Right hander - right elbow

[alockrem]

I am a right handed golfer. I have played for way to long to not know the answer to this...

When using my driver / 3-wood my right elbow makes a right angle at the top and travels down close to my right hip on the down swing. This gives me a little draw and is exactly what I want out of my woods. When I try to do the same thing with my irons I chunk 50% of the shots and the other 50% are not solid hits. To stop the embarrassing shots my iron swings are less inside out and I have a little fade on the longer irons. What can I do to get my irons to react the same as my woods do?

[jrbechthold]

Could be your swing plane is too steep. Each club has a different plane depending on loft and shaft length, and if you are trying to maintain the same body position on all shots with all clubs, you might be coming down to steeply on impact, not allowing the face to square up and consequently the ball fades.

[alockrem]

I appreciate the feedback. In face, I am forced to change my swing just to keep from chunking the shots. So in some way, I am fading the ball on purpose. My options are to fade the ball or chunk it, the fade usually ends up closer to the hole.

For anyone that plays a draw with your irons - Do you play your right elbow as far inside on your iron swings as you do with your woods?

[Chas]

For anyone that plays a draw with your irons - Do you play your right elbow as far inside on your iron swings as you do with your woods?

I usually draw my irons, that is when I don't block and push trying to take the cover off ..... Anyway, I wouldn't mess with a different elbow position for different clubs. To me, it's a fundamental that shouldn't change. Like the other poster, I would think about swing plane, and I would also consider correct weight shift - are you sure you're shifting forward enough with your irons? I find that when I load up on the backswing but don't come forward properly on the downswing, I usually chunk the shot. Rhythm is everything.

I'm not an instructor, far from it. These are just my musing on the subject from my own painful experience.

[alockrem]

Thanks for your help.

I think the weight shift could be the problem. I have found problems in my weight shift lately. I have been working on it.

I also found that if I stand 1/2 inch closer to the ball I am hitting a much more solid shot. I have gotten into the groove of where to stand so it feels really uncomfortable moving that little bit closer, but the results are much better. I am going to keep working on that and the weight shift and see if that fixes the problems.

Thank you again for your help.