4 iron, 6 iron - same carry!

[Captainron]

A little piece of me dies each time I see a playing partner pull a hybrid club out.

Todd Hamilton jammed an Open because he wasn’t good enough to hit a long iron.

 

[Slab]

Chop an inch off the 4i

Sorted

It'll be the new fav club

 

[Crow]

Same as a conventional 3 iron, but much easier to launch - but not easy enough for me.

I don't know what a conventional 3 iron loft is these days.

 

[Maninblack4612]

I don't know what a conventional 3 iron loft is these days.

19°

 

[Sats]

You mention that you don't like hybrids and 7/9/11 fairways are out, so you could try utility irons? Otherwise accept you don't have the power, speed, ditch 4/5 iron or get yourself down the gym and Bryson yourself up. Or try a lighter flex/graphite shaft in the 4/5

 

[jim8flog]

A little piece of me dies each time I see a playing partner pull a hybrid club out.

.

You would not like what I replaced my 5 iron with then 29 degree rescue.

Sadly my swing speed these days mean that long irons are very much things of the past.

Would not want to go back though.

 

[Crow]

19°

Back in the 1970s that was a strong 2 iron, I'd only use your 4 iron as a tee club.

 

[harpo_72]

I don’t carry a 4 iron, a hybrid is in its place. But I would say look at your delivery, as others have said a lesson might be the cheapest option and yield the best results.
I went to recoil 65 g regular shafts in my irons and down the bottom of the bag, it makes a world of difference. So that’s the next one after your lesson, get the club weight down a re shaft won’t be to expensive on 1-2 clubs

 

[Captainron]

You would not like what I replaced my 5 iron with then 29 degree rescue.

Sadly my swing speed these days mean that long irons are very much things of the past.

Would not want to go back though.

?

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Thinking about the post re. the mystery of irons I carried out an experiment at the range today, hitting 4 & 6 iron at the same target. There was virtually no difference in the amount of carry I got. It's clear that, with my 90mph maximum swing speed with the driver, I cannot generate enough speed with the 4 iron to keep the ball in the air long enough. The 4 iron goes farther but only because the lower trajectory gives me more run on my remarkably dry course.

What's the answer? I don't get on with hybrids. I think I'll have more loft put on the 4, 5 & 6 irons going from +2° to +½° & see how that works.

Anyone else experienced this?

Yes, I'm exactly in your position including the driver swing speed.
Will be interested in what happens with the loft changes

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Just got back from a knock and was discussing a similar problem with my PP, but the other way around. 6 iron can go 190 to 200, but my 7i is 170 max, 160-165 on average. Our 15th is too long for a 7, but my 6 would put me in trouble over the back, so I just accept that I’ll be short and hit the 7. Seems to be a common issue with 6 irons!

Cor! I wish. Nice problem to have. Just go down the shaft a bit with the 6 iron for 180

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Just got back from a knock and was discussing a similar problem with my PP, but the other way around. 6 iron can go 190 to 200, but my 7i is 170 max, 160-165 on average. Our 15th is too long for a 7, but my 6 would put me in trouble over the back, so I just accept that I’ll be short and hit the 7. Seems to be a common issue with 6 irons!

Get your lofts checked

 

[timd77]

Cor! I wish. Nice problem to have. Just go down the shaft a bit with the 6 iron for 180

Is that a thing then, gripping down to reduce distance?

I should’ve said, they’re taylormade M2 irons so strong lofts, probably more like a 5i? And that’s total distance.

Get your lofts checked

I was the same with my last set of irons, ping g15 I think. 6i seems to explode. Did think about having the loft adjusted but it’s the longest iron in my bag at the minute and so I use it when I need to hit the ball as far as possible off the deck!

 

[Maninblack4612]

Back in the 1970s that was a strong 2 iron, I'd only use your 4 iron as a tee club.

There's a world of difference between a 1970's 2 iron and a Wilson D7 4 iron. Modern irons are so easy to get airborne that if the lofts weren't reduced you hit them far too high. When I really catch the 4 iron it goes well, I just feel I need it to stay in the air a bit longer to carry farther than the 5 & 6.

 

[TreeSeeker]

I had a similar issue, 4iron was going about the same as my 6, which was close to the 7!! It wasnt so much the clubs as i wasnt swinging anywhere near as fast with the 4i as with the 6i, just kept them in the bag and made sure i hit them confidently,

Even with slower swing speeds you should expect more distance from your 4i in carry, if you like the club I would stick with it, try to get on a launch monitor if you can see where you are losing efficiency with the club and get more out of what you have.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I carry a 4 iron for 2 main reasons :-

Hit out of trees
Hit low (more runny shots on a windy firmer course)

I can not consistently hit a 4 iron off the tee or fairway, to bother hitting it, nothing to do with swing speed as such for me.

 

[Crow]

There's a world of difference between a 1970's 2 iron and a Wilson D7 4 iron. Modern irons are so easy to get airborne that if the lofts weren't reduced you hit them far too high. When I really catch the 4 iron it goes well, I just feel I need it to stay in the air a bit longer to carry farther than the 5 & 6.

Check this out, the stats start just after 8 minutes.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Check this out, the stats start just after 8 minutes.

Similar to the test Rick Shiels did with a Stiff, regular & senior driver shaft. No relevance whatsoever to the average golfer.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

So I’ve spent the last 20 years playing clubs that I don’t like the look of because of a card trick!

 

[Bdill93]

I have a similar-ish problem.

I think - unconfirmed with no launch monitor use - my big bag gap is between my 5I and my 4 wood (set to be a 3) and want something to plug this gap because when I find myself 190 out, I know im not making the green. Would most people here recommend a 4H to try and address that? No hybrid in the bag at present but one of my regular PP's - of very similar ability and yardages all round - uses his 22 degree H regularly and its got me thinking.

Edit - please dont suggest the wood. I can hit it 200+ but its poo from our rough, fairway only club for me.