How far should you hit your 8 iron?

[Phil McGleno]

I don't really care what you think.

You cared enough to comment. I hit my 8-iron 147. I was tempted to write 147.26 but I don't think most of you here know how much I laugh at the old Johnny Miller quotes on the topic of super-precise yardages.

[Zeph]

Let's not get into a discussion on how far people can hit their clubs. We are very different from eachother, we got different clubs, different swings, different power, different quality of contact, different balls, different altitudes, different humidity. Some people hit it a mile, some hit it far, some it hit average, some hit it short. I've measured all my distances with range finder, and I assume a lot of you others in here have too.

[jamiesmith900]

I would love to know my swing speed any cheap way of doing this?

[saevel25]

I would love to know my swing speed any cheap way of doing this?

Go to a golf store that has a decent launch monitor.

[Golfingdad]

I'll add to this: longer than your 9 iron but shorter than your 7.

This is what I was gonna say ... Ideally halfway between the two. And if that number is >140 I'd say you're ahead of the (real life, not Internet) curve.

[inthehole]

140-145 yds for my stock controlled 8i

[jamiesmith900]

Great I will go to store and post my speeds soon :)

[Lihu]

Great I will go to store and post my speeds soon :)

Golfsmith has Foresight which seems pretty accurate.

[mvmac]

Hi

I am striking ball better than ever, I use to aim at the 175 net with my 5 iron and hit with ease now I can hit same net with my 8 iron how can this be is it normal?

Thanks:)

I think you answered your own question, you're "striking it better than ever".

[jamiesmith900]

Hey mvmac your right with your help too it's been a long battle but paying off now:) thank you

[sinned123]

I am able to hit my sand wedge around 150-175 yds........unfortunately it usually happens when I'm in a greenside bunker.......

[Hardballs]

Hi hardballs nail on head that's where I strugle I have a 60 degree sm5 and struggle in that area 54 might do it I can punch my 48 in half swing but hard to do

Very hard to gauge distances over that amount of length with a 60* lw. This is why I don't feel a need to smash my irons so far, my 45*pw goes 110, my 50*gw goes 95 & my 56*sw goes 80, my 62*lw goes 60, anything from 60yrds in I chip with either 7i or gw, I personally think you might benefit from slowing your iron swings down a touch, it might give you more control and make your yardage gaps more manageable? I read somewhere that good players only swing at 80% of their full power! And I suspect your using 110%?

[vangator]

Back in my younger days, I would use my SW from anywhere up to 185 yards. Now I hit my 8 iron about 135 now usually within makeable putt distance..

[Hardballs]

Back in my younger days, I would use my SW from anywhere up to 185 yards. Now I hit my 8 iron about 135 now usually within makeable putt distance..

We must have the same 8 iron!

[David L Yskes]

ive always thought if i can hit my 8 iron atleast 150, i am doing pretty good...

[DrvFrShow]

As I improved my ball striking my 7 iron went from 125 yds to 145 yds carry.

But please before someone throws that chart up on the thread that one has to consider the club lofts as well. If they're using tour pros as a standard they're probably using blades and blade lofts. If one goes to club manufacturer web sites and looks at the different sets one will find that the a 7 iron blade might have a 34 degree loft, whereas a cavity back 7 iron has a 30 degree loft which is the loft for a 6 iron in their blade set.

[Ernest Jones]

On a good, clean strike I hit my 8i about 155y total. A good, clean strike is by no means a given though.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamiesmith900

Hi hardballs nail on head that's where I strugle I have a 60 degree sm5 and struggle in that area 54 might do it I can punch my 48 in half swing but hard to do

Very hard to gauge distances over that amount of length with a 60* lw.

This is why I don't feel a need to smash my irons so far, my 45*pw goes 110, my 50*gw goes 95 & my 56*sw goes 80, my 62*lw goes 60, anything from 60yrds in I chip with either 7i or gw,

I personally think you might benefit from slowing your iron swings down a touch, it might give you more control and make your yardage gaps more manageable?

I read somewhere that good players only swing at 80% of their full power! And I suspect your using 110%?

Obviously not.

As I improved my ball striking my 7 iron went from 125 yds to 145 yds carry.

But please before someone throws that chart up on the thread that one has to consider the club lofts as well. If they're using tour pros as a standard they're probably using blades and blade lofts. If one goes to club manufacturer web sites and looks at the different sets one will find that the a 7 iron blade might have a 34 degree loft, whereas a cavity back 7 iron has a 30 degree loft which is the loft for a 6 iron in their blade set.

The lofts are listed in some of the tables. Their lofts are usually 1 club weaker than most people. In my case, they are 1 club stronger. It was serendipitously changed when I had them flattened 2 degrees. Don't know how. My MP52 are also the same way as far as lofts are concerned.

In any case, I feel comfortable hitting my irons the distances that they currently go. At some point, I think I will get them bent back to the more standard lofts that are in the tables.