5 Iron Address - Long iron or Mid Iron?

[One Planer]

I can hit my 6 iron fine.

I can hit my 4 iron fine, 3 iron too.

So why do I struggle with my 5 iron?

I can never seem to find a confident/comfortable set up with this club. Is it a mid iron, or is it a long iron?

Should it be played as one or the other?

As I hit both my 6 and 4 irons fine, should I set up more like a long iron and have a shallower AoA (Ball more forward than a mid iron)?

Or

Should I play it like a mid iron (6) and have a slight steeper AoA into the ball (Ball slightly back than a long iron)?

If it helps I take a shallow divot with my 6 iron and bruise the turf, usually, taking the top layer of grass (No mud) with the 4 iron.

Any thoughts appreciated :thup:

 

[Val]

You are over thinking it would be my thought. If you hit a 6 iron fine and a 4 iron fine then id suggest the fact you don't hit a 5 iron fine is because you think you cant and get caught up in swing thoughts and end up swinging poorly.

 

[One Planer]

You are over thinking it would be my thought. If you hit a 6 iron fine and a 4 iron fine then id suggest the fact you don't hit a 5 iron fine is because you think you cant and get caught up in swing thoughts and end up swinging poorly.

Nail firmly hit on the head.

this is, rally, the point of my post.

Clarification.

 

[garyinderry]

I am in the same boat G. Ended up buying an ap2 5i to try out as I have lost confidence in my 5iron striking.

Hoping the tech in the head will help launch the ball without me worrying about striking down too much producing a low flight or trying to clip it and making poor contact.

Edit : I haven't hit it yet. Will do this weekend.

 

[Val]

Nail firmly hit on the head.

this is, rally, the point of my post.

Clarification.

You answered your own question, treat it like you do a 4 or a 6 and commit, right now you are probably doing neither.

 

[Stuey01]

You know where you address your 4i, and where you address your 6i? Put the ball somewhere between those two points and just hit the damn thing
:thup:

 

[duncan mackie]

Nail firmly hit on the head.

this is, rally, the point of my post.

Clarification.

take your 6 and 4 irons out of the bag for a month - when they return the issue will have gone away for good.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Definitely swing thoughts. I had a similar problem a few months back and got over it be forgetting how I was thinking I should swing it - instead just stood there and swung it - and it worked.

 

[One Planer]

Let me clarify.

I know the swing thoughts are the cause of my issue. This is not the point of the thread though.

Taken from the OP:

I can never seem to find a confident/comfortable set up with this club. Is it a mid iron, or is it a long iron?

Should it be played as one or the other?

Simples

 

[NWJocko]

Let me clarify.

I know the swing thoughts are the cause of my issue. This is not the point of the thread though.

Taken from the OP:



Simples

It's a 5 iron. It shouldn't be played as a 4 iron or a 6 iron. It should be played as a 5 iron.

Simples-er :thup:

 

[One Planer]

It's a 5 iron. It shouldn't be played as a 4 iron or a 6 iron. It should be played as a 5 iron.

Simples-er :thup:

 

[Imurg]

If you need a 5 iron, pick the 5 out, set up and think " 6 iron swing"

You won't be far out.....

 

[NWJocko]

I'm surprised you're struggling with a 5 iron Gareth.

You're asking if you should hit it like a 4 or a 6 aren't you? The answer is neither, hit it like a 5 iron. Not really sure what you're looking for here?

You can play a 5 iron umpteen ways, from different ball positions, depending what sort of shot you want to hit.

 

[Foxholer]

Could well be worthwhile getting Loft and Lie checked also.

I had a similar issue with my MP30 6-iron way back when. Precision checked the irons routinely even though I was merely going for a Driver shaft fitting. Simon returned asking 'Do you have a problem with one of the irons?'! Lo and behold, the loft was nearly the same as the 5-iron and the lie was 5 degrees different from all the others! Once set correctly, it became my favourite club rather than the one I avoided!

Club specs can slip through use - especially on the range - and it's not unusual for 1 (or sometimes more) to be completely different spec to the others! Worth checking after purchase and periodically - specially if they are forged ones, as they move easier.

 

[One Planer]

I'm surprised you're struggling with a 5 iron Gareth.

You're asking if you should hit it like a 4 or a 6 aren't you? The answer is neither, hit it like a 5 iron. Not really sure what you're looking for here?

You can play a 5 iron umpteen ways, from different ball positions, depending what sort of shot you want to hit.

I take your point.

I'm not talking speciality shots, or manipulating the flight. Just a stock 5 iron.

With a mid iron, and I suppose all irons, you hit down to varying degrees.

With a 6 iron I hit down enough to take a shallow divot. With my 4 iron I hit down enough to leave a bruise or take the grass, but not enough to take a divot similar to my 6 iron.

The only difference between the two swings is in my set-up, where the ball is positioned in my stance. 6 iron is, roughly, a ball forward of centre. 4 iron is, again, roughly a ball forward of that. I suppose the crux of my question boils down to ball placement at address.

 

[NWJocko]

I take your point.

I'm not talking speciality shots, or manipulating the flight. Just a stock 5 iron.

With a mid iron, and I suppose all irons, you hit down to varying degrees.

With a 6 iron I hit down enough to take a shallow divot. With my 4 iron I hit down enough to leave a bruise or take the grass, but not enough to take a divot similar to my 6 iron.

The only difference between the two swings is in my set-up, where the ball is positioned in my stance. 6 iron is, roughly, a ball forward of centre. 4 iron is, again, roughly a ball forward of that. I suppose the crux of my question boils down to ball placement at address.

In which case, half a ball forward of 6 iron and half a ball back if 4 iron

 

[duncan mackie]

With a 6 iron I hit down enough to take a shallow divot. With my 4 iron I hit down enough to leave a bruise or take the grass, but not enough to take a divot similar to my 6 iron.

The only difference between the two swings is in my set-up, where the ball is positioned in my stance. 6 iron is, roughly, a ball forward of centre. 4 iron is, again, roughly a ball forward of that. I suppose the crux of my question boils down to ball placement at address.

whilst you will have your preferred ball positioning approach, and clearly having the 5 iron between the position you have for the 4 & 6 is the obvious solution for you, the other difference is that the 6 iron is shorter than the 4 iron - which is why it naturally comes into the ball slightly steeper etc You shouldn't be doing anything different!

I would definitely get the loft and lie checked on your 5 iron because either it needs resetting or you need the additional confidence of knowing it's right

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

...you need the additional confidence of knowing it's right

This is very important for me as I changed my swing quite significantly this year and need my pro to look at my swing and reassure me that 'everything is fine' when still, in my head, it isn't.

 

[the_coach]

question is I guess is, is there a real difference to 'most' of the 3 or 4 iron shots in that 'are' they really having a lot better outcomes consistently when compared to 5 iron shots?
or is it a just more of a 'subjective perceived difference' in the feeling that 'most' of the 3 & 4 iron shots are 'good' when most of the 5 iron shots are not?

my guess would be it's more a subjective call having remembered the 5 iron shots that didn't maybes come off as planned, these being more just a ways more upfront in the memory bank for some reason.

there's not a huge bunch of difference, if address with a 3,4 or 6 iron is workable, then the address position with a 5 cannot simply then be that far out for it to make any real difference.

no matter where folks are in the handicap index range, in my experience, the swing path shot to shot doesn't actually change that much. the number of degrees someone swings relative to the 0º target line just doesn't change overmuch, neither the AoA - that's the reason why folks find working on a swing path/AoA change that sticks a ways difficult (meaning from one swing to another they don't suddenly swing 10º left, then 0º, then another 10º to the right - might think they do but it general it just doesn't happen)

more likely with shot issues that the sequence of any swing motion gets 'out of sync' due to a thought, a concern about the shot so there becomes a 'built in' lack of trust about the upcoming shot - which leads to a bad sequence of motion so there's no proper sync between body & arms - this usually caused at one of two critical points, either the first move away, or the transition, in that one, or both, become rushed.
so bad shot outcome at impact.

few things you have to really be objective about & look too, would be - how many shots out of 20 really do succeed with a 3, or 4 iron as opposed to the 5i. what's the average percentage of good shots out of 20 with each club?
is the issue with the less successful shots, more one of direction in relation to target or not covering the distance needed?

many folks struggle with the lower lofted iron clubs from the turf to varying degrees, particularly in regard to consistent & proper distance, & proper distance 'gaps' with the lower lofted clubs because the swing motion sequence is not delivering sufficient club head speed through impact.

so the 3,4,5 irons all deliver pretty much the same distance from a reasonable strike so they get no real 'gaps' (no 10-12 yards between, the 3,4,5 irons all max out to a pretty similar distance) that they maybes do get from the 7,8,9 irons, the reason to that is both the difference in loft of the clubs & also folks being able to generate enough club head speed to make the 7,8,9 irons work but struggle with the less lofted low irons.

this oft times because the swing speed is largely being produced by arm speed alone with oft times too, the 'angles' not being retaining through impact - particularly the right hand angle.

the swing speed that is generated more just by arm speed (because of either a lack of sync with the leg/hips/body or the legs/hips not really being used at all over much) is sufficient enough to make the higher lofted clubs which naturally don't have to travel as far work pretty good.
but this just isn't sufficient to make the lower lofted irons work as they should.

key to finding the real answer is objectively over at least 20 shots each, properly finding the 'real' averages out (distance, direction + gaping) with the 3, 4, & 5 irons.
pretty much guarantee it won't be a thing to do with the address/ball position, but will be to do with the swing motion sequence in - legs/hips/body 'plus' arms/hands & club, & what's happening at impact & why.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I remember a guy who had trouble hitting his 8 iron.. well he had wrapped it round a tree the hole before!