Why am I hitting my irons off the toe?

[davbrucas]

I have started hitting my irons off the toe...heck, I'm probably hitting all of my clubs off the toe. I dont usually do this but I have been fighting my swing the past year. I have lost distance with my driver as well. This could be from where it hits on the club though. It isnt because I am standing too far away. I have been playing for many years and havent changed my stance much. It isnt because of improperly fitted clubs because I have had the same clubs for a few years and didnt do it before. I am sure its my swing that I have been chasing. Any tips to fix it? Thanks. I dont have the ability to post a vid right now because my 2yr old tossed the high dollar camera in the pool!

[double_j]

What's your ball flight like? Maybe you've been hitting off the toe forever and just never knew it?

If you're sure that you're setup correctly, then I would think about reinforcing your in to out swing path? Toe hits for me usually mean that I'm coming a bit out to in or am stubbing at the ball instead of swinging through.

[Kieran123]

Are you choking down on your club too much? Try grip it a little higher, and keep the balance on the balls of your feet. Do you feel that you're leaning back at all?

You could try slow down your swing slightly also and see if that helps

[uttexas]

Try extending your arms more through impact (this has the effect of lengthening the club).
If your swing is a bit tight and your arms come into the impact zone with bent elbows, this shortens the club=toe hits.

[saevel25]

Have you inspected this with impact tap. For me i find that i hit my irons slightly towards the inside of the clubface. So the feeling of hitting it on the toe might be actually hitting it right. I would get some impact tape, heck even masking tape works because it will tear on the irons, or you can see the indentations on the tape.

[davbrucas]

What's your ball flight like? Maybe you've been hitting off the toe forever and just never knew it?

Ball flight hasnt changed much, but I know that I havent been doing this that long as my clubs wear in the middle. I look at my clubs after I hit them and can see where the ball was struck and here lately its usually out near the toe. I come from the inside...maybe too much as my right elbow is close to my body at impact.

Are you choking down on your club too much? Try grip it a little higher, and keep the balance on the balls of your feet. Do you feel that you're leaning back at all?

I dont not choke down at all and I do not feel that I am leaning back. I keep my weight forward over the balls of my feet.

Try extending your arms more through impact (this has the effect of lengthening the club).

Likely what I am doing...will give it a shot. Thanks.

Have you inspected this with impact tap. For me i find that i hit my irons slightly towards the inside of the clubface. So the feeling of hitting it on the toe might be actually hitting it right. I would get some impact tape, heck even masking tape works because it will tear on the irons, or you can see the indentations on the tape.

Its not that I feel it out on the toe so much as seeing the ball/grass impression out there after a swing. I will get some tape and check it out.

[senorchipotle]

been having this problem as well recently. i noticed that in the downswing, i was pulling my hands in instead of pushing them out towards the target. i hit blades, so there's absolutely no forgiveness when it comes to toe shots, so i automatically know when something is wrong. you could also have sort of a protruded elbow through impact. this also greatly affects the point of contact.

[i-Guy]

I read this somehwere...

The most common cause of hitting off the toe is releasing the club early, the wrist unhinging and the right arm straightening too soon on the downswing. Players who do that tend to hit fat shots, so they learn to yank the club upward either by standing up or bending their left elbow. The problem is, both moves pull the club toward the body, closer then it was at address, which causes contact off the toe…

[davbrucas]

I read this somehwere...

Good find! I do hit some of my shots fat at times. Now, how do you fix it? ;)

[DavidFehertysBike]

Youre probably swinging over the top, which through chain reaction, can cause the problem that iguy mentioned. I still do this myself from time to time.

[i-Guy]

Good find! I do hit some of my shots fat at times. Now, how do you fix it? ;)

Okay but you just asked why are you hitting it off the toe...but now that you ask...ha! ha!

I also read this somehwere... Practice hitting punch shots…the shorter backswing and firmer wrist will promote a hands-leading impact position with a straight left arm. This helps maintain the radius of the swing so you bring the club to a fully extended impact position for center-face contact…hope this works...

[DavidFehertysBike]

whoops..double post

[Pat007]

the lie of your irons may be too flat as well, causing you to hit it on the toe and draw/hook the ball.

[retexan599]

I had noticed recently that I was tending to hit irons off the toe, as revealed by impact stickers. So I am now addressing with the ball very near the heel of the club prior to the backswing. This has helped quite a bit (if I get the rest of the swing elements right of course).

[davbrucas]

Went to the range today. I moved a touch closer to the ball aligning the ball near the heel and worked on my release point and this seemed to help. Thanks for the tips.

[i-Guy]

Went to the range today. I moved a touch closer to the ball aligning the ball near the heel and worked on my release point and this seemed to help. Thanks for the tips.

First of all I am glad your are making better contact...I know how horrible it feels when you cannot figure something out, however, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but by moving closer to the ball you may have just applied a bandaid and your real issue is what I wrote in an earlier post in that

The most common cause of hitting off the toe is releasing the club early , the wrist unhinging and the right arm straightening too soon on the downswing. Players who do that tend to hit fat shots, so they learn to yank the club upward either by standing up or bending their left elbow. The problem is, both moves pull the club toward the body, closer then it was at address, which causes contact off the toe… as you did say in an earlier post that you have been hitting some fat shots (early release)...so I would continue to look at your swing and maybe figure out why you have started to release the club too early and then hopefully you can go back to your normal address and hit the ball solidly....usually people release the club early because of their wrist hinge breaking down because at the top of their backswing they lift their arms thereby, separating their elbows in which case you cannot hold your wrist hinge...take a look at what I suggested and hit some punch shots from your normal address (not addressing the ball on the heel) and see if you make good contact...because when you make shorter swings (punch shots) you will tend to not lift your arms and keep your wrist hinge and then be able to be in a better impact position versus releasing the club early...just my 2 cents...Good Luck!

[davbrucas]

First of all I am glad your are making better contact...I know how horrible it feels when you cannot figure something out, however, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but by moving closer to the ball you may have just applied a bandaid and your real issue is what I wrote in an earlier post in that

I appreciate the info...it looks like I am standing up a bit, as well as getting a bit too much lateral movement on the way back on my backswing...this leads to difficulty getting back to my address position...and shots off the toe or fat. I just picked up these swing flaws in the past couple of months. I usually shoot mid 70s, and now I am having struggling to break 80. I have some range work to do...

[Titleist_ProV1x]

I have started hitting my irons off the toe...heck, I'm probably hitting all of my clubs off the toe. I dont usually do this but I have been fighting my swing the past year. I have lost distance with my driver as well. This could be from where it hits on the club though. It isnt because I am standing too far away. I have been playing for many years and havent changed my stance much. It isnt because of improperly fitted clubs because I have had the same clubs for a few years and didnt do it before. I am sure its my swing that I have been chasing. Any tips to fix it? Thanks. I dont have the ability to post a vid right now because my 2yr old tossed the high dollar camera in the pool!

Ok I give up, why are you hitting off the toe? I usually use the center of the club and watch the ball as it takes off on a perfect flight to the desired distance and lands softly on the green about a foot from the hole, tap in birdie and it's off to the next hole for more of the same

why you'd use the toe of the club is beyond me, but I guess to each his own huh, lol