Poor long iron shots

I hit my driver straight, (sum times with a little draw) on average 240 yrds which i'm happy about. I hit my high irons (pitcher to 7 iron) very well and hardly miss the green from that range. The only problem is that my 6 and 5 irons are hit ok (averagely i.e. 6 greens in 10 from 165 yrds) then my 4 iron doesn't have any pattern or consistency at all. The 4 iron goes very low and about 170 yrds (various ways of getting there all the way).

I take a divot with my high irons but my low irons don't get them and i don't no where to hit the ball. I try to hit the like i do the 8 iron (which i hit perfect), but this fails.

At the moment i'm a 12 handicapper, and this could by 4-7 if i can sort out my long irons as i lose about 6 strokes through this.

Any advice/ any one else got this problem? solutions/ any cures?

Thanks a lot, richie

Hi Richie,
I think everyone except the below 5 guys suffer a little with long irons, it is usually a result of trying to get the ball airbourne. If you play to 12 then you know it can be a mental block which causes a slight bit of tention. We all hit better shot if we have a light grip free of any tention.

Cure for me maybe for you.

Every friendly and after work knock you play start using your 3 and 4 iron of the tee on the shorter par 4s, it's difficult at first because you want to hit driver, but you will grow in confidence and distance the more you use your long irons. You then feel confident to hit of the deck in competitions.
P.S I carry a 7 wood instead of a 5 just incase the lie is to poor for a long iron.

Hope this helps

Ian.

Hi Richie,

If you are having problems taking divots with your higher irons (3-5) you need to find where the ball is to be positioned in your stance. Typically, starting with your PW, the ball is only a few inches inside your back heel. Moving up to 9, 8, 7, 6, etc., the ball moves towards the target approximately 1/2 - 1 inch with each club. If that system does not work, just find out where your divor is. Taking a practice swing, make a divot with your regular swing with your 3 or 4 iron. Take a step forward and place your ball in line with exactly where your divot started. That is the easiest way to determine your correct ball position.

Gord

so should my 4 irons be almost of my front foot?

Hi Richie,

Having the ball at the front of your stance may be too far ahead. Typically the only club that works for is your driver. As your clubs go down, the ball position works its way towards your back foot. For myself, my 3/4 irons are around the 1/4 to 1/3 of the way towards my back foot.

But, as I said before, the best way to determine where the best ball position for YOUR swing is by taking a few practice swings and creating divots. From there, your divot should be close to the same spot in your stance. Place the ball just in front of the divot so that will hit the ball and then the ground (small ball before the big ball!).

Gord

The reason for your poor long iron shots is that your body is getting in front of the ball.

There are two different schools of thought for ball position

1. the ball should be played just forward of sternum ( I abide by this rule)
The reason being is that you are gauranteed to take a shallow divot

2. the ball gradually moves back in your stance as the clubs get shorter

a few reasons for the ballflight being low is your shoulders are aligned well left of the target which gets the club coming from outside the target line. when this happens your body is well in front of the ball

Your upper body is accelerating more rapidly than your lower body( body is ahead of the ball)

The clubface is delofted which is a result from the two mentioned above

Weak grip

ball to far back in stance

What is your typical ball flight low push low pull low slice low hook?

If I know this than I can pinpoint the issue that we need to rectify

__________________
Jordy Scerbo
Golf Instructor

basically, i swung with my 4 iron to see where my divots were being made, like u sed to ... and i didnt make one. Even wen i wanted to make one on purpose (which i no isnt rite) i couldnt. Ne cures for this?!?! because this is definately why the balls going low, i'm not hitting down on the ball at all.

I'm fine with the 7 - pitcher, i took divots with them every time. But the 5 and 4 i don't take one. Ne training aids?!

Thanks Rich

Hi Rich,

Are you at least skimming the grass with your 4 iron? You don't necessarily need to take a divot, but you should be at least clipping the top of the grass. As your loft on your clubs get lower, the size of your divot should get smaller as well. The only other thing is to check if you are the right distance away from your ball. Your arms should be hanging straight down from your shoulder in your 'ready' position. If you are reaching for the ball you more than likely are not hitting down on the ball properly. Keep us informed of your progress!

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

Try a 9-wood.