Can't hit long irons at all... any tips?

[WUTiger]

...Try using the same tempo that you use with your 7 and 8 irons without any concern with the distance. Focus on just making a good swing, shoulder turn and solid contact. I hit my 3i further when I'm not to hit it my 3i distance.

There's actually a drill based on Scott's advice: Hit some easy 9 irons, and follow up with some easy 4 irons. Hit some easy 8 irons, followed by easy 3 irons. Longer irons fly better if you make a smooth, full, tempo swing. If you try to scoop or muscle them, you'll miss the shot.

Another factor from our launch-monitor era. You need a certain amount of swing speed to hit long irons effectively. One test club fitters do these days is to have you hit your 3, 4, and 5 irons and compare the distance. It your 3 and 4 go about the same distance, the fitter might recommend you replace the 3i with a hybrid. The hybrid swap-out assumes you have a stable swing. If you're just learning, you might get better with longer irons as your swing develops. I use my 3i as a driving iron on tight, windy holes, and to punch out from under trees. I don't try it off fairway unless I'm really swinging well.

[James_Black]

I absolutely agree with this and think it is a key point. The longer irons require a flatter swing plane than the shorter irons. Many inexperienced players try to use the same relatively vertical plane from their wedges and short irons to hit the long irons. It just doesn't work. I'm not sure you have to retool your whole swing, but getting the plane flatter is definitely key.

You sure? Why can't you use your normally swing for the long irons?

Won't they make you swing flatter since they're longer?(and heavier for me).

[No1CeltsFan]

Try a 3 quarter swing with your 3 and 4 iron and you should be good.Most people i see hitting long irons seem to overswing on the backswing and try to kill it.Three quarter feeling on the backswing and your timing back to the ball should be a lot better.

i did this this morning at the range and it was beautiful. I was trying to kill it, then I realized it and slowed down and there was an immediate improvement.

thanks every1

[Zeph]

You sure? Why can't you use your normally swing for the long irons?

They normally do. Longer clubs will put you farther from the ball and less initial spine angle. The inclination to the ground is longer, which will flatten the swing.

Don't try swinging flatter, keep the inclination to the ground and you are good to go. Long irons are usually hard for high handicappers. I didn't pick one out of my bag comfortably until I got below 18.

[keiko]

swing easier and stay on balance. don't rush it

you probably don't ever practice long irons. instead of taking your easy clubs to the range, take your long irons and leave your easy clubs home. In a week of range time, you will be hitting them fine.

I am very comfortable with 6-PW, especially the 7/8 irons, but the 2-4 are just flat out brutal for me. I hit like 3-4 good shots out of every 10 at the most.

[Longpham]

Hitting a long iron is like to write a Constitution for a newly-born country. It must be based on a lot of factors such as Current Economy, Geography, Culture an a lot more. Move on from there and look for a good GDP, then make some Amendaments because you have to do something else to foster the change. 

I am into my fifth month of playing golf. I've found out that long iron is the most difficult club to hit consistently let alone acuracy and good distance. I am now commited to use only 4iron at driving range for a period of 3 months. 

The word FRONTIER means there a lot of things to discover on my swing. So let pin down 20 techniques I must discover. After 3 weeks, I could say I have gained some and currently I am still looking to achieve some more techniques or up to 20 techniques to make pure swing every time. 

Following are what I have discovered and these techniques have been already sunk in my TISSUES, my CELLUAR through deliberate practices. 

1. Target line  2. Hip turn  3. Left arm straight  4. Right toe stands upright after swing 5. Be careful on backswing 5. Downswing is slow around first half and accelerate throughout second half 6. Backswing is tension free (if you can't handle the backswing with tension free, you are too weak and should wait after few sleeps) 7. Free tension on shoulder during backswing 8. Your eye, your mind, your soul strictly focus on the point of impact MOI (to the rest of your life with any golf club) 9. You must be heathly at all time with long iron (if you don't feel well that day, please no long iron) 10. High spirit (if not, you lose consciousness, all the techniques can't be incorporated) 

11 to 20 are techniques I am discovering. Keep in mind if you want to have a tan skin, go to the salon and stay in the box to be tanned. Only tons of practices make you tanned. 

