are also plenty 150-250 yard holes on the courses I play. Even if I didn't need them, which I do, why wouldn't I want to get better?

It wasn't really a serious question. I was just stating that if you hit the ball that far, who needs irons?

Of course you still need to learn how to hit solid iron shots. I was just responding to your length off the tee.

How is the ball flight on your driver,& irons stright,fade,slice,draw,hook?

If I don't shank my irons they are usually very straight. If I don't get a good strike with my driver it will slice a little bit.

Have you tried putting a little more weight on your front leg at set up with the irons?
You might possibly be hanging back a little with the irons.

I haven't really tried anything yet. I was hitting them GREAT last week and then this week I've been hitting the worst that I ever have. I'm gonna go to the range tomorrow and try some things out. Might see if I can stack and tilt.