# Poor iron striking



## SaintHacker (Oct 1, 2014)

My irons are really holding my game back at the moment, 8 and upwards especially. I just struggle to get a good consistent strike on the ball and its costing me shots all over the place. There doesn't seem to be a particulaer fault as such, I can top it, thin it, hit the ground behind it, and just occasionally pure it 20 yards further than I expected to! Are there any good range drills to try and find some consistency?


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## One Planer (Oct 1, 2014)

SaintHacker said:



			My irons are really holding my game back at the moment, 8 and upwards especially. I just struggle to get a good consistent strike on the ball and its costing me shots all over the place. There doesn't seem to be a particulaer fault as such, I can top it, thin it, hit the ground behind it, and just occasionally pure it 20 yards further than I expected to! Are there any good range drills to try and find some consistency?
		
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Got a video of your swing?

Sounds to me like your casting and not holding any lag in the down swing.

Without a video, it's pure guess work.


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## bobmac (Oct 1, 2014)

If the strike is inconsistent, the club will not be returning to the ball in the same way each time. From what you say I would guess you have a fair amount of sway going on in the backswing. If you have the technology, ask someone to film your swing from face on at address (or watch in a mirror) and see what happens on your backswing . Does your head move backwards?


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## SaintHacker (Oct 1, 2014)

Thanks, I'm playing this afternoon so I'll see if my mate will film it.


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## Dan2501 (Oct 1, 2014)

[video=youtube;M02T8Hh8-9Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M02T8Hh8-9Y[/video]

Give this a watch. Really good video, with some great tips.


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## PIng (Oct 1, 2014)

I've struggled with the longer irons recently. Tonight I made a real effort to shorten my backswing - my left arm was barely going past horizontal - and then hit down hard on the ball. I only played a few holes but I was definitely straighter and longer with a higher ball flight. Early days, but I'm guessing the shorter swing is allowing me to stay balanced and strike the ball cleanly.


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## sawtooth (Oct 1, 2014)

Whenever my irons go off I shorten my swing and it helps me get back to striking well again. If you want something simple to try on the range try hitting the ball with a 2-3ft backswing. Surprising how well the ball flies with a very short backswing.


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## garyinderry (Oct 2, 2014)

controlling the low point as in dan's video is key here!    so many videos online talking about this.   


you could even start by having 60 - 40 % weight favouring the front foot and staying there through the swing until you get the feeling of having the low point of the swing arc in front of the ball.   ball turf contact.


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## SaintHacker (Oct 2, 2014)

Thanks for all the replies. My mate videoed me but posted it on facebook instead of emailing it to me
Anyway from what I can make out it looks like I am swaying back slightly on the backswing, so I think that video will help a lot.


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## chrisd (Oct 2, 2014)

I suffer from a sway from time to time but have pretty well eradicated it. The key to the strike I feel is the weight shift to the front foot on the start of the downswing. I feel that, when I get to the top of the swing, that I'm standing on a water bottle with my right (lead) foot and just tread gently enough on it to squeeze some water out. This transfers just enough weight to the left to hit ball first and comes without any over done sway in either direction.


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## the_coach (Oct 3, 2014)

SaintHacker said:



			My irons are really holding my game back at the moment, 8 and upwards especially. I just struggle to get a good consistent strike on the ball and its costing me shots all over the place. There doesn't seem to be a particulaer fault as such, I can top it, thin it, hit the ground behind it, and just occasionally pure it 20 yards further than I expected to! Are there any good range drills to try and find some consistency?
		
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[video=youtube_share;1tECUBLzUC0]http://youtu.be/1tECUBLzUC0[/video]


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## the_coach (Oct 3, 2014)

SaintHacker said:



			My irons are really holding my game back at the moment, 8 and upwards especially. I just struggle to get a good consistent strike on the ball and its costing me shots all over the place. There doesn't seem to be a particulaer fault as such, I can top it, thin it, hit the ground behind it, and just occasionally pure it 20 yards further than I expected to! Are there any good range drills to try and find some consistency?
		
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the differing bad outcomes are all through the same issue of having your low point before the club arrives at ball. 

[video=youtube_share;gVywPoN_Px0]http://youtu.be/gVywPoN_Px0[/video]


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## the_coach (Oct 3, 2014)

the drill is at the end of this vid, shows you why this often happens in folks golf swings.
 if you can find a bunker to go do this it's a great drill. 
not easy as you have to make sure you turn not sway, so solid quieter legs & also keep your vertical height. the key is doing all of that while starting the transition downwards by weight pressure in to the left leg/foot head staying atop back of the ball - as shown in the first vid.

[video=youtube_share;bSZ9uA4HlD8]http://youtu.be/bSZ9uA4HlD8[/video]


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## SaintHacker (Oct 4, 2014)

Thanks Coach, off up the practice ground tomorrow to try this, IF it stops raining!


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## SaintHacker (Oct 19, 2014)

Well, it worked! 44 points today, my irons were 100% better than last time out. Actually took a couple of holes to get used to it as I smashed a couple of wedges over the back of the green but once I adjusted to the longer distances the difference was incredible. Even managed a couple of 'proper' divots!


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## Crow (Oct 19, 2014)

SaintHacker said:



			Well, it worked! 44 points today, my irons were 100% better than last time out. Actually took a couple of holes to get used to it as I smashed a couple of wedges over the back of the green but once I adjusted to the longer distances the difference was incredible. Even managed a couple of 'proper' divots!

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Good stuff Saint, I think I might have become guilty of this lately, my iron play is certainly dire, I'll have to give it a go.


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## HomerJSimpson (Oct 19, 2014)

SaintHacker said:



			Well, it worked! 44 points today, my irons were 100% better than last time out. Actually took a couple of holes to get used to it as I smashed a couple of wedges over the back of the green but once I adjusted to the longer distances the difference was incredible. Even managed a couple of 'proper' divots!

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44 points. I'd say that worked rather nicely thank you. Well played sir


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## Roops (Oct 27, 2014)

Sean Foley's vid is helpful when trying to improve iron strikes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHuyVf7ulKE


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## Skypilot (Nov 11, 2014)

Just the thread I've been looking for after yet another day of mis-hit and thinned irons.


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