long irons trouble

[Treemagnet]

When I hit my 5,4,3 irons about 70% of the time they go about the same distance does anyone know what would cause this and how to fix it? Thanks

[ks8829]

Long irons require solid contact and good club head speed. I only play a 5 iron and sometimes I take that out of my bag and hit my hybrid.

[fusioncal]

Long irons require solid contact and good club head speed. I only play a 5 iron and sometimes I take that out of my bag and hit my hybrid.

I agree. That's why hybrids are made for.

[popey]

It is because of a lack of club head speed meaning that you are not getting the carry needed. This means that a 4 iron will travel the same distance as a 6 iron. Try to purchase a hybrid as they are made to hit the ball higher with more spin meaning you will get more carry and more distance.

[jambalaya]

That is a sure sign that there is a general problem overall with your swing. Problems always get accentuated with the long irons. Sure, a hybrid might help but I think it is good you have the irons. If you can straighten your swing out enough to hit those irons you will accomplish a lot more for your game. Are you hitting weak fades and slices? You may be trying too hard to get the ball up in the air instead of letting the loft of the club do the work. The faces for those clubs look pretty flat but believe me they still have quite a bit of loft. We seem to turn up the hit impulse with those clubs, that extra effort to hit the ball hard just before impact causes all kinds of problems. Don't try so hard with those clubs. Make sure your ball position (more forward) is good, swing with an even tempo, and take a shallow divot clipping off the top of the grass.

[kc8kir]

I disagree with the "quick! go buy a hybrid" mentality. Hybrids are great, but honestly, you'll struggle with the same problem in the long run with them. Once you start hitting it good, your tendencies with the long irons will resurface and your ability will plateau again.

Long irons are harder to hit because 1) the face is typically smaller 2) the center of gravity and moi are typically higher / lower respectively 3) they are just longer clubs. All of this translates into some really common errors namely overswinging, casting, and a general loss of tempo. You have to swing "easy" and let the club do the work. Swing through the ball, don't hit at it. It's mainly psychological. A hybrid will forgive you for a while, but you will benefit from learning the value of solid contact with a long iron.

If lag is the problem, the pump drill will help you learn to keep good club head lag (creating speed) without sacrificing your swing form. Google the drill.

If tempo is a problem, I recommend this. Line up 5 or 6 balls going away from you and swing a wedge with the left hand only. Take easy 3/4 swings and note the rythym you establish, just brushing the turf. Start stepping forward (right foot backswing, left foot downswing - really good weight transfer tempo practice!) and aim to find the tempo that allows you to hit each ball in succession with decent accuracy. You'll be amazed how far the ball still flies. This is your natural tempo. Use it with every club in the bag, no matter the shaft length. Just picture that easy wedge. My dad taught me this drill, and he can do it with every club in the bag (I can't manage it yet with anything but the wedge - 8 iron because I don't have the wrist strength). This is why you see pro's taking left hand only swings. It is difficult, but you have to have your tempo nailed in order to do it. And no, before you ask, this doesn't "make" you a two plane swinger or anything like that (don't know how many times I have gotten that question, it's like people see the classic swing as a plague these days ).

Down here in Texas, a long iron is often a better choice because we play in a lot of wind. The low trajectory is a blessing, and provides great run on the hard fairways. Playing back home in Michigan, I might choose the hybrid to get better stopping power on approach shots, and get a little more distance. With either club though I almost feel like it's only 40% power. Just my perception.

Another thing with long irons (well, any long club for that matter, but long irons are typically a sore point) is you shouldn't beat yourself up if it isn't perfectly straight (the shot, not the club .... if you're playing with bent clubs, we can't help ya). Learning to play shaped shots is a wonderful way to add variety to your game and make you a better ballstriker. I prefer a fade with the long clubs, but that's just because here in Texas the draw typically turns and rolls too much off the fairway (in my experience). Trying to always hit straight shots is probably the worst thing to come out of the modern golf industry. Way too much emphasis on hitting straight and long, versus playing the game to keep the ball in play.

Good luck and... well I'll start a new one...

Hit 'em curved!

[antney79]

If tempo is a problem, I recommend this. Line up 5 or 6 balls going away from you and swing a wedge with the left hand only. Take easy 3/4 swings and note the rythym you establish, just brushing the turf. Start stepping forward (right foot backswing, left foot downswing - really good weight transfer tempo practice!) and aim to find the tempo that allows you to hit each ball in succession with decent accuracy. You'll be amazed how far the ball still flies. This is your natural tempo. Use it with every club in the bag, no matter the shaft length. Just picture that easy wedge. My dad taught me this drill, and he can do it with every club in the bag (I can't manage it yet with anything but the wedge - 8 iron because I don't have the wrist strength). This is why you see pro's taking left hand only swings. It is difficult, but you have to have your tempo nailed in order to do it. And no, before you ask, this doesn't "make" you a two plane swinger or anything like that (don't know how many times I have gotten that question, it's like people see the classic swing as a plague these days

So you are saying for this drill, you will walk forward to the next ball, when your back foot steps forward you are starting your back swing and by the time your left foot lines up your on your down swing?

[kc8kir]

Yeah, I think you have the idea. They aren't large steps. Just enough to feel how you weight transfer helps the momentum of the club. Keeps the lower body triggering the downswing. The balls are no more than about 6 inches from eachother. Just as in the full swing, your left foot will plant (step) right before the club actually starts to propel itself in the downswing.

[kafka01]

I remember having this problem a long time - for me it was just inconsistent ball contact. To fire these sticks effectifly you really need to make clean contact with enough swing speed (not meaning you should try to swing harder - same tempo like you swing your 7 iron should do the job) else they go nowhere. If e.g. i dont catch my 2i clean which i carry about 190m i can pick it up at 150m - that wouldnt happen if i hit a hybrid equivalent (but i hate them...). And the simplest solution is - practice practice practice - and having a solid swing.

[damkader]

Lots of great advice I am going to have to practice that tempo practice. I have the same problems but not quite as severe I can hit a 5i confidently but when I pick up the 4 or 3 I don't seem to gain much more distance and often put my self in more trouble. I have been hitting the range more often lately and it is getting better.

[Treemagnet]

Thanks for the help went to the range today and worked on my tempo and hit all my long irons great I think I was just rushing my swing and also trying to kill the poor ball cause when I do that everything goes haywire.

[Crafty]

It sounds like a contact problem that is accentuated by the longer club each time. As you progress furthe into the long irons, your contact gets more and more incosistent. This leads to all of these clubs going relatively the same distance.

Try this: Go to the range and hit your long irons off the tee (easier to make solid contact). If they are still going the same distance on solid hits, there is something wrong with your irons. Then slowly start hitting them off the ground, continuing to focus on solid contact.

[kafka01]

Try this: Go to the range and hit your long irons off the tee (easier to make solid contact). If they are still going the same distance on solid hits, there is something wrong with your irons.

Good point with the tees - my pro tells me, if you practice on the range - you want to have optimal results (for your memory). So what you do - tee them up and hit them more solid and get more self confident about these shots when you gotta make them off the fairway