Need help hitting my 4-6 consistently

[mpeck24]

Hey guys.  Got some new clubs last saturday, a set of Cobra S3 max irons, and hit them for the first time today.  Shot my best round so far at a 91, which is about 11 better than my previous best.  Just started playing recently, maybe played 5-7 rounds in the last 3 weeks.  My main problem is hitting my 4-6.  I dont get enough loft on these clubs (we are talking 10 feet off the ground sometimes) and i tend to hook them if anything.  I usually play the ball in the middle of my stance.  Any help would be great!  Oh, also i need help hitting my sand wedge.  I went into two bunkers today, but each one took me 3-4 shots to get out of because i didnt generate enought loft to get over the lip.  I play these shots like any other chip, with feet close together, and ball about two inches off my back foot.  Thanks again guys!!!

[carpediem4300]

Hi,

With the long irons you say your bad shot is a hook, and not getting it more than 10ft off the ground correct? - for me that sounds like you are trying to scoop the ball off the ground thus "flipping" at it,.....the results being you either smother the ball into a hook, or you thin it with the leading edge causing a low shot,.............what you need to remember is although they look quite daunting at address,....all of your irons require you to hit down, you dont need to add loft to them by trying to lift the ball off the ground,.......the drill i use for long irons is the punch shot,.........set up as normal,....but only take a 3/4 backswing with the emphasis of stabbing the club into the ground,....zero follow through this will result in a shorter version of the shot you are trying to do,.....once you engrain this, move up to a full swing with a follow through,...you should take a decent sized divot and let the club add the required loft

with the bunker shots,...... again you do not need to add any loft at the all, your sandwedge has plenty!!,....and playing it like a normal chip is not going to work

the best drill i found for bunkers when practicing is to draw a line in the sand approx 2 inches behind the ball,...this is where you want the club to enter the sand,....this will create an explosive impact where the sand pushes the ball out of the bunker,.....remember you MUST make a full swing when in a bunker, otherwise you will be in it forever!!

[mpeck24]

Originally Posted by carpediem4300

Hi,

With the long irons you say your bad shot is a hook, and not getting it more than 10ft off the ground correct? - for me that sounds like you are trying to scoop the ball off the ground thus "flipping" at it,.....the results being you either smother the ball into a hook, or you thin it with the leading edge causing a low shot,.............what you need to remember is although they look quite daunting at address,....all of your irons require you to hit down, you dont need to add loft to them by trying to lift the ball off the ground,.......the drill i use for long irons is the punch shot,.........set up as normal,....but only take a 3/4 backswing with the emphasis of stabbing the club into the ground,....zero follow through this will result in a shorter version of the shot you are trying to do,.....once you engrain this, move up to a full swing with a follow through,...you should take a decent sized divot and let the club add the required loft

with the bunker shots,...... again you do not need to add any loft at the all, your sandwedge has plenty!!,....and playing it like a normal chip is not going to work

the best drill i found for bunkers when practicing is to draw a line in the sand approx 2 inches behind the ball,...this is where you want the club to enter the sand,....this will create an explosive impact where the sand pushes the ball out of the bunker,.....remember you MUST make a full swing when in a bunker, otherwise you will be in it forever!!

Thanks for your advice.  One other problem i think i have, is consistently playing the ball too far forward in my stance with my irons.  I will try and do this drill at the course, and work on the sand game too.

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by mpeck24

Thanks for your advice.  One other problem i think i have, is consistently playing the ball too far forward in my stance with my irons.  I will try and do this drill at the course, and work on the sand game too.

If you play the ball in the middle of your stance with your long and mid irons it may actually be too far back.  I play my 5 iron and my 3H and 4H a couple inches behind my left big toe (I'm a righty).

[mpeck24]

Originally Posted by Mr3Wiggle

If you play the ball in the middle of your stance with your long and mid irons it may actually be too far back.  I play my 5 iron and my 3H and 4H a couple inches behind my left big toe (I'm a righty).

