How Do You Hit 170 Yards With 7 Iron?

[Lihu]

[CENTER][/CENTER][quote name="Phil McGleno" url="/t/32564/how-do-you-hit-170-yards-with-7-iron/108#post_923798"]Anyone can hit it 170 yards with a 7 iron. ...Eventually.[/quote] Do you mean that in a random sort of way, where there is bound to be that downhill downwind 170 yard par 3 or approach? Or, do you mean with lots of training and instruction, that it is not out of the realm of possibilities?

[Mr. Desmond]

I use a 30 hybrid

[Ernest Jones]

Do you mean that in a random sort of way, where there is bound to be that downhill downwind 170 yard par 3 or approach?

Or, do you mean with lots of training and instruction, that it is not out of the realm of possibilities?

Lol, I think he means you can just keep topping and fatting it down the fairway until you've made it 170 yards.

It's an old joke but it's still funny.

[HackerUpNorth]

What club speed do you need to hit it 170 yards?

[Ernest Jones]

What club speed do you need to hit it 170 yards?

I don't think there is a black and white answer to that as there are several factors that can affect smash factor. Somebody with really efficient and solid technique may need less club head speed than someone with a less efficient technique.

[Abu3baid]

I think with ok mechanics and good contact and decent swing speed anyone can do it... I think I can carry about 160-165 with my 7 but why is this such an accomplishment? I mean as long as you have a club that can go that distance then who cares?

[Lihu]

What club speed do you need to hit it 170 yards?

PGA pros swing 90 to get that distance. It's in the Trakman chart for SS of pros.

[HackerUpNorth]

The other question is are we talking 170 yards carry or total?

[David in FL]

Do you mean that in a random sort of way, where there is bound to be that downhill downwind 170 yard par 3 or approach?

Or, do you mean with lots of training and instruction, that it is not out of the realm of possibilities?

I think he means, that if they hit it often enough, eventually they'll get past 170 yards......

[Ernest Jones]

PGA pros swing 90 to get that distance. It's in the chart for SS.

They also hit the ball pretty much dead center of the sweet spot with precisely the right amount of shaft lean. An amateur swinging at 90mph is unlikely to see the same result.

[rehmwa]

Odd thread - my comfy 7i (34 loft) is 160 yards.  Pretty much carry and little roll out.  (level, no wind, etc etc etc)

170 ..... for me, that would be an 'accidental overhit' I'd have to hit it really pure, or really lean into it.  doable, but it's a big hit for that club.  I'd just use a 6i for that yardage.

what blows me away is pros' distances for their irons.  They have at least 20 yards on me all the time.  that's really cool that there is that much "opportunity" to get better and learn.  Scary when it's a little wind or so and they show the big hitters pulling 9i for 200 yard shots.  nearly unbelievable

However, I think on Big Break last night there was a 185 yard challenge and one of the players (male pro) said something like it's pretty much my 'stock' 7i.  He landed well short...... ; )

but maybe he was trying to land short and roll out to 185.

[Lihu]

The other question is are we talking 170 yards carry or total?

Carry. [quote name="David in FL" url="/t/32564/how-do-you-hit-170-yards-with-7-iron/126#post_924197"] I think he means, that if they hit it often enough, eventually they'll get past 170 yards......  :-D [/quote] :-) [quote name="Ernest Jones" url="/t/32564/how-do-you-hit-170-yards-with-7-iron/126#post_924199"]They also hit the ball pretty much dead center of the sweet spot with precisely the right amount of shaft lean. An amateur swinging at 90mph is unlikely to see the same result.  [/quote] Yup, I know...

[Bananarama]

Im going to provide a link here from golfwrx as this was posted from another thread:

It stated 110 mph swing speed will hit a standard 7 iron 169 yards.  These are PGA pros so if you take half a foot of turf before you hit the ball you may need a 140mph swing speed to hit it 170 yards

http://www.golfwrx.com/64715/carry-distance-vs-swing-speed-chart/

[David in FL]

Im going to provide a link here from golfwrx as this was posted from another thread:

It stated 110 mph swing speed will hit a standard 7 iron 169 yards.  These are PGA pros so if you take half a foot of turf before you hit the ball you may need a 140mph swing speed to hit it 170 yards

http://www.golfwrx.com/64715/carry-distance-vs-swing-speed-chart/

Just to clarify, that's referencing their driver swing speed and interpolating the remaining club distances from that.

