Advice on hitting irons from fairway

[Jonathan Zach]

Hi all, have been golfing for little under a year and played par 3 courses for the most part until recently. I have been enjoying the par 3 as a beginner since they are quick and offer a good cheap practice rounds with all the irons, hybrid and putter.

However, i started going to "real" courses in past few weeks so i can really play the game, 18 holes par 68 next to my house.

I had no trouble with my driver or woods and drove an average of 225-230 yards. However, i has some trouble hitting irons from the ground since i used to only him them from tees when i played par 3s.

I hit them mostly thin & fat.

Any advice on hitting irons from the ground, especially the 5 iron and the hybrids ?

[vangator]

As a first guess, since you are mixing in thin and fat shots, you are not keeping you head still. Probably swaying as well. Also, I'd guess you are playing the ball to far forward in your stance. Fat when the head doesn't quite get there and thin when it does. Check out some videos and pay attention to their setup. Pick an object in the background and notice how little their head moves. There's lots of instruction videos on this site as well. Search for the "5 keys".

[mvmac]

Hi @Jonathan Zach , recommend starting a swing thread so others can help you with the specifics on what you need to work on.

http://thesandtrap.com/f/4180/member-swings

In the meantime this would be a good thread to check out. You're most likely going to be looking at improving Key #1 (steady head) or Key #2 (weight forward at impact.

[fcm70]

Hi...like you I couldn't hit my irons....what I did was take a 9 to 3 swing....cock your wrist going back.....your grip and arms and hands loose....make sure you finish your swing

[Haggis McHaggis]

Hi @Jonathan Zach, recommend starting a swing thread so others can help you with the specifics on what you need to work on.

http://thesandtrap.com/f/4180/member-swings

In the meantime this would be a good thread to check out. You're most likely going to be looking at improving Key #1 (steady head) or Key #2 (weight forward at impact.

Thanks for the tips.

I have a harder time properly connecting with a hybrid or fairway wood than with irons.

[mvmac]

Thanks for the tips.

I have a harder time properly connecting with a hybrid or fairway wood than with irons.

It's the same swing with the ball a little more forward. Just keep working on improving your mechanics.

[mmoan2]

The pros here will offer you better swing technique advice than me, but if you consistently strike the ball before the turf, it is the key to iron play. Working on mechanics is obviously key, but when you're playing a round, you shouldn't be doing that. I used to have an awful time with irons, and if I started to top the ball again mid-round, my swing thought became to literally feel like I was driving the ball into the ground, which at least gave me solid contact. I might hook my 4-iron 190 in the woods, but it felt better and was more rewarding than a 75 yard topper.

[Aflighter]

Keep your left arm straight as possible going back on your swing and dont let your hands break until they do it naturally.I have always been a bad iron player until I figured that out and now the thin and fat shots no longer happen.Ill pull some or push some but its 90% of the time really good contact.

[inthehole]

What I tell beginner players is that hitting the club face purely is most important.      Take a nice smooth / slow tempo 3/4 back swing, come down hard on it, full follow through & you'll be amazed how far it goes when you hit it perfectly.     Once you really get confident with that, gradually take more back swing if you even need to.   A big Mickelson-esque backswing for a beginner is never good & to be avoided at all costs IMHO.

[DrvFrShow]

Thanks for the tips.

I have a harder time properly connecting with a hybrid or fairway wood than with irons.

I do too, but my problem is coming out of posture with the hybrid and FW. I guess I have to see where the ball is going before I hit it or I'm afraid I'm coming in too steep that I come out of posture and top it. Really, I'm not coming in too steep. The funny thing is that with my 4i which is comparable to my 4H I play it in the same position - a bit more forward and with more of a sweeping motion and don't have the problem. Is it the shape  of the head? This is telling me it's a mental block.

I  know if I tell my instructor "I can't hit this club" I'll hit my first shot with it flush and he'll make me hit it the entire lesson because "I can't hit it" and he knows it's just part of the mental game.

[Jonathan Zach]

Thanks for the help.

I usually hit my irons well while they are on a tee (on par 3) but once they are on the ground, i get nervous or something :)

[dchoye]

From the turf I find playing the ball off the left armpit gives me more crispy iron shots

Aim to take a bit of divot after the ball.

Tee ball I generally like to play ball off my hips and hit up.

[vangator]

From the turf I find playing the ball off the left armpit gives me more crispy iron shots Aim to take a bit of divot after the ball. Tee ball I generally like to play ball off my hips and hit up.

That sounds like it could hurt. You must be double jointed. :-)

[Jonathan Zach]

on a side note, if i have been golfing for about 10 months now, shouldn't the fat and thin shots be gone by now ?

I though i had them out of my system by now ??:(

[golfygolfy]

on a side note, if i have been golfing for about 10 months now, shouldn't the fat and thin shots be gone by now ? I though i had them out of my system by now ??:(

So had the same thing happen to me. I'm about 3 months in as well and started playing the executive courses solely. I could hit my teed off shots pure and well but went to a bigger real course and it all went to shit when I was hitting off the fairway. I started playing those executive courses again and just threw my ball on the tee box and teed off from the ground. It simulated fairway cut and helped me walk through the mental practice of hitting an approach shot. I make sure I have a practice swing where I clip the grass and then I'm off. Just my experience but thought maybe it might help. I won't go into swing mechanicals cause I don't know plus Im sure that's your problem any ways. Cheers

[inthehole]

on a side note, if i have been golfing for about 10 months now, shouldn't the fat and thin shots be gone by now ?

I though i had them out of my system by now ??:(

its part of the game - we all struggle with that to some degree.  Like I said, limit your backswing, come down hard on it, until you don't do that anymore

[mvmac]

on a side note, if i have been golfing for about 10 months now, shouldn't the fat and thin shots be gone by now ?

I though i had them out of my system by now ??:(

Welcome to golf.

I've been playing for 20 years and still mis-hit plenty of shots

[dkolo]

on a side note, if i have been golfing for about 10 months now, shouldn't the fat and thin shots be gone by now ?

I though i had them out of my system by now ??:(

Welcome to golf.

I've been playing for 20 years and still mis-hit plenty of shots

Yeah, you'll see top guys on Tour hit stone-cold shanks now and then. You never really eliminate god-awful shots, you just work on progressively reducing them. Golf's freaking hard, man.