Difference Between Irons Off Tee and Off Grass

I'm having a problem with my middle irons (5-6-7). Right now I can hit off the tee pretty good. I tee it up probably higher than most, 1/2", but this allows me to get a great compressing feel on the ball. My 7i goes about 150 - my SS is slow so 150 works for me. However, on the fairway, I have trouble getting that same compressed feeling. I hit it about 130 with my 7i. I make sure to make a complete swing through the ball, everything else feels the same. My divots aren't crazy, occasionally they might be at or slightly behind the ball. But even when my divot is in front it's still the same result.

Any help out there? Am I trying to sweep the ball instead of come down on it? It's driving me nuts

I think you have the info in your post. If you're teeing up a bit and it's OK whereas divots from the deck are at or a bit behind the ball, you're almost certainly not making quite the right descending, ball-turf contact. Hard to suggest anything more without seeing anything.

I apologize for the lack of more info. I debated whether to even ask the question due to how many variables there are without video/eyeball evidence. The more I think about it, maybe I need to play the ball even further back in my stance - right now with the middle irons it's about a roll toward the front from middle. Maybe having the ball directly in the middle will get me to hit ball then ground?

You probably want to work toward teeing it lower so that the same swing works for both. In a range session, tee it lower and work on hitting down through the ball . . .

Agree. Teeing it up high may be making you hit up on the ball to get it in the air. If i tried to tee up a ball a half inch with an iron, i would hit the ball on the topline of the club. I aslo agee with doing some alignment work at the range.

Instead of moving the ball further back in your stance also try narrowing your stance maybe half a width or full width of your foot and assuming a stance that is just slightly more upright. Don't overcompensate. This should steepen out your plane a bit.

This is why I always practice all clubs except the driver off the deck.I hit rubbish for about 6 months until the practice started to pay off.In fact when on the tee now,I prefer to tee it as low as possible because that's where all the compression is and the weight of the club.

A friend of mine still 2 years later tees every single ball in the fairway when playing a round because he couldn't be bothered to put the time in learning how to swing.

Unless you are trying to do something special with the ball you should try to learn to hit your irons just barely tee up. I mean like an 1/8". Just enough to give you a perfect lie. This will alow you to get that compressed feeling and still assure that theres nothing in the way of the club face. I must admit its easy to get in a habit of teeing iron higher than that. I liked to sky my 1 iron when I use to carry one and I would tee it up like a full 1" above the ground. But again I was trying to hit a particular shot. I would find my self teeing mid to long irons higher and higher beause it does make them easier to hit but what you get is a shot that flys high but not very far to often.

Hey Soloredd,
My twopence worth in this thread is regarding your Driver. I see you play a Callaway X460 9.0 and you say you have a slow swing speed. On the simulator last week I was measured at 108mph through the ball and the pro suggested I go for a 11.5 or even 12 Deg lofted driver. I currently play with 10.5 and having tried a 9 Deg once I can see why drivers of that loft are for very low handicappers with very fast speeds :(
Change that big dog :)

Moving it back a bit

may help but it sounds a bit like you might be (subconciously?) trying to "help" the ball get airborne rather than trusting in the club loft and backspin generated. Have to hit down on the ball and really trust that it'll work. Sounds a bit counter-intuitive but it's definitely right. Apologies if that's not what you're doing!

check to be sure you're not swaying down the target line when you swing, or losing your spine angle -- both possible causes for some of the variations you're seeing. Best way to not do these is to keep your eyes looking behind the ball throughout the swing until followthrough, and make sure you feel like you're sticking your butt out behind you throughout the swing.

I didn't see anyone say this: how's your stance? I had this problem a while back, hitting irons far better off a tee than from the fairway. Then I realized that I was hitting irons better out of a good lie in the rough than from the fairway. It turned out I was taking a wide (almost driver) stance on fairway irons, and I wasn't taking that stance for rough or tee shots. Checking my stance improved my iron striking significantly.

(This was one of the last observations that led to me breaking 100, almost two years ago, for what it's worth).

I could never hit irons of the tee...Getting a little better at it by hitting down on on the ball just the same as the way I hit my 3H and 3W. It works, but of course (for a 20+ handicapper), not all the time...Lol.

why not have the tee shoved down to only allow the head of the tee to show?

the advantage of the tee is to give you an even lie...
or am i the only one who thinks this?

I started this way. Then someone suggested I tee it up. It worked wonders. I was amazing off the tee! and inconsistent off the deck.

Then I changed irons, and I'm not sure if it's that the club face is about half the size or what... but I can't hit irons off the tee to save my life anymore. I stubbornly continued trying... until my dad told me to not tee em up (I hit the ball really high and many times short, and he always says things like 'a 5 iron shouldn't go that high... why'd you tee it up')... I tried it, and now I've been having tons of success off the deck with irons on par 3s.

I intend to try teeing the ball up again... but I've tried shoving the tee in the ground before and it never works. I think I have mental issues with hitting down on a tee'd up ball. I KNOW I have mental issues regarding the turf interaction. If I stick the tee all the way in the ground and try and hit a normal shot, I FEEL like the tee will get in the way and ruin things.

That's the best reasoning I've come up with. To the OP: Your situation sounds VERY similar to mine a few months back. My suggestion is reading Hogan's Fundamentals book. No joke. I read the book, practiced more. My ball striking is tons better. Also, the thoughts "down is up" and "don't be afraid of divots -- the pros divot!" and "don't swing AT the ball, but swing THROUGH the ball" really help me fix myself on days when I'd revert back.

I started to tee it higher because of my fairway problem. I get a good lie but can't get any distance or compression. If I tee it how I used to (which is how you suggested) I lose 10 yards or more or don't get a penetrating ball flight. Tee it a bit higher and it goes. But I agree, I need to get it back down to even lie height.

As for the other suggestions (thank you so much for the replies as well!) I think my stance might need to be fixed. I do think I'm a bit wide, much like my driver or woods. I will give it a go in the next few days. Appreciate the info!