Fine hitting wedges to 6i - issues with 5i and 4i

ZappaMan

Hey guys,

Have recently started playing again after a break of a few years. Have been practising a bit over the last couple of weeks. From wedges down to 6i, I'm quite happy with how I'm striking the ball. Highish ball flight with a slight draw.

I've been working on hitting all my irons with roughly the same ball position at my feet (used to change position based on my club years ago but just got tired of it) - a few inches from my front heel. Straight left arm, shortish backswing, trying to keep similar tempo on all shots, front ankle turned slightly and really concentrating on the follow through.

When I've tried the same approach with my 5i and 4i, I'm much more inconsistent. Some decent shots, quite a few wild hooks. I realise that it's almost impossible to sort my issue online, I'm just wondering of there's something really obvious that I'm not doing when hitting long irons?

dan_ep82

ZappaMan wrote: »

Hey guys,

Have recently started playing again after a break of a few years. Have been practising a bit over the last couple of weeks. From wedges down to 6i, I'm quite happy with how I'm striking the ball. Highish ball flight with a slight draw.

I've been working on hitting all my irons with roughly the same ball position at my feet (used to change position based on my club years ago but just got tired of it) - a few inches from my front heel. Straight left arm, shortish backswing, trying to keep similar tempo on all shots, front ankle turned slightly and really concentrating on the follow through.

When I've tried the same approach with my 5i and 4i, I'm much more inconsistent. Some decent shots, quite a few wild hooks. I realise that it's almost impossible to sort my issue online, I'm just wondering of there's something really obvious that I'm not doing when hitting long irons?

So would you play a PW a few balls inside your heel?

What are your distance's like on irons?

Ideally its where most instructors say your long irons should be and its where I can get the best contact. But if I put my wedge there I would have to either keep my center and weight very far forward or move quite alot onto my front leg through impact or I'd probably present the blade as my swing arc bottom would be so far behind the ball. Without seeing how you make your swing work it will be very hard to give any advice I'd imagine.

whizbang

So a lot of golfers struggle with this, you're not alone..

First thing: try is shorten your grip to the same length as a 6i or even a 7i, until you can hit them reasonably, then let the club out a little bit at a time, but you have to keep feeling the tempo or rhythm. Once you loose the tempo, start the process again with the short grip.

Its harder to swing a longer heavier club, so often your body pulls other muscles into the game, to try to compensate, while you are trying to keep the regular muscles in their normal swing.

Senna

ZappaMan wrote: »

I've been working on hitting all my irons with roughly the same ball position at my feet (used to change position based on my club years ago but just got tired of it) - a few inches from my front heel.

But you do widen your stance more the longer the club?

I do have to play longer irons a good bit further up in my stance otherwise there's a good chance of a hook. I think my problem is more mental than anything else, I can play it back in the stance and hit a low draw if needed, but a normal shot with a 5i, I really need to Sweep it, unlike how I hit shorter irons.

ZappaMan

Senna - yes I widen my stance the longer the club is.

On the shorter clubs I have been keeping my weight on the front foot and then become more upright the longer the clubs get. I have been hitting the ball consistently down to the 6i which I'm happy with, had struggled in the past with even that. Been keeping the ball 2/3 balls inside my left heel, as I said earlier I couldn't be bothered trying to change ball position for every club. Unsure if this is the right approach but think I'll persevere with it a while.

Distance wise I've always been a relatively short hitter (but my irons are old too which may be partly to blame - am investing in some new irons this weekend) - Avg 105-115 for PW, 115-125 for 9i, 125-135 for 8i etc

Senna

Those distances sound fine, if there consistant then stick with it. Newer irons might bring more length, but only through strong lofts and longer shafts, so really only fooling people.
I think pros do recommend keeping the ball position the same and only changing the stance width, so you have the right idea.

Shankmaster

Move ur stance so that the ball is about an inch closer to the insider of ur left heel for the 4i and 5i. Try this in the range an I bet ul see results in no time.

dan_ep82

ZappaMan wrote: »

Senna - yes I widen my stance the longer the club is.

