Short Irons - Hitting Off The Heel/Hosel

Getting back into golf after a long time away and I'm having trouble with hitting my short irons. Long irons and woods are ok.

Looking at the marks on the face of my wedge it seems that I tend to hit the ball on the heel of the club face and many times I hit it off the hosel and it flies off low and to the right.

I think what I'm doing is setting up to the shot with my arms hanging somewhat straight down in a relaxed position and then when I take a full swing my arms are extending out like when hit a driver.

-Should I set up a little farther from the ball and with my arm reaching more?
-Should I maybe choke up on the club a little?
-Am I trying to swing a short iron like I swing a driver?
-What is the proper short iron setup and swing?

I'm really trying to focus on my short game and any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Don

-Should I practice my swing with a towel under my armpits?

try the following:

1) make sure that your grip is lose a 3 - 4 on a scale of 1 - 10
2) check your posture
3) let your arms hang straight down naturally and relaxed but also extended to the ground so that you are adding a every so slight downward pressure to the club and to the ground, yet remaining relaxed with your arms and hands at the same time. I recently noticed that I make more solid center contact with all my clubs when I do this
4)I like to do this exercise that helps with my swing. I start with a very slow motion backswing and make sure that I follow the above 1 - 3 and slowly take my backswing making sure to point the shaft down the target line, toe pointing up and the face perdendicular to the target and reach the 9 oclock position on my backswing. Now, I can begin my forward swing simply returning to the ball and follow through at a 3 o'clock position. When I do this correctly, I can make solid contact and this get my swing tuned up for the round of golf.
5) this greatly helps my short game and get my confidence back in my golf swing.
6) sometimes it help to take this swing with your feet closer together to help you find your take away, because if your not in the correct take away and sway you will lose your balance.
7) when you do this correctly your swing is effortless, there is not effort in the swing. you are focusing on making solid contact.
8) if your hands are too much in this swing you will notice and it will be difficult to hit the ball
9) this swing is working the big muscles and done with your shoulder and your arms and hands are just there for the ride.

put two tees in the ground with the ball in between. one tee should be a half inch off both the heel and toe. put the ball in the middle...hitting the middle of the clubface with your shortest irons first working up to the longer ones, maintaining the consistent/center club face ball striking. should help, start slow, work up to the longer irons.

This seems like the most common sense approach. I bet if you try this first and don't make any adjustments you will be fine.

That depends on why he's hitting off the heel in the first place. Moving away from the ball can actually make the problem even worse. Assure that your posture is correct from the start then leave it at that. If you're posture is correct and you move further away, you could start hitting from the top.

I like the idea of dropping 2 balls, one an inch or so off the two and hitting the inner ball. Making a conscious effort to hit the ball way off the toe tends to help as well. Another trick that I like is to put two balls right next to each other (touching) and hitting both of them at the exact same time (put your focus between the balls, try to pass the center of the club face through this point). Once should come off the heel and the other one just just catch the grooves on the toe. The inner ball should fade, the outer ball should draw. If the stars align (ie: if you hit the shot perfectly), they will reach their apex in flight, collide and drop straight down. It's a pretty cool thing to watch. In addition to being a very cool trick shot, you will learn to make contact in the center of the club (remember you're making contact w/the gap between the balls). I used to do this every spring to get my swing grooved for the upcoming summer, believe it or not, it's very effective (if you can pull it off). Speaking of this shot. I need to get out and give it another go...

Could be that you are rolling the clubface open, getting the weight of the clubhead behind the hosel, so you pull the hosel straight down on the downswing.