need help with iron distance...

[SubPar]

How did you go about getting this done? I'm trying to visualize the action but it isn't so easy to put it all together, is it .... any further advice welcomed.

My coach says you can't get your hands ahead of the ball at impact unless you keep your upper body rotating all the way through the shot. Most of us hit "at the ball" so without realizing it we stop spinning our upper body and throw the hands through impact.

The hands in front is not something you do, but the result of soemthing else you are doing. If you keep your upper body turning and don't let your right hand out race the left, you will naturally get the hands out front. If your hips are not clearing and your upper body is not continuing to rotate through impact, you cannot get your hands in the right position. Pay attention to his videos ( here ). You don't have to do the early head turn like he does, but you have to find a way to get the action he demonstrates to generate "effortless power". It is why Ernie Els is able to swing so easy and hit a 9-iron 160 yards. The "motor" (upper body) drives the action and the relaxed arms and hands let the club accelrate through the ball with speed.

As you can see, I'm not a great golfer. But I do understand a few things about the game, and what I think, is that it's not how far you hit your irons, just knowing exactly how far you hit them and keeping that consistency.

At some point it is about how far you hit them, if you want to lower your scores. Not for ego but for improving your percentages. Hitting a green from 170 with a seven iron produces generally better results than with a 5-iron because the ball comes in higher with more spin. The LPGA gals hit pretty decent yardages and have good all round games, but when they are hitting a 7-wood or a 4 iron into a green and the guys are hitting 6 or 7 irons, the guys win. If you can hit an 8-iron 190 (and Phil can) you have more ability to leave the ball near the hole and certainly to hold the green, as opposed to someone hitting a 5 iron or more.

SubPar

[Golfnub88]

That actually makes a lot of sense. Thanks for clearing that up, I hadn't thought about the differences in getting the ball to sit on the green.

[GolferDot]

I suffer this exact same problem.

Driver 275 This is average carry, I will hit it 290 - 300 yards 2 - 3 times in a round
3W 240
5W 220
3I 200
4I 185
5I 170
6I 160
7I 150
8I 135
9I 120
PW 110
SW 55 - 75 really inconsistant with this club

I have stiff shafts standard length, blades, pretty heavy.
What I can't understand is off the Tee I am bigger then just about every golfer of similar handicap but I am always 1 iron shorter then them.

I'm going to try the tips in the Videos you posted Subpar, but I always take a divot after the ball, I do play further back in my stance then most golfers but get alot more stop with my shorter Irons then most golfers at my handicap.

I have a pretty high ball flight.

[imtomtomim]

i can drive the ball 270-300 yards. yet my irons distance is pretty short.

If I were hitting my lw 100, I wouldn't worry about distance on my irons. my sw only goes 100 and I rarely try to swing for that, I don't like the ball sucking back that fast. That gap just makes me think a bit, between the sw and the pw. Especially because my pw at 48* goes as far as your 9 iron.

Truthfully, you should accept this and play these numbers as your game. You don't need more and more distance all the time, especially with irons. This should be your precision game and those yardages should be a guide to how to use your clubs as tools. If you're worried about your game between your 4 iron and 3 hybrid, shave a bit off the 3 and just go with whatever comes out. That's where your game is weak so you should play to avoid having to hit that distance, right? Learn to do with whatever you observe instead of willing it to do something else. Use repeat results, be happy with your iron distances, they're far enough.

[jambalaya]

Based on the distances you hit the SW and LW and the 3H, 3W D it seems you should be able to squeeze out 5 to ten yards from each of the clubs between. I guess the next question is do you want to sacrifice distance for accuracy. If you are very accurate at your current distances you may want to accept what you have as swinging within yourself. Closing the gap between the 4 iron and four hyybrid would be a priority I think. A 4 hybrid may do that for you. Should go a bit further than a 4 iron.

[SubPar]

If I were hitting my lw 100, I wouldn't worry about distance on my irons..

If someone hits a 58-60° wedge 100 yards they should be able to hit a 4-iron over 200.

Usually what you see is someone trying to swing harder with longer clubs and losing yardage. Most of us will relax and swing with better form and tempo with the wedges. As soon as we get the longer club in hand we tense up and "swing hard", losing distance. I've watched Couples warming up many times and he swings his 5 iron with the same grace and tempo as his pitching wedge. Easy to say. Hard to do. Daniel Chopra hits a 58° club 100-105 and I'm sure his 4 iron goes 210+. SubPar

[alcorn]

Here are my yardages as of my visit to the range today.
Driver:250-260
3 wood: 230-245
5 wood: 220
Hybrid: 200-210
4 iron: 190 to 200
5 iron: 180 to 185
6 iron: 165 to 170
7 iron: 150 to 160
8 iron: 145
9 iron: 130
PW: 120
52*: 105
58*: 85

Those are my average yardages with a consistent and smooth swing. They usually go up about midway through the season. But I've been playing these yardages for years and have beaten many players who are a good club or two longer than me. Its not how far you can hit on a full swing, 3/4 and 1/2 swing with each so you can target the distance you need . Its knowing these fact and being able to use that information to play the best golf you can. So I really wouldn't worry about it man.

[jones]

i can drive the ball 270-300 yards. yet my irons distance is pretty short.

My average distances look very similar, and my irons go very high in the air (and i hit them a little fat):

D - 260-270 average (due to slices and hooks)...I hit 300 about once a round. I hit about half my drives relatively straight (on the fairway or not far from it) and when they do go straight they are at least 275. 3W - Rarely hit it off the tee...goes anywhere between 230-260 off the fairway 2H - 230-250 (very consistent club) 4H - 210-225 4I - 190 5I -180 - 185 6I- 170-175 7I - 160-165 8I - 148-153 9I - 130- 140 PW - 110-125 GW (50) - 95-105 SW (54) - 75- 85 It seems like my irons don't go far enough -- I tend to hit them fat quite often. The distances listed here with the irons are for the shots that are hit fat. My divots generally start behind the ball an inch or so at the very least. I have begun putting my hands in front of the ball at setup so the shaft is at an angle instead of perpendicular with the ground and this seems to have helped somewhat but I am still hitting behind the ball. How do i stop the fat shots?

[itzzzberny]

Do you workout? I see you play basketball a lot, so I'm assuming you're in good shape. Once I started working out more, and I am not lying, I noticed about 10 yards difference in the driver and about 15 yards in irons. I agree with someone else about the huge gap between the 3 and driver.

yea i play basketball like 1-2 times a week but we play a lot of hours (all day on sunday). i really think its been helping a lot w/ my golf game. but i really think if i put in some time on the weights i could increase my yardage. i think the best way to improve isn't just going to the range but studying more about how shots are made.if you go to the range you should know why your shots go the way they do. for example a shot blocked right with a slice at the end, means your swinging in to out w/ a open club face. once you can understand this, you can easily figure out what you need to change. i've recently started shaping my shots and striking my irons very well. its pointless going to the range and just watching balls fly all over the place, if anything it will frustrate you more....

[ks8829]

1) Impact tape to double check your contact
2) bring your clubs to a club fitter
3) launch monitor and check your irons compared to other irons

If I were hitting my driver as far as you are, I would expect more from my irons also, it could be the irons.

[itzzzberny]

thank you everyone who helped out w/ you replies. hopefully i can get a chance to go out on the field and get some practice in.