On the shorter clubs I have been keeping my weight on the front foot and then become more upright the longer the clubs get. I have been hitting the ball consistently down to the 6i which I'm happy with, had struggled in the past with even that. Been keeping the ball 2/3 balls inside my left heel, as I said earlier I couldn't be bothered trying to change ball position for every club. Unsure if this is the right approach but think I'll persevere with it a while.

Distance wise I've always been a relatively short hitter (but my irons are old too which may be partly to blame - am investing in some new irons this weekend) - Avg 105-115 for PW, 115-125 for 9i, 125-135 for 8i etc

As said those distances seems fine, I was just wondering if you were delivering too much loft and doing yourself out of distance.

For me with the 4 and 5 iron I just swing the same but the strike is less consistent on the 4i but practice is making it better. My biggest problem was mental, I always seemed to want to change my swing (harder usually) for the longer irons

slave1

Hybrids

ZappaMan

Went to the range this evening, moved the ball a little further forward and tried to sweep through the shot a little more. Certainly was a little more consistent as regards direction but wasn't overly happy with distance, 5i was landing on the 150 yard mark, roughly where my 6i shots were landing!

whizbang

Now you have that sorted, start moving the ball back , but still keep the same sweep through.

Are you hitting off hard mats or the soft stuff ?

ZappaMan

whizbang wrote: »

Now you have that sorted, start moving the ball back , but still keep the same sweep through.

Are you hitting off hard mats or the soft stuff ?

Well I'm on the mats but the soft ones if you know what I mean, synthetic grass, v light rough length - that having much effect on distance?

I may try to move the ball back a little - I'm guessing should mean a lower ball flight and hopefully more distance? I need to be careful though because I tend to hook the ball and bringing it back can encourage it!

whizbang

I hear ya! Its my bad shot too..
The long bristles are very forgiving, very deceptive. but i don't recommend regularly hitting the hard mat.

Along with the other 42 swing thoughts, keeping your hands ahead of the ball at impact will help.. but you need another 13 swing thoughts to get that right...

kelbal

I think slave1's advice was the best post
Seriously, got get 1 or 2 hybrids. The longest proper iron I have is a 6.
I have a 28 degree and a 24 degree (replacing my 5 and 4 irons). They are so much easier to hit, especially out of the rough. Mine are from the ping G series, can't recommend them enough. Unless you're aiming to play off a very low handicap where there might be a bit more precision with long irons, make things alot easier for yourself with some hybrids!!

slave1

I've Ping G15's, three hybrids and a breeze to hit compared to low irons, and as you said much much easier to play from the rough

Montgolfier

Did you ever have your irons checked for length? Standard off the shelf irons tend to be 1/2 inch longer than standard.

Montgolfier

Standard iron length

Nonoperational

You could be a little steep, which you will get away with on the shorter irons.

Rikand

Even if you already have an easy swing, swing even easier with the long irons. Your body needs to be in good position when hitting a long iron and if you're not throwing yourself out of shape with a quick swing, you give yourself a really good chance to getting back to the ball at a good angle/position

Bigus

slave1 wrote: »

Hybrids

P Harrington reckons only very low handicappers or pros should go below 6I

Domo1982

Bigus wrote: »

P Harrington reckons only very low handicappers or pros should go below 6I

Did he mention what make his 3 hybrids were?:)

MisterAnarchy

Bigus wrote: »

P Harrington reckons only very low handicappers or pros should go below 6I

Interesting ,I can understand not using a 3 or 4 iron but no 5 iron is rare for most golfers I would have thought.

3 and 4 irons require good swing speed especially out of rough and a hybrid is much easier to hit but I still like to hit the odd 3 iron as its the acid test of ball striking .

slave1

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Interesting ,I can understand not using a 3 or 4 iron but no 5 iron is rare for most golfers I would have thought.

3 and 4 irons require good swing speed especially out of rough and a hybrid is much easier to hit but I still like to hit the odd 3 iron as its the acid test of ball striking .

I have not got a 5 iron, nor a 6, just a 7/8 and 9, replaced my low irons with hybrids, one of my best moves. I can hit a 6 no problem but prefer its hybrid counterpart as easier to hit from the rough.