Fatting and thinning long irons

[mgolfer]

Hi, I have no trouble hitting my 7-9 irons, wedges and woods but as soon as I hit my 5 iron (never really use 6 iron), I seem to fat or thin it, and can never get the correct contact as I do with my shorter irons. I know that I do have a flat backswing, but is there an easier fix, like stand taller or closer to the ball or something?

Thanks

[lamebums]

Hi, I have no trouble hitting my 7-9 irons, wedges and woods but as soon as I hit my 5 iron (never really use 6 iron), I seem to fat or thin it, and can never get the correct contact as I do with my shorter irons. I know that I do have a flat backswing, but is there an easier fix, like stand taller or closer to the ball or something?

Without looking at a swing video I'd say you're shifting your weight to the right to power up and get a big swing, but then getting stuck there and moving the bottom of your swing back, so you're hitting up on the ball, and thus catching it thin. And then you lower it to compensate, but instead hit it really fat.

I'd suggest, at the range or something, putting your feet together and swing with just your arms, no weight shift or anything. Do you make good contact then?

[mgolfer]

I will try next time I am on the range cheers.

[Leek]

I'd guess you are flipping. You need to feel a flat left wrist through impact. A couple ways:

Put a credit card inside your glove over the back of your wrist.
Another, get some roller blading wrist guards, put one on your left wrist and hit balls.

In both cases, if your wrist keeps pushing on the card or guard, your wrist is collapsing. It will make you hit the ball both fat and thin.

[jdarmo]

I have sort of the same problem. I can hit an iron cleanly from the rough (where I am most of the time), but if I am in the fairway, I hit them fat quite often especially if the fairways are real tighly mowed..Real frustating

[tm22721]

I struggle with the same problem and it always comes back to three things. Steepness, a lack of clubhead lag or failing to stay behind the ball.

In my back swing I try to get my weight on my right instep and my left arm flat against my chest to prevent steepness on the way down. Then I just push off my right instep and slightly pull with my left hand to insure the clubhead lags. Right hand must be passive and stay very close to your body ! Halfway down, the club should be parallel to the ground. From there it's just centrifugal force automatically releasing the clubhead into the ball --while I struggle to stay behind the ball. What a trick to get all three correct.

[geezer]

Try looking at your right (for a righty) knee during the backswing.

If it flexes more or less that it wat at address, then you will probably hit the ball, correspondingly, fat or thin.

Try focusing on keeping the same flex in your knee throughout the swing.

Hope this helps.

[mikelz]

Hi, I have no trouble hitting my 7-9 irons, wedges and woods but as soon as I hit my 5 iron (never really use 6 iron), I seem to fat or thin it, and can never get the correct contact as I do with my shorter irons. I know that I do have a flat backswing, but is there an easier fix, like stand taller or closer to the ball or something?

I think all of us expose our swing flaws on longer clubs. I can pretty much get away with a semi-crappy move on a 9 iron. The swing so short, it has to be big-time-crappy to hit it fat or blade it.

Try looking at your right (for a righty) knee during the backswing.

As usual, geezer (who is probably younger than me), gets my vote.

I kept the notes my last coach handed me after our first lesson: "Left knee - Does not change position Does not change flex" I devote the first 25 balls of every practice to that feeling. Watch your friends. I always know when "Combo" is going to hit it bad: his knee moves back, he gets on the outside of his right foot, can't get back and fats it. Occasionally, that little computer chip in his brain tells him he's too far behind so he slides forward and thins it. We all know that dude who swings it really high going back. The hands get so high and vertical he has to straighten the knee to keep his foot on the ground. Once that happens, that ball is not going straight. More than likely, he's going over the top.