Hooding (closing)the club face

[Huwey12]

During a comp yesterday I hit a wayward tee shot and found myself in front of a small tree, this impeded my direct line to the green so I had to play way left (I'm left handed) and needed a big hook to get back online
I hooded the face with a five iron and it did hook, the only problem it went so low it caught some rough I was hoping to clear which took the pace off it
Should I have used something like an 8 iron to get the distance or would the distance be the same or less? What's the standard thinking on this type of shot?

 

[the_coach]

During a comp yesterday I hit a wayward tