4 Irons problems - possible solutions

[spawn_ukuk]

Hey I have problems hitting my 4 iron, Yes Ive been to the range and using a 4 iron just doesn't seem to suit me at all.
I hit my 5 iron really well, To add I hit my hybrid quite well, So its really frustrating with my 4 iron

My 4 iron specs - 20 degrees loft - 38.8 inches long
Hybrid specs - 19 degrees loft - 41.1 inches long

There is just 1 degree loft difference between the clubs but I get the right distance gap because of the 3 inches extra in the shaft length.

So is the easiest cheapest option is to take out the 4 iron and just hold further down the hybrid shaft closer to the 4 iron length?

Any suggestions welcomed

 

[Foxholer]

Park the 4-iron (except for practice) and get a 22/23* hybrid!

 

[spawn_ukuk]

Park the 4-iron (except for practice) and get a 22/23* hybrid!

Hey I'm not sure how that would fit into my 4 iron distance, Hybrids of that loft are still 40/41 inches long

 

[the_coach]

couple of things, do you hit your 5i, 6i, hybrid pretty clean, not much scuff marks target side of ball? maybe pretty high flight?

what happens to the flight of the 4i to that of the 5i?

does the 4i match the other irons, part of set, same kind of shaft & flex, grip etc?
have you ever had the 4i's 'lie' checked out?

 

[Foxholer]

Hey I'm not sure how that would fit into my 4 iron distance, Hybrids of that loft are still 40/41 inches long

It's not the length of shaft that's important. It's the length of he shot!

 

[Imurg]

Hey I'm not sure how that would fit into my 4 iron distance, Hybrids of that loft are still 40/41 inches long

You could even go down as far as 24/25° as the hybrid will, generally, go further than the iron
20° irons are not the easiest to get in the air, don' t worry about having a 24° club doing the job of a 20° one that is harder to hit.

 

[Deano23]

The problem there is that it's not a four iron, but a nearly a two iron. Lofts have been strengthening and strengthening in the vain attempt to sell golfer distance at the expense of accuracy.

My first 3 iron had 21* of loft...

 

[spongebob59]

Have you actually had the lofts measured ?

 

[duncan mackie]

It's not the length of shaft that's important. It's the length of he shot!

:thup:

 

[shewy]

I have the same irons and while I love the 4i most people struggle due to the strong lofts, the 19 hybrid is designed to replace your 3 iron, a 22 degree hybrid is designed to replace your 4 iron in that set. That's the route I'd go down.

 

[One Planer]

Cheapest option, get past the mental block

Difference in shaft length is half an inch and a few degrees of loft.

 

[jpquinn91]

No point having the 4 iron if you can't hit it but possibly just a mental thing. I sometimes struggle with the 3 iron and find the hybrid easier to hit and I get a higher ball flight. Maybe go back to basics on the range with the 4 iron... I sometimes try and hit some half-shots and build some confidence.

If you get rid of the 4 iron, as long as you have a club that goes about the same distance, I wouldn't worry about a couple of yards/degrees.

 

[nemicu]

No point having the 4 iron if you can't hit it but possibly just a mental thing. I sometimes struggle with the 3 iron and find the hybrid easier to hit and I get a higher ball flight. Maybe go back to basics on the range with the 4 iron... I sometimes try and hit some half-shots and build some confidence.

If you get rid of the 4 iron, as long as you have a club that goes about the same distance, I wouldn't worry about a couple of yards/degrees.

An important fact to remember is your own distance gapping. There's no point keeping the 4 iron even if you can hit it well, if it doesn't give the yardage spacing you are looking for.
As the longer irons get less loft, there is a tendency for yardage gaps to get more compressed - and therefore your potential to hit specific yardages become more difficult if you essentially have more than one club that goes approximately the same distance.
Rather than learning to live with the yardage a club gives you, make the yardages fit around your swing by using a suitable club to achieve these distances.
Don't get too bogged down in "conventional" club progression if your swing cannot give you the yardage gapping spread you need. Some players even "miss out" a 5-iron in a set because the 4-iron and the 6-iron cover that distance. Use your swing to choose the distance - fit your club around the swing, rather than fitting your swing around the club.
To reiterate - if the club doesn't give you the desired distance regardless of how well you hit it or not,​ then it's the wrong club.

 

[spawn_ukuk]

Fixed my problem with my 4 iron a few set up changes and it seems to have worked.
Been hitting it 212, 210, 202 and 205 off the tee
off the floor 195, 199, 198 and 201

So at the moment sorted it out