Second shot?

Dr Nic

A question guys...

How does one improve their second shot (ie an iron shot on a par4/5) Especially if the lie is anything less than perfect?

Im not too bad off the tee, but my second shot is killing me.
My irons on the fairway are really killing my game.

The strange thing is that off the tee I can usually get a decent drive with my irons.

9 irons i have very little problem with anywhere on the course(dont ask why).
Anything lower and for some strange reason i usually scupper my shot.

So for the last while i have been solely hitting 4 irons on the driving range from the grass.

When i drop my ball and get a good lie, i can really get a good shot now with my 4iron.

But if my ball hits any kind of divot or even gets slightly 'under' the grass, i just cant get a decent shot. I usually end up either 'topping' the ball, or else taking a big divot and not getting any power into my connection and hitting the ball 60 yards

Any advice on how to approach a ball with an iron, when the ball is in a less than perfect lie?

Thanks!

copacetic

sounds like you need to work on hitting down on the ball from a steeper angle to get a good strike. A way to force it on the course is to only take 3/4 swings, moving clubs if needed. A lot of people find the better strike they get with a 3/4 or 1/2 swing means they don't lose that much distance anyway. Concentrate only on hitting the ball from the middle of the club.

stockdam

Sounds like you are hitting the ground first or scooping.

You've got to hit down on the ball and then the ground.

Lessons will help.

LostPassword

Yep, as above - it definitely sounds like you are hitting up on the ball - hence when the back of the ball is obscured, there's little you can do.

The immediate cause of this is usually that you are flipping your wrists rather than pronating the left wrist through impact - scooping under the ball with your writsts rather than hitting down on it as your forearms rotate. Unfortunately, the underlying cause is normally different - you will often subconsciously flip your wrists to close the club-face if you approach the ball from outside the line with an open club-face, so you can't just fix it by focusing on the wrists. Normally, the best way to fix it is to start your downswing on a better plane - if your arms are relaxed, they will naturally rotate properly through impact if they are started on the correct plane. Starting them on the correct plane is merely a matter of getting your arms in the correct position at the top of the backswing and getting your transition right to make them unwind through the ball as you rotate from the bottom up.

So, in essence, the underlying problem could be virtually anything - and is probably a few on top of each other, which is why people either need the perseverance of fanatics to teach themselves this game, or else reasonable pots of cash to get experts to tell them what to do.

Dr Nic

Thanks to you all Guys...

Today was a good day, I think i struck 6 4irons in a row clean, straight and 150 paces. My average is about 6 cleans shots out of 10, 4 scuffs. Fingers crossed this will come up to 8 or 9 cleans shots out of 10

I've been using Andy Browns video

I'll be honest, i know little about golf, but this video seems very good to me.
Any comments on it, or other recommendations?

stockdam

I don't listen to anyone who has "magic-moves" or "the secret". I watched some of the video and although some of it is fine, I do have a problem with the way he hinges the wrists.

There's a pretty standard way of swinging the golfclub that works and which is commonly taught. I would avoid anyone who claims there's a magic move.

If you are hitting your 4 iron 150 yards then you have a lot of improvements to make. I'd concentrate more on your 7 or 8 iron and get them working well first. A 4 iron is not an easy club to hit especially for a beginner.

Get some lessons from a local pro and he/she will give you the basics which are "the secret".

Dr Nic

Thanks for the encouragment!

Today was another decent day. I can now step up with a 4iron with confidence that i will connect cleanly and the ball will go straight. 2 months ago, 4 out of 5 would be horrible.

15 out of 20 shots with a 9 iron went clean as a whistle too.

More work on the range tomorrow, followed by our first round in 2months on Monday. I cant wait!

There is no secret to anything in life. Bar practice, and some direction if its available.

Dr Nic

Played today. A tricky course. Not made any easier by forgetting my driver (which is the only wood in my bag)

So i played 3 the first 3 holes with my mates driver and scratched them all. And then played the rest with my 4 iron. And finished with 19 points off 18. I dont have a handicap, so we took 18 when we started playing last Sept.

My irons were about 60% in terms of clean, straight drives. I scuffed some awful shots with my usual left hook, but i also played some really sweet, straight 180 yard strokes. Even some of my poor strokes, I know I would have been very happy with during my last round back in early November

My putting was surprisingly ok. Only 3 putted 3 times?

What i really have to work on next - My driver obviously, and irons from a tee (totally different ballgame to off grass)

All in all, fairly unhappy and still hit 19 points. Its an improvement for sure!!
Next round Friday week
Range every day til then

davo10

Nic the most common mistake amatuers make is under clubbing and coming up short. Also by being on the limit of each club especially 7-wedge you may be trying to force it and swing slightly off balance. A good exercise is for the whole of your next round take a look at the distance you have left to the centre of each green in regulation, select your club, then put it back and take one club more, in your mindset you will swing easier. Also this time of year you are not going to get any roll on the green so aim for beyond the pin.

Lastly, if you are scooping the ball and taking a big divot you may be coming in a little flat, at address tilt a little more towards the hole with a little more weight on left leg, this will make you hit down on the ball a little more.

zztop

Use your 7 wood.

Dr Nic

Thanks

Things are looking good Guys. Played a new course. Championship standard.
Delighted to break the 20 point mark for the first time, with 21 off 18.

Better than the score for me was my striking. Straight and true more often than not. Especially with my 4 iron, the club i couldnt even look at in my last round in November.

I'm still crap, but these last 10 days on my home 'range' has seen a massive improvement in my play.