Odd thread - my comfy 7i (34 loft) is 160 yards.  Pretty much carry and little roll out.  (level, no wind, etc etc etc)

170 ..... for me, that would be an 'accidental overhit' I'd have to hit it really pure, or really lean into it.  doable, but it's a big hit for that club.  I'd just use a 6i for that yardage.

what blows me away is pros' distances for their irons.  They have at least 20 yards on me all the time.  that's really cool that there is that much "opportunity" to get better and learn.  Scary when it's a little wind or so and they show the big hitters pulling 9i for 200 yard shots.  nearly unbelievable

However, I think on Big Break last night there was a 185 yard challenge and one of the players (male pro) said something like it's pretty much my 'stock' 7i.  He landed well short...... ; )

but maybe he was trying to land short and roll out to 185.

I don't think too many people expect much roll with a full, stock 7-iron.......most are expecting it to pretty much stick, or even come back a bit unless it's a good bit downwind.  Honestly, 170 isn't all that long for a 7-iron.....I'm not very long (at least by internet standards), and like you, the "number" for me on a full, stock 7-iron is right about 160 with a driver swing speed of about 103ish.

[MS256]

Just to clarify, that's referencing their driver swing speed and interpolating the remaining club distances from that.

Interpolating distances for shorter clubs from the numbers on longer clubs is probably a fairly accurate estimate for most players (especially good players) but it doesn't always hold up.

I can swing short clubs very fast with very little effort (because I can handle the length with more confidence) and as the clubs get longer my club head speed and distance doesn't continue as equally as for many players. It's not unusual for a player in my group to be 20 yards longer than me with a driver and that same player to be 20 yards shorter than me with a 7 iron (and with less height on the shot than mine).

P.S. I would switch that around to being very long with the driver and only average with the short irons in a New York minute if I could.

[iacas]

I think he means, that if they hit it often enough, eventually they'll get past 170 yards......

That's how I took it.

There's an old joke where the guy asks his caddie "Do you think I can get there with a 5-iron?"

The caddie says "Eventually."

[JonMA1]

I get substantially less distance from my irons than most people and I'd like to know what the cause is. A physical limitation or a swing fault? Chances are it's both.

Not that this would ever happen, but if a teaching pro were to tell me "you have a pretty good swing and your mechanics are basically sound", and I was failing to get any distance, I might accept that and learn how to play the best I can within my capabilities (use a longer club).

My son hits longer with his pw than I do with my 7 iron - the kind of distances many of the long hitters post on this site. He has had no formal instruction and scores about the same as I do. It's obvious to me that he has some physical attributes that I've never possessed. But don't we all want a swing that maximizes our ability? That might mean learning proper shaft lean to deloft the club, lag or just getting better at hitting the sweet spot.

To the O.P., if you've answered this already I apologize, but have you had your swing looked at either by a local pro or by posting a video in the "Member Swing" thread?

[Lihu]

Just to clarify, that's referencing their driver swing speed and interpolating the remaining club distances from that.

I don't think too many people expect much roll with a full, stock 7-iron.......most are expecting it to pretty much stick, or even come back a bit unless it's a good bit downwind.  Honestly, 170 isn't all that long for a 7-iron.....I'm not very long (at least by internet standards), and like you, the "number" for me on a full, stock 7-iron is right about 160 with a driver swing speed of about 103ish.

Here is K J Choi with Jack Nicklaus as MC demonstrating different flights and distances with a 7 iron. He "wants" to hit it anywhere from 140 to 175 yards.

His 175 shot looked like it had some bounce and roll, and the 140 shot stopped dead after a small bounce.

BTW, I am sure he (or any other tour pro) could hit it further.