A question about long irons

[njcl13]

In practise my golf ball soars over 80 foot in height,thats with a 3 or 4 iron,i barely get any run once the ball lands,my distances are average for a person of my skill level,i think i read somewhere that pro golfers reach an average of 25 yards in height which equates to around 60 foot or so in height off their shots,therefore my shots must be seen as 'normal',i just wish i could get some extra yardage via the ball running after landing yet it hits the ground and dies and even jumps back at times ,and its also true we have had the wettest so called summer and the ground is hardly supportive to run the ball but in the open woods got 90 yds of run off a long iron and that course is only 35 mins drive from me,any tips??,10 yards of run would be a pleasant change

[LuciusWooding]

Originally Posted by njcl13

In practise my golf ball soars over 80 foot in height,thats with a 3 or 4 iron,i barely get any run once the ball lands,my distances are average for a person of my skill level,i think i read somewhere that pro golfers reach an average of 25 yards in height which equates to around 60 foot or so in height off their shots,therefore my shots must be seen as 'normal',i just wish i could get some extra yardage via the ball running after landing yet it hits the ground and dies and even jumps back at times ,and its also true we have had the wettest so called summer and the ground is hardly supportive to run the ball but in the open woods got 90 yds of run off a long iron and that course is only 35 mins drive from me,any tips??,10 yards of run would be a pleasant change

I suggest you abandon the search for roll with your long irons. Being able to stop anything below a 7 iron without roll is a great advantage, and most players can't consistently do so with the 3 and 4, especially not off the deck. Even if you don't get a ton of length, being able to hit those long irons gives you a shot most others don't have. You might think running the ball on the ground is cool, but nothing is sexier than a flushed long iron holding the green.

Being able to run the ball is useful with the driver, since it's hard to carry the ball far without going for a really high shot and that can make the wind hurt you. But even then, if your ball just rolled forever, it'd eventually find trouble. Just ask Adam Scott. Getting extra distance through carry is better 99% of the time and is more consistent.

On the other hand, though roll isn't desirable on a stock shot, you may find that hitting a punch shot can be useful and will usually give you some decent roll on lower irons. There are a ton of instructional videos on how to do it, but essentially you deloft the club and hit it to take some spin off. In situations with strong wind this shot can be useful, but I wouldn't change your current trajectory on normal shots.

[scv76]

25 yds * 3 ft per yard = 75 feet, not 60 feet...not that it matters to the context of your post. I just wish my long irons would stop, too many shots where I can't hold the green for me!

Originally Posted by njcl13

In practise my golf ball soars over 80 foot in height,thats with a 3 or 4 iron,i barely get any run once the ball lands,my distances are average for a person of my skill level,i think i read somewhere that pro golfers reach an average of 25 yards in height which equates to around 60 foot or so in height off their shots,therefore my shots must be seen as 'normal',i just wish i could get some extra yardage via the ball running after landing yet it hits the ground and dies and even jumps back at times ,and its also true we have had the wettest so called summer and the ground is hardly supportive to run the ball but in the open woods got 90 yds of run off a long iron and that course is only 35 mins drive from me,any tips??,10 yards of run would be a pleasant change

[iacas]

90 feet or 30 yards is typical. 25 yards would be the low end of a PGA Tour pro's typical height. Obviously with drivers they reach that height farther down-range than with an iron, but it's surprisingly consistent, the peak height of any club.

[LuciusWooding]

http://mytrackman.com/TrackMan.Online.DrivingRange/PGANumbers.html

It's all in meters, but it's interesting. Probably seems like the distances are a bit shorter than on TV, but this is averages. The roll is totally dependent on course conditions and it shows just how much some players get on those 350 yarders...

[njcl13]

I did some practise shots today with a long iron {4i},i closed the club face on a few shots,first thing i noticed was the massive drop in flight trajectory height,and as it was windy was helpful,it ran a good 20 yds,although hooking it aided that but i forgot to alter my stance to accommodate for shutting the club face,by the way if i seem like a novice in instruction pertaining to golf i did play the game 20 or so years ago,but time erases much in the memory,and tips from others is always welcome