What Is Causing Such a High Rollout on My Irons?

[FlyingSpaniard]

Yesterday I was hitting balls with what felt like nice tempo and contact (for my handicap anyway), and I saw something which has been catching my attention for a couple of months. The following is a 6 iron shot that felt "flushed", with great contact:

 

The key stats, translated and in metric and imperial for your reading convenience are:

Total: 182m (199y)
Carry: 163m (178y)
Height: 19m (20.7y)

I further have some average data on a series of ten shots with my 7 iron from about a week ago:

Total: 166m (181y)
Carry: 153m (167y)
Height: 22m (24y)

(Don't mind the gapping between my 6i and 7i... Yesterday I was hitting my 7i about 170m... I think my distances are all over the place week-to-week, because I'm a rookie)

My question is, what might be producing such low launch, high rollout numbers, and am I right that this is not conducive too good scoring opportunities with my mid-irons, and will need to be addressed sooner than later?

Some further context:

- Currently play to a 26 handicap, started playing 8 months ago
- My experience in the golf course, with good balls and under pressure, is the same: a well-struck 7 iron has trouble holding the green, forget about a 6i or 5i
- I game (second-hand) TaylorMade M3s (stock lofts are 7i: 30.5º, 6i: 26.5º) with Mitsubishi Tensei Blue graphite reg shafts (77g weight, 2.2 torque, "high" launch and spin)
- I play a draw, and consistently hit the ball from the inside (+3º to +8º on Trackman)
- Right now I struggle in fact coming too much from the inside, resulting in hooks and push slices from getting stuck
- Also related to the above, I also struggle "committing" to the shot or staying down on it, resulting in some thins

I think my technical issues regarding path and commitment are on course to be solved, I am working with my instructor to neutralize my path to be less in-to-out, maintaining side bend, and proper torso rotation, etc.

However, it feels like even when I hit a "great" shot with my mid-irons (not stuck, committed, good contact, baby draw flight), I never see anything too dissimilar to the stats above.

What gives?

 

[Esox]

If I were to take a blind stab at an answer, I would first look at your AOA, Most beginners tend to play the mid and longer irons too far forward in an attempt to launch them higher. This causes them to hit it a little low on the club face, hence the low launch and low spin numbers..

[iacas]

Your landing angle and peak height are low.

And I didn't see your actual launch angles. What's your ball speed? Smash factor/clubhead speed? Launch angle?

[billchao]

If you deloft the face too much and hit the ball, it can feel like a good strike because the smash factor is higher. You’re not hitting it high enough if your apex is 20 yards.

[FlyingSpaniard]

43 minutes ago, iacas said:

Your landing angle and peak height are low.

And I didn't see your actual launch angles. What's your ball speed? Smash factor/clubhead speed? Launch angle?

This monitor doesn’t provide club data but launch angle and landing angle in that screenshot are 13* and 34* respectively.

For the series of 7i I allude to, launch is 16* and landing is 37*

On Trackman my driver clubhead speed is 97-103mph.

1 hour ago, Esox said:

If I were to take a blind stab at an answer, I would first look at your AOA, Most beginners tend to play the mid and longer irons too far forward in an attempt to launch them higher. This causes them to hit it a little low on the club face, hence the low launch and low spin numbers..

I definitely play the ball further in my stance, but this has been recommended by my instructor, and I see it fairly recommended as standard here in TST. Maybe I’m overdoing it - will play around with it later at the range.

 

42 minutes ago, billchao said:

If you deloft the face too much and hit the ball, it can feel like a good strike because the smash factor is higher. You’re not hitting it high enough if your apex is 20 yards.

Yes, I accept there is a disconnect in what “feels good” and is actually good here. The thing is I feel I could hit a hundred balls and we would hardly see one better than that one - that’s why I’m looking for possible causes and solutions.

47 minutes ago, billchao said:

If you deloft the face too much and hit the ball, it can feel like a good strike because the smash factor is higher. You’re not hitting it high enough if your apex is 20 yards.

Sorry for the double post but is there  such a thing as “too much delofting” of the ball (hands too forward, etc.?). Is this a cause on its own (ie, the movement is incorrect) or a consequence of another root cause (eg, ball position in stance)?

Thanks!

[iacas]

PGA Tour launch with a 7I is about 16° but you don’t generate PGA Tour speed so you need to launch it higher.

Do you have a Member Swing topic? Yes you can de-loft too much.

[FlyingSpaniard]

11 minutes ago, iacas said:

PGA Tour launch with a 7I is about 16° but you don’t generate PGA Tour speed so you need to launch it higher.

Do you have a Member Swing topic? Yes you can de-loft too much.

Yes, I do have one, and an update is long overdue, but I won’t been able to film a front take (which I guess will be especially relevant here) until next weekend.

Is there something I can play around with in the meantime? Is lofting it more just a matter of pressing the hands less forward at delivery?