HELP w/ hitting long irons..........

[doin-it]

I've been told one swing fits all clubs & have also been told this is not true, so really im not sure.. I'm COMPETELY aware that the longer irons in general are harder to hit, being there less lofted.

I'm new to the game & have taken a lesson thus far. I practice about 4 times a week, since taking up golf. I'm hit my wedges & short irons pretty decent for a noob. But begin to struggle with mid-long irons gernally anything from a 5-6 iron on down. Very low shots & poor distance for these clubs. The driver is a joke too, I dont even bother taking it out of my bag because im so horrible w/ it.

I know its hard to comment w/out seeing my swing but in general do you guys swing the same for all clubs or flatten out a bit for the longer shafts ? I do play the ball up in my stance slighlty for longer clubs but it doesnt seem to help. I practiced for about 2 months before going out on a course. I played a par 3 course the other day for the 1st time & did ok. But I wont even consider playing a standard course if I cant get off the Tee or hit a longer iron to get into the fairway, as my score would be a joke.

Really wish I could figure this out. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[klaymon]

I've found 3 things that help me hit my long irons (3i-5i) better. No perfect, but better.

1) As clubs got longer, I tended to sway too much. I found that trying to keep my head still has helped tremendously.
2) I find that I keep the same ball position for any iron. I play in the middle of my stance from LW up to 3i.
3) Just due to the increased length in the club, the swing is flatter than a wedge for example. But I work on making sure it stays flat.

[tm22721]

I have struggled with long clubs until I went back to the basics in Hogans Five Lessons. Now all clubs feel the same.

I think it has a lot to do with keeping your hands ahead of the club head (lag) starting at the top of your swing during the transition.

[ks8829]

When I am checking my swing for solid contact I like to start with my wedges. when you hit balls are you hitting the wedges solid? The practice balls at the driving range have marks on them and if you square the mark with the face of your wedges you can see if you are hitting them squarely.

The wedges help me find my swing for solid contact and I can test my swing with my mid irons.

I would have someone watch your swing or take lessons from a Pro to help you make solid contact.

I would stay away from the 4 iron and lower and replace it with a hybrid.

I have been playing for 24 years and still searching for a consistent swing that holds up under pressure.

good luck

[Avid Golfer]

My goal is to make the same swing with every club on full shots (aside from the putter).

As you can see in the swing sequence pictures of Steve Elkington I have included below in a good swing the club swing to the same positions relative to the body and the original shaft angle during the swing regardless of whether it is an iron or a fairway wood/metal.

If you're having difficultly making solid contact with the longer clubs I would suspect that your problem is related to your address position. The first thing I recommend checking is your posture (including distance from the ball) followed by your balance. If your posture and balance look and feel similar with both clubs then the next thing I'd recommend checking is ball position. Check your ball position relative to your upper body. You can use the picture of the pros below for comparison:

[Ben]

I've found 3 things that help me hit my long irons (3i-5i) better. No perfect, but better.

I like where klaymon is coming from. I'd add choking down on the club a bit too. Heard that one in a Titleist ad from years ago. "On longer irons, choke down a bit." I tired it, it works.

[doin-it]

Thnx fellas for the respones...good lookin out