Chapter 1: to attain consistency level (every swing is airborne, ignore the distane and accuracy)

Chapter 2: to attain accuracy with consistency

Chapter 3: to attain distance with accuracy and consistency

3 month with the 4iron. Enjoy and good luck

[dkolo]

12 hours ago, Longpham said:

Hitting a long iron is like to write a Constitution for a newly-born country. It must be based on a lot of factors such as Current Economy, Geography, Culture an a lot more. Move on from there and look for a good GDP, then make some Amendaments because you have to do something else to foster the change. 

I am into my fifth month of playing golf. I've found out that long iron is the most difficult club to hit consistently let alone acuracy and good distance. I am now commited to use only 4iron at driving range for a period of 3 months. 

The word FRONTIER means there a lot of things to discover on my swing. So let pin down 20 techniques I must discover. After 3 weeks, I could say I have gained some and currently I am still looking to achieve some more techniques or up to 20 techniques to make pure swing every time. 

Following are what I have discovered and these techniques have been already sunk in my TISSUES, my CELLUAR through deliberate practices. 

1. Target line  2. Hip turn  3. Left arm straight  4. Right toe stands upright after swing 5. Be careful on backswing 5. Downswing is slow around first half and accelerate throughout second half 6. Backswing is tension free (if you can't handle the backswing with tension free, you are too weak and should wait after few sleeps) 7. Free tension on shoulder during backswing 8. Your eye, your mind, your soul strictly focus on the point of impact MOI (to the rest of your life with any golf club) 9. You must be heathly at all time with long iron (if you don't feel well that day, please no long iron) 10. High spirit (if not, you lose consciousness, all the techniques can't be incorporated) 

11 to 20 are techniques I am discovering. Keep in mind if you want to have a tan skin, go to the salon and stay in the box to be tanned. Only tons of practices make you tanned. 

Chapter 1: to attain consistency level (every swing is airborne, ignore the distane and accuracy)

Chapter 2: to attain accuracy with consistency

Chapter 3: to attain distance with accuracy and consistency

3 month with the 4iron. Enjoy and good luck

My takeaway from this post is that if you want to improve your iron play, get a tan.

[DrvFrShow]

Why are long irons so hard to hit? What is a long iron? Given the loft creep, I'd say a long iron is a 2,3,4 or 5 iron. Mid irons are your 6, 7, and 8. Short irons are 9, PW, and GW.

Over the years, the club manufacturers made our 4 irons into 2 irons, 5 irons into 3 irons, and our 7 irons into 5 irons, at least with the loft. Change to graphite shafts and you add more length. So now I know why I hit my 8 iron about the same distance I hit a 6 iron back in 1970 when I was young and played almost every day. It's the loft and club length.

[collapse]

It could be when we move  the club as little as one club head length further from the body ,the lead hand wrist hinge can be lost because the wrist tends to raise up slightly into an arched position.

[Dave325]

I dont vary my swing between the long and short irons, though the ball position and club length will influence the actual feel. However, I noticed that with the longer irons... the first to keys are essential to making a good contact... along with a good hip turn... Hip turn, steady head and weight forward (which promotes a good shaft lean/lag). Just something I try to do when I approach these clubs. 

[DrvFrShow]

I've noticed that I can't hit my 4 iron off the deck consistently. Well, it's like the trouble I had hitting a 2 iron off the deck. I don't have the swing speed to do it. Off the tee is another story. I like the ball flight especially in windy conditions because it's lower and more penetrating than a hybrid. Also if the ball is in the short rough and the grass is dry like in the summer making the lie "teed" up a bit a 4 iron can be the ticket for a shot. But normally I won't hit anything longer than a 5 iron. 

The inside of your feet should be shoulder width apart with these. Ball position has to be different with the long irons in that it has to be played more forward almost off the inside of the left heel (or right heel if you're a lefty).

If you have trouble hitting them off the deck, go to a hybrid.

[vangator]

I played this week in New York and had to use an extra set my nephew has.  It was a conventional set.  Terrible clubs.  I used the 4 iron almost exclusively from the fairway because the woods and hybrids were horrible.  I was surprised I hit it so well considering I have only used SL irons for a couple of years.

To hit a long iron (or a fairway wood), I make sure the strike is slightly downward.  The left arm is important and must lead the swing.  If your left shoulder opens too quickly, you'll hit it fat.

[WUTiger]

On 7/23/2010, 11:35:16, Scott_K said:

...Try using the same tempo that you use with your 7 and 8 irons without any concern with the distance. Focus on just making a good swing, shoulder turn and solid contact. I hit my 3i further when I'm not to hit it my 3i distance.

