A different approach to long irons

[Parker0065]

My favorite golfer of all time is Jack Nicklaus who was one of the greatest long iron players to ever swing a club! With all the new hybrid clubs out there today this is definitely becoming a lost art, not just for Amatuers but Pro's as well.


Many years ago I remember spending countless hours on the range because I was going to learn how to hit a 1,2, and 3 iron if it killed me. After countless practice sessions I started to develop my ability to hit these clubs very well. It really took my game to a new level once I learned how to properly hit them.


I'm not going to talk alot about grip, setup, or basic mechanics, but here are a couple points I learned in developing a long iron game.


TEMPO: This is really the biggest key to hitting long irons well. I have observed a lot of mid, and even a few low handicap players with a relatively smooth swing completely change thier tempo once you put a long iron in thier hands. Thier grip pressure gets a little stronger, thier swing tempo speeds up just a little bit, and they swing harder at it. I guess due to the low loft of these clubs it's just a natural feeling for most players to swing harder to get the ball up in the air. All of these are killers of hitting a solid long iron.


Some things to concentrate on is to keep your arms loose and relaxed. Focus on keeping your tempo smooth and let the club do the work. You will be suprised at how high a properly hit 2 or 3 iron can fly when struck solid, there's plenty of loft on the club to get it airborne.


Here's a drill I used when I first started working on long irons. Start with your 9 iron and just work on making a smooth controlled swing making solid contact. After your hitting the 9 iron well with good tempo, pick up your 3 or 4 iron and try to replicate that same 9 iron swing with this club. What I would do is stand over the ball with my 3 iron and pretend that I still have that same 9 iron in my hand and I'm just gonna put a nice swing on it. The first couple times I was able convince my brain that I was just swinging a 9 iron and not a thin bladed, low lofted, long iron I really nailed it down the range better than I ever had in my life.


One of my swing thoughts on the golf course before I hit a long iron is I'm thinking "9 iron swing" over the ball. Use whatever club in your bag that is your favorite or that you have the most confidence in to develop this. If your favorite club is a 7 iron then practice with a 7 iron, swing your long irons with your 7 iron swing and think 7 iron when your on the course playing. Once you convince your mind that every club in your bag is a 7 iron, you will start to hit everything better.


The real point to all of this is you should swing every club in your bag with the same tempo. Long irons take a lot of practice to develop, but I really think it's time well spent. Once you learn to swing all the clubs in your bag with the same tempo, grip pressure and force, you will find you can hit anything, be it long iron, wedge, fairway wood or Driver!


Hope this inspires someone to "Hit a Long Iron Today"!!!!

[aceadair]

I have gone to the range to hit a 1 iron and I went home crying. It was incredibly hard. I am starting to get efficient at the 3 iron and I am not so good with the 2 but I have a hybrid for that. I still carry the 3 iron for punch situations and like I said I am preety confident in hitting it off the ground. Since you wrote the post I guess I will go try the 1 iron again. Whats the worst that could happen? I might come home with a battered soul but I will at least confirm the saying "Not even God could hit a 1 iron!"

[lamebums]

I'm probably one of the only golfers out here whose safety blanket is the 3 iron. When I need an especially accurate tee shot, when there's OB on the left and woods or cabbage on the right, I bust out the three iron and crank one down the middle. I don't get why long irons are so hard to hit--conversely, I can't hit a hybrid worth a shit. (I have similar problems with my 3 wood, as well.)

But, yeah, long irons are the way to roll.

[seppo]

I love my 3 Iron! I could not play golf without it. I use it as often as possible on the course.

But as Parker0065 allready posted, it is very hard not to put to much force in the swing or grip, when i do that the 3 Iron is only flying as far as my 5 Iron and that is sth I really hate

[lamebums]

My problem seems to be catching the long irons off the toe, in which case, I'd be better off hitting a 7 iron.

[Parker0065]

Aceadair:"I have gone to the range to hit a 1 iron and I went home crying."

Yes I feel your pain,,,lol! The last 10-12 years I don't have near the practice time I use to have so carrying a 1 iron just isn't feasable anymore. I do better with my 5 wood these days for that distance shot of 230-240 yds. So unless you have endless free time to hit balls, I would stay away from the 1 Iron,,LOL!!!

[hurley9192]

I used to carry a 1 iron and have slowly kicked the long irons out of the bag. Maybe it's an ego thing, but I don't mind hitting a hybrid 8 out of 10 times well vs. my 2 iron that was about 10-20% accurate. I've even taken out the 3 and 4 irons and I'm in my early 30's and play to a low single digit handicap. Just never got as much out of them and don't hit them enough to justify over a gap wedge.

[supercow]

Love the 1 iron.... NOT! I'm okay with it off of the tee but off the deck I'm completely hopeless. Not to mention the pain that goes with hitting that thing off the toe I can understand why almost no one carries a butter knife anymore....