Im a righty as well. Ill mess around with ball placement and trying not to scoop the ball.  When you get a divot it should start just barely past the ball?

[mpeck24]

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by mpeck24

Im a righty as well. Ill mess around with ball placement and trying not to scoop the ball.  When you get a divot it should start just barely past the ball?

Divot SHOULD start at or past the ball.  Obviously this is easier said than done.  The bottom of your divot can be referred to as your swing bottom.  Meaning the low point in your arc.  That point needs to be past your ball.  Tour pros typically have swing bottoms that at 4 inches past their ball.  High handicappers typically have swing bottoms that occur before the ball.  Because of this they have to make a compensation or they will bottom out behind the ball and hit the ground first.  There are some good drills available to help "move your swing bottom forward".

[mpeck24]

Originally Posted by Mr3Wiggle

Divot SHOULD start at or past the ball.  Obviously this is easier said than done.  The bottom of your divot can be referred to as your swing bottom.  Meaning the low point in your arc.  That point needs to be past your ball.  Tour pros typically have swing bottoms that at 4 inches past their ball.  High handicappers typically have swing bottoms that occur before the ball.  Because of this they have to make a compensation or they will bottom out behind the ball and hit the ground first.  There are some good drills available to help "move your swing bottom forward".

Okay thank you, this goes along with other things i have read.  I think it comes down to me not understanding that i need to hit down at and through the ball.  i think sometimes my swing bottom is before the ball because i try to "scoop" the ball,so i get next to no loft on the ball.  Time to get on the range

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by mpeck24

Okay thank you, this goes along with other things i have read.  I think it comes down to me not understanding that i need to hit down at and through the ball.  i think sometimes my swing bottom is before the ball because i try to "scoop" the ball,so i get next to no loft on the ball.  Time to get on the range

Check out "Confessions of a Former Flipper".  I refer people to that so often it must seem like I own stock in the company.

[mpeck24]

Originally Posted by Mr3Wiggle

If you play the ball in the middle of your stance with your long and mid irons it may actually be too far back.  I play my 5 iron and my 3H and 4H a couple inches behind my left big toe (I'm a righty).

Just wanted to say thanks again.  Shot an 81 (+8) today, best round ever.  moved the ball up in my stance on my irons to about 3-4 inches off my left heel, especially 4-6i, and focused on hitting through the ball. had a great round! had a long par 5 18, where i managed to get within 20 feet of the hole with my 4 iron.  Thanks a lot for the help, i think this will really help my game.

[carpediem4300]

Awesome stuff glad to hear of improvement

[Jimdangles]

WOW so in one week you went from a personal best of 91 to a new personal best of 81. Talking about unusual. Usually if someone is shooting even a 91 it has to do with more than just 1 problem but if you cut off 10 strokes just by fixing those long irons then wow. You must have been terrible with those haha. congrats

[carpediem4300]

thats how my game roles,....95-97 one month,...ill fix something and shoot 89-88 the next month

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by mpeck24

Just wanted to say thanks again.  Shot an 81 (+8) today, best round ever.  moved the ball up in my stance on my irons to about 3-4 inches off my left heel, especially 4-6i, and focused on hitting through the ball. had a great round! had a long par 5 18, where i managed to get within 20 feet of the hole with my 4 iron.  Thanks a lot for the help, i think this will really help my game.

That's great to hear.

[mpeck24]

Originally Posted by Jimdangles

WOW so in one week you went from a personal best of 91 to a new personal best of 81. Talking about unusual. Usually if someone is shooting even a 91 it has to do with more than just 1 problem but if you cut off 10 strokes just by fixing those long irons then wow. You must have been terrible with those haha. congrats

I really was! I was "flipping" so badly that sometimes my 4i would go like 30 yards lol  But i dont expect to shoot an 81 again soon, seemed like the perfect round.  But getting in the 80's again next time? thats what ill be shooting for!