Distance with Irons

[Nail]

Hey guys, just wondering how do you know you are getting the optimum distance yiu coukd with your irons. I'm convinced that I am not hitting as far as i should, i am not short by any means but i feel like i hit the ball higher than i should so maybe I'm not hitting down enough?

Is a lesson the only way to know for sure? 

At the moment my 8 iron goes about 155 to 165yards on the course but at the range i can often hit a pw that distance. 

Should I just not worry about it so much?

[dennyjones]

It's more important that you have a good club gap.   What are the distances for the 9 iron and the 7 iron.   Do you hit them consistently the same distance? 

[MarvChamp]

13 hours ago, dennyjones said:

It's more important that you have a good club gap.   What are the distances for the 9 iron and the 7 iron.   Do you hit them consistently the same distance? 

Sure agree with this. Also @Nail you asked about your optimum distance. I don't know what optimum means, but the USGA has done studies about how far folks hit vis a vis their club speed. Oddly, it seems pretty close for me. But really the best way is to get on Trackman and get your statistics using your clubs and others. I hope someone more knowledgeable than I am will chime in because this is probably a question many of us ask. Best, -Marv 

[saevel25]

19 hours ago, Nail said:

At the moment my 8 iron goes about 155 to 165yards on the course but at the range i can often hit a pw that distance. 

1. Have you measured the distances on the range? Maybe they are way off. Maybe you are moved up further on the range.
2. What is your driver clubhead swing speed measured by a clubfitting?

 

[Valleygolfer]

Hitting down with irons generally causes the ball to fly higher, maybe you are too steep? I doubt this is the issue. As @saevel25 asked, your swing speed would be the indicator for distance. My experience at ranges is that they change the tee area and not the poles, one, and two, I don't see how you can tell how close you are to the yardage markers at 150+ yards. Course behavior is what should be the main concern.

[saevel25]

2 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

Course behavior is what should be the main concern.

Yep

If you have 155 yards and constantly come up short with your PW. Guess what, you don't hit your PW 155 yards.

[p1n9183]

Why do you care about distance? if 8 iron goes 155-165 consistently then hit 8 iron from 160 and if you have 170 just club up!
Focus your attention on accuracy not distance with your irons.

The only club that need to be maximized in distance is the driver. In all the other clubs you just can club up in order to hit 10 more yards.   

[DaveP043]

I never worry about specific distances at the range, I know those golf balls aren't the same as the balls I play on the course.  They didn't start out the same, and months of being exposed to the elements can't have done anything to help them.  

This may be the chart of distances that @MarvChamp was thinking of.  My driver swing speed is a little under 100 mph, and the iron yardages are pretty consistent with mine.

[HJJ003]

34 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I never worry about specific distances at the range, I know those golf balls aren't the same as the balls I play on the course.  They didn't start out the same, and months of being exposed to the elements can't have done anything to help them.  

This may be the chart of distances that @MarvChamp was thinking of.  My driver swing speed is a little under 100 mph, and the iron yardages are pretty consistent with mine.

This ^^^.   Worry about ballfight at the range, and whatever swing thought you are thinking of that day. 

Also, as other shave stated us this chart as a guide if your interested in estimating your swing speed...but if you are coming up short on the majority of the greens you play...you ain't hitting the ball as far as ya think. 

[Nail]

I suppose its not exactly the distance that im worried about and moreso it being an indication of me striking the ball properly. 

Someone asked about clubhead speed with driver and in the one lesson i had he said it was averaging about 117mph. 

Driver is another issue and I dont hit it consistently at all to maximise that speed but thats another story.

Looking at that chart the 8 iron is probably about right but certainly not always that distance or stfaight for that matter lol.

I guess I'm more wondering if im striking the ball well, which would require a my swing thread. 

21 hours ago, dennyjones said:

It's more important that you have a good club gap.   What are the distances for the 9 iron and the 7 iron.   Do you hit them consistently the same distance? 

Ya the gap is fine 10 metres roughly either side of my 8 iron