Back in the previous century (the 1980s), golfers used to do the Hi-Lo drill to get the long irons working. The idea was to mimic the smooth tempo of the short irons with the longs...

• Hit 3 shots with a 9i, then 3 shots with a 4i
• Hit 3 shots with an 8i, then 3 shots with a 3i
• Hit 3 shots with a 7i, then 3 shots with a 2i

Also, the lofts have changed. My old MacGregor MTs had a 21* 2 iron; on my TM SLDRs, 21* is a 4i. (You can't compare exactly, because SLDR clubhead is a lot more efficient for launch than the MTs). Stronger iron lofts have helped make the hybrids popular, since the 3i has such low loft these days.

Club designer Tom Wishon suggests the 24/38 rule: The average golfer can't hit an iron that has less than 24* loft and a shaft longer than 38 inches.

If you must hit long irons, consider getting the shafts softstepped: This involves putting a shaft tip-trimmed for 2i into a 3i, then 3i into 4i (then butt-trim to length). This increases the length of the flexible portion of the shaft, softening it by 1/3 a flex and helping out with the launch. An old-time clubmaker told me that back in the 1980s, he would always softstep the 2i and 3i for customers without telling them.

If you get flighted shafts, you get a similar effect. For flighted shafts, the long irons are softstepped... PLUS, the short irons hardstepped (to prevent ballooning of shots).

[9wood]

What works for me with a 3 and 4 iron is my posture and stance. I place the ball slightly to the right because I don't want to catch the ball on the upswing and lift it but rather compress the ball. I bend over slightly at the waist and keep my weight on the balls rather than the heels of my feet without bending my knees which brings the ball in closer to my feet and then tuck my right elbow into my side on the down swing.Usually that produces good results for me

[inthehole]

long irons are all about tempo .... and not overswinging.   Think smoooooooooth takeaway and where you want your weight to be.     Also, at least to me seems I have to focus on ball first contact even more with long irons - can get away with a tad fat with a 9i, but not with a 5i...

[TN94z]

For me, if I get caught up in swinging harder trying to get 3i distance, I hit bad shots. Like stated above, if I swing with the same tempo, it helps tremendously. One thing I will always remember is let the club do the work.

[Mr. Desmond]

On July 23, 2010 at 11:23 AM, No1CeltsFan said:

First off, why are long irons so hard to hit compared to shorter irons. Secondly, are there any tips or sites you can recommend on reading up how to hit them better?

1. Shafts are longer and thus the club is heavier, iron may not be sufficiently forgiving, and you need more speed.

2. Tips on long irons? Do what Pros do. They may go to a more forgiving head in the long irons, hybrids, fairways (5 wood), and a lighter shaft - graphite - try the Recoil shafts.

3. Personally, I'd take the 2i and 3i out of the bag and go with fairway (5 wd) or hybrids in a graphite shaft - lighter, faster, and attempt to maintain a traditional length in shaft.

[vangator]

The problem with long irons....

1.  Each club is 1/2 inch longer than the previous club meaning the ball is slightly farther away from you and slightly more forward in your stance.  If you have 10 irons, you have several (up to 10) different swing planes.

2. Since each club is 1/2 inch longer, each longer club has the lie slightly flatter (typically 1/2*) than the previous club to compensate.

3. Since each club is 1/2 inch longer, each longer club has the club head 7 grams less than the previous club to compensate.

4. Since each club is 1/2 inch longer, each longer club has slightly more progressive offset than the previous club to compensate.

5. To make that club 1/2 inch longer, club manufacturers add 1/2 inch to the tip of the club, which softens the flex.  For someone who thinks they are playing "stiff" shafts, their wedges are probably extra stiff, their mid irons stiff and their long irons regular flex.  How does that sound?

6. By adding the extra length to the tip, the flex point of the shaft moves away from the tip, which tends to reduce the height of the shot.  Most complain about not getting enough height on their long irons.

7. Since the flex point of the shaft moves away from the tip, each club has slightly more progressive offset to compensate (progressive offset claims to help the ball get up).

8. Since each club has a slightly softer tip, which for most golfers causes the faces to remain slightly more open, promoting cut spin, the progressive offset compensates by promoting closing the club face.  What better golfers here like more offset?

With all that variation and compensation, how does anybody hit their long irons consistently?  The answer is, most don't.  They go to hybrids which are typically less accurate due to their roll faces and typically have even longer shafts which cause less accuracy.