Iron difficulty

[Steel Curtain]

Alright, i've been getting very frustrated lately on the course and at the range with my iron play this year. I'm in the market for a new set, but I first want to see where I stand so I know which direction to go and what type of iron to buy.

Let me start off by explaining myself and my equipment. I'm 6'5 and about 290 or so. Currently playing a set of TaylorMade Burner oversize that i got back in 1997 when i was 15 and a few inches shorter. Standard length, grips, loft, and lie. Brunswick Rifle Steel shafts R-90 flex. They're about the same size as your typical Players Irons today, thin top, narrow sole, minimal offset, but with a cavity back.

My problem is that I am hitting everything right, consistenly. Definitely worse in the long irons 3 and 4, easily going 20-30 yards off my intended target line. The 5 and 6,7 are off 10-15, and the 8,9, PW are inside 10 yards right. Everything starts good and then just spins right.

I am a very consistent ball striker, all marks on the club face are in the sweet spot or slightly towards the heel. I rarely mishit the ball, no tops or fat shots, everything just goes right on me. I'm wondering if it's me, or the clubs. I used to hit these exceptionally well, in high school i played without a driver or woods because i was so good with the irons, but now just terrible.

I was recently given a brief fitting by a TaylorMade staff pro who set me up at standard length which was a surprise at my height, oversize grips, but 1 degree upright because the tip of the toe was contacting the mat first. Based on my ball striking he led me to the players irons and I tried a few out in the net. Tried the Tour Preffered, X forged, MP52 and MP62, and the AP2's. Didn't decide on any because of the problems i've been having, and plus i can't see the ball flight if i'm hitting in a net.

And after today's round, i am just lost. Wondering if i should just go for a game improvement iron, they just feel so big and look ridiculous at address.

I know this is pretty long, so i appreciate any answers i get.

Thanks

[squaddie]

I doubt the problem is with your clubs, if they have the right flex for your swing speed. I am also struggling with a push and fade with the longer clubs, though I'm not as big as you are ( 5' 10", 182 lbs).

I had a lesson this past Saturday (for backswing issues) and the instructor mentioned that during the downswing I was turning my hips too fast ahead of my arms, causing me to not close the club-face at impact (thus the push/fade). The instructor also thought I was gripping my club too tightly, reducing the ability of my wrist to hinge.

Today I experimented at the range with loosing my grip (slightly) and coordinating my hip turn better with my shoulders and arms on the downswing and had better results, with at least one drive that was pure, the first in a long time. I think I loosened my grip too much since I started drawing and hooking my longer hybrids, though with the woods I was hitting pretty pure.

Anyhow, point is, don't think it's the clubs. Might want to try a lesson, or try drills that force you to hit a draw with the longer clubs. If you manage to hit a draw instead of a push, fade or slice then you are on the right track to correct the issue.

[CalBoomer]

Try flattening your swing plane slightly.

[TinCupTampa]

I suggest you schedule a lesson and get your swing video taped. Even the pros need tune ups... we arent any different.

[M2R]

I was recently given a brief fitting by a TaylorMade staff pro who set me up at standard length which was a surprise at my height, oversize grips, but 1 degree upright because the tip of the toe was contacting the mat first.

Maybe all you need is your current set 1 or 2 up.

I would think a decent club fitter should be able to tell you one way or the other and make the adjustments if necessary. I "think" toe down for a right handed player is supposed to make the ball tend to go right.

[Lovgoel]

Well, if you're shooting to a 10 and you're hitting players irons already, your swing is probably solid (especially given that you've played these clubs well in the past). Try playing a stiffer shaft and 2 or 3 degrees upright. The stiffer shaft will probably be required because you said you've grown a few inches, and your SS HAS to get faster as your grow, assuming you're swinging as "hard" as you used to (longer lever generates more clubhead speed) (this is why the long drive people can hit 500+ yards with ridiculously long clubs). Also, the more upright the club is, the more it tends to put the ball on a right to left trajectory. This happens because face naturally closes as the lie angle changes. Also, this is not a "compensation for your swing." your fitter already told you that you're contacting with the toe below the heel. There's no way to "fix" that part of your swing other than with having clubs that are correctly fitted for you.

Also, at 6'5", it's surprising that you're being told not to go at least 1/2" over. Club fitting is not an exact science (as some would have you believe) go to 3 club fitters for different brands, and chances are you'll get at least 2 sets of specs. The idea is to get as close as possible to a set that allows you develop a fundamentally correct swing. Try swinging something overlength and see if it has you naturally stand a bit taller. If you problem is that you're too upright or too quick, the increase in length (and corresponding weight) will make your swing flatter naturally.

Hope that helps!

[Steel Curtain]

Thanks to all for the help, i went out to the range today and hit through 2 XL baskets of balls and i have corrected my issue...I think.

What i did was lighten my grip, and i placed my right thumb directly in line with my left ( used to play with my right thumb at a 3 O'clock position on the back of the shaft) took some getting used to, felt like the club was going to fly out of my hand... AND i moved the ball forward in my stance and took a slight step back for the longer irons. I now play them just inside my left foot and i'm now hitting nice and straight (very slight fade) within 2-5 yards of my target everytime and spinning back in. I'm able to draw and fade again and couldn't be happier, i think now that i know what i was doing wrong that my 40 yard slice may come in handy on some tricky shots one day.

Still going to go with a new set of irons soon, but at least now i know where i stand with my swing.