3 iron problems

[flamtap]

i have never really been able to hit 3-4 irons. by the way i am 14 yrs. old. I usually hit my 3 iron about 160. that doesnt work out well because i dont hit woods because i have problems with woods 2. So is there some secret 2 hitting a 3 iron i am not aware of? i have tried tightening up my left hand grip but that doesnt reallly hit. thanks for all the help!

[AK-Edge]

When I get to my long irons I always have to concentrate on making my hips come through at the same time as my shoulders. Whenever the timing of that gets a little ways off it takes probably 30-40 yards off of my shot among other things. For me I also have to make sure I transfer my weight well too, or else I dont get near the distance I usually get. Hope this made some sense and helps a little.

[Rafcin]

  flamtap said:

i...is there some secret 2 hitting a 3 iron i am not aware of? i have tried tightening up my left hand grip...

IMHO - the word "tightening" doesn't belong anywhere near golf, except when you describe process of installing new spikes in your golf shoes.

As far as secrets goes... longer clubs have to work with different swing plane than the short ones and majority of golfers don't handle the adjustments well. Why fight it. Do what most players on a senior PGA (and even some on the regular PGA) are doing - find a hybrid which is easier to play with. I consider myself a relatively good ball striker, but the longest iron in my bag is 5. The game is hard enough, why make it harder - if you can gain advantage through appropriate equipment - go for it.

[NCGolfer]

  flamtap said:

is there some secret 2 hitting a 3 iron i am not aware of?

What I've found is that I often get "flat" with my longer irons causing me to hit a hard, but very low shot. The only advice I can give you, apart from Rafcin's hybrid suggestion, is to make sure you are swinging down and through the ball. Making your angle of attack a little steeper may help you. You can do this by getting a little closer to the ball, bending over from the hips more or narrowing your stance.

When I'm getting "flat" I prefer to bend over from the hips a little more. My problem is I start sitting back on my heels a little too much. That being said, I am currently searching for a hybrid club to replace my 2-iron. The 220-230 yard high and soft shot is hard to come by and my 2-iron just isn't cutting it. I love it off the tee, but not into the green.

[iacas]

  NCGolfer said:

That being said, I am currently searching for a hybrid club to replace my 2-iron. The 220-230 yard high and soft shot is hard to come by and my 2-iron just isn't cutting it. I love it off the tee, but not into the green.

Dave, give the 503.H a try. It's a more iron-like hybrid, so I like it more than some of the others and you may too. Just play it a bit more towards the middle of your stance to counter the (too excessive in my opinion) offset.

[NCGolfer]

  iacas said:

Dave, give the 503.H a try. It's a more iron-like hybrid, so I like it more than some of the others and you may too. Just play it a bit more towards the middle of your stance to counter the (too excessive in my opinion) offset.

Will do. I hit the Taylor Made 19* (3 iron replacement) the other day. A guy I was playing with had one with the stock graphite stiff shaft in it. It felt pretty good but a bit light. I'm still thinking I'd prefer the stiff steel shaft though.

I'll give the 503.H a try...probably the 19*. Do you like the NV shaft in yours?

[NiceShot]

I have the NV in my TaylorMade 16* - it's the dogs...

[gitgolf98]

I play on the FJGA and i had problems. I dont know how long u have been playing but my teacher taught me about placement of the ball if u stand over it. It can get choppy and if u stand far than u will pop it. The point is that by placing ur feet can deal with how u hit the ball. Take a measuring stick and put ur feet on it and hit a couple of balls and see what is the best out of all

[UncleRobot]

Flamtap:

Four years ago i decided to put my driver and 3 wood up for the season. (2009 season) I wanted nothing more than to hit a 3 and 4 iron pure. So for that season I hit a 3 and 4 iron off the tee replacing my driver and 3 wood.

My best friend who can drive the ball pretty far would always say "when are you gonna get the driver out and hit with the big dogs?" It was humiliating, especially when I topped one 90 yards, or hit it fat and it only went 40 yards. We played everyday (7 days a week) so I had plenty of opportunities to switch back to my driver, but I stuck with the 3 and 4 irons.

My best friend would win our game everyday, until about 2 months later. I made so many adjustments trying to get comfortable that it finally clicked and I was able to be comfortable. The crazy thing was that my 3 iron was only a few yards short of his drive on most of our drives. By hitting the irons off the tee it naturally made the other irons and wedges easier to hit. Now hitting a 3 iron is no different from a 5 or a 6.

Its gonna take some humility and a bunch of swings.

Nothing good in golf is earned by shortcuts.

[David in FL]

  gitgolf98 said:

Originally Posted by gitgolf98

I play on the FJGA and i had problems. I dont know how long u have been playing but my teacher taught me about placement of the ball if u stand over it. It can get choppy and if u stand far than u will pop it. The point is that by placing ur feet can deal with how u hit the ball. Take a measuring stick and put ur feet on it and hit a couple of balls and see what is the best out of all

He was in middle school when he asked the question.  He's likely graduating college this year.  I'm guessing he's either given up and put a hybrid in the bag, or learned to hit the 3-iron by now.

Just giving you a hard time.  It's easy to miss the date of the original post when you're poking around here.  Welcome to the forum!

[Ernest Jones]

  David in FL said:

He was in middle school when he asked the question.  He's likely graduating college this year.

LOL, way to put it in perspective.

[dak4n6]

  David in FL said:

Originally Posted by David in FL

Quote:

Originally Posted by gitgolf98

I play on the FJGA and i had problems. I dont know how long u have been playing but my teacher taught me about placement of the ball if u stand over it. It can get choppy and if u stand far than u will pop it. The point is that by placing ur feet can deal with how u hit the ball. Take a measuring stick and put ur feet on it and hit a couple of balls and see what is the best out of all

He was in middle school when he asked the question.  He's likely graduating college this year.  I'm guessing he's either given up and put a hybrid in the bag, or learned to hit the 3-iron by now.

Just giving you a hard time.  It's easy to miss the date of the original post when you're poking around here.  Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for making me feel old(er) Dave!