Can't hit long irons!

I'm a decent driver of the ball and on the whole reduce most holes to no more than a chip to the green. However occasionally I need to use a long iron of the fairway or long par 3's where I would over hit using a wood. Clubs 3-6 generally cause me problems generally causing me to fade the ball and most of the time more slice than fade. I have tried everything...hitting off the from of my left foot, changing the blade angle etc. Most people I play with have the same problem but I really want to use these clubs as I am a 17HCP and want to imoprove...any advise???

Hi Richy,

Biggest problem with long irons is that you try to lift the ball with the club and also swing harder in an atempt to do this.

By the very nature of the club it is longer and therfore the swing should take longer, next time you go to the range try to hit 20 ball with your long iron but keep aiming at the 150 marker, this should slow you down.

Just try to take your time back to the ball from the top.


hope this helps.


Ian.

Good pointers Ian. Also look for a sweeping action with long irons. I never carried longer than 4 Iron till last year. Now 2 Iron has found a place in my bag.

My tip would be the same and feel like you are trying to sweep the ball. Imagine that you are using a 3 wood and hitting it off the fairway. On the take away, feel like you are keeping the club lower to the ground. The worst thing you can do is to rush your swing so ensure that the swing is smooth. I do find it strange though that you say that you can hit your driver and woods quite well.

Anywho, Good luck!

PS: I certainly do love how the ball flies and the feeling of hitting the 1I and 2I (plus the ego boost when people see that you can use it).

I've been using the 3I at the range today and mostly struggled with it but at one point I got to hitting it very well from simply relaxing and swinging very casually. It seemed the more casual I swung the further the ball went and the better the trajectory was. When I tried to put some oomph behind it then it simply seemed to take a funny move in the air and finish 20-30 yards shorter.

I hit awesome long iron shots. Give I get 220 yards out of a 3 iron. 210 with a 4 iron. I have a 15% driving iron in my bag, It is like a hybrid 1 iron and I get 250 yards. I am looking at replacing my 3 wood with a 2 iron. the only problem is that the club set in my bag don't go any lower than 3 irons. I'll have to look at a whole new set and get the 1 and 2 irons.

Mr Change,

Just done three months with my new Taylormade LT 2s there awesome................2 - P.

The 2 iron is standard with the LTs.


Ian.

Try before you buy not for the faint hearted..............!!

Same here. I slow down my swing for my 2,3, 4 and 5 irons and it works better for me. I make a conscious effort to swing the club and hit DOWN on the ball on these irons. My shorter irons, I can pretty much hit the $h1T of the ball and still maintain that swing path.

Yep: buy hybrids. Seriously.

I can kill my long irons - I problably hit a 3 more consistently than I do an 8. But nonetheless, there is absolutely no question whatsoever that a hybrid 3 iron is easier to hit than a "regular" 3-iron. Same goes for 4 and 5 irons. I think 90% of golfers shouldn't even have anything lower than a 6 iron in their bag; they should be replaced with hybrids or fairway woods. Ask your local pro, he'll agree with me.

What it comes down to is ego. I read posts here from people who can hit/have 2 irons in their bags. One guy is even looking for a 1 iron!

Guess how many 1 iron's you are in play at the Presidents Cup this week? 0.
Guess how many 1 irons are in play at the Velero Texas Open? 0.
Guess how many this week on the Nationwide Tour? You guessed it - 0.

There's really no reason to have long iron's anymore, it's just ego now...

__________________
Mike Ryan
Rhinebeck, NY

TaylorMade R5 N, 8.5*
TaylorMade V-Steel, Aldila NV 65 Stiff, 13*
TaylorMade Rescue Mid, 25*
Mizuno MP-32, 4-PW
Cleveland Tour Action 588 Wedge, 52*, 56* & 60*
Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2
Nike Tour Accuracy TW

"You can talk to a fade, but a hook won't listen."
- Lee Trevino

Well, after practicing my 3I at the range yesterday, I hit it pretty well on the course today. I think I used it about 6 times none of which were a T shot and hit at least 4 of them pretty perfectly.

I just treat my 3 like it's a mid or short Iron only play the ball more forward and it seems just as easy to hit. I think often ppl try and hit them harder because they are supposed to hit them further when it's the loft of the club that does that for you. The only problem with long 'uns is they are very unforgiving so the worst thing you can do is try and put more force in the swing.

This may sound a bit controversial but...................
................buy a good set of second hand FORGED BLADES!

You will hate them at first but after a few games you will be concentrating on your ball striking so much to hit that small sweet spot you will ,without knowing it, swing so much slower and consistently.

Doesn't Woods use a 1 iron (I believe it was a delofted 2 iron)?

It's not about ego at all with me.
I prefer hitting a long iron over a hybrid as I hit the iron with more consistency than a hybrid (which I have tried).

Each to their own!

Ian how do they compare to the x-16, as you know I been using a clone set of the x-16.

Yeah i share the same problem really. But im improving I plan to 'sweep' the ball away and im gonna now take 3/4 swing and just work on a smooth technique. Shouldn't worry about the power, it comes with a smooth controlled swing and a good recoil.

I too went for the hybrid this year; went out and bought an Edge CFT 3h from Ben Hogan. It's easy to hit from any lie (rough, fairway, tee, etc.). The good thing is that the price isn't too hefty either. Yeah, Mr. Hogan saved the day on that one.