The cut off point for your irons?

[jfrain2004]

I have developed a very consistent tempo through all my irons ( I feel it and pro has told me also ) but one thing puzzles me.
I'm playing with Mizuno 60s.
How far any of your irons send the ball (Always assuming good contact with a full turn and same swing tempo ) is directly related to the loft of the club and it's length. (Don't think the lie angle has much influence on distance but may be wrong.) All other variables such as flex etc are the same regardless of which iron you use.
In short the initial ball velocity and back spin determine your carry distance.
So, at some cut off point/iron the initial ball velocity/spin combination reaches a point where your total carry starts to get smaller. This happens for all golfers pros included. Other wise for more distance you just reduce your club loft but we know there is a min loft you need to get the ball airborne and give you max distance ) For me I thought it was my 5 iron. I carry it 190 yrds with a nice trajectory and stops softly. But when I try my 4 iron ( and have tried it a lot of times ) it carrys no more than 185 but has a bit more roll. I never even bothered trying my 3 iron as I figured it would be even worse, that was until last wknd. Put it in the bag for a few practice holes and lo and behold I can get almost 200 carry out of it. I then had a go with an older 2 iron from a different set but that was a disaster with no more than 160 carry with a lot of roll ( I don't like roll as it's too unpredictable ) This leaves me with an iron set that goes like PW - 3I with the 4I left in the car. Can any one explain what I'm observing with my 3I and 4I ?

[onthehunt526]

the loft of your irons could be off of their specs slightly... like your 4 could be slightly stronger than standard and your three could be weaker... (creating a 1 degree gap as opposed to a 3)... and long irons also have a higher center of gravity than others especially in forged... but at a 9.3 Handicap Index... You'll get it... it could be adjusting your clubhead speed... If you average less than 265 with the driver, drop the 2-iron, and if you average less than 245... drop the 3-iron...

[jfrain2004]

Cheers.. But if I was hitting my 5 further than my 4 or 3 it would be easily explained as that would imply I'm not getting sufficient ball velocity to compensate for the reduced back spin of the lower loft. But the case is that it's only my 4 iron that I have the problem with. I have thought that maybe seeing as my 3 iron has only hit a few dzn balls that maybe it has better grip and imparts more backspin than the 4 iron and thus hits carries it further. Aside, I always have fun trying to explain the physics of ball flight to some people ( I work in an aerospace related industry ) and that even with perfect ball striking that at some point (critical loft if you like) a lower lofted club will start to give less distance than a higher one. And the slower your swing speed then the higher the iron where you see this effect kick in. If this were not the case and lower loft always = more distance then for max distance just drop your loft to 1 Deg or less .... lol we know that is just not going to send the ball any distance worth talking bout

[MiniMoe]

check the loft of the 5 iron. It may be a bit strong. Also, you might be getting better contact with the 5 iron because it is a bit shorter than the 3 and 4, so it will go farther. I was having the same kind of problems between my 5 and 4 iron. I hit the 4 good, but it was always lower, so it would not carry any farther than the 5, but it would roll a lot more. So, I would hit the 4 when I needed roll, and the 5 when I did not. That is until I bought a hybrid 4. Since then I have added a 3 and a 2 hybrid. 220 is no longer an in between yardage.

[kc8kir]

I'm guessing you need to fine tune your ball position and striking with the long irons. Sounds like the 3 and 4 iron are really inconsistent for you. That's my take on the problem.

Sorry to get off topic.

MiniMoe I see you live in San Antonio. I'm currently down here as well for a year on a work assignment. Where do you frequent for practice and play?

PM me if ya like.

[Petden]

To the OP I am in the same boat, almost. I can not hit either the 3I or 4I for the life of me. My 5I is around 195 however, my 3 and 4 average 175 with roll, most of the time I leave them in the car or at home, no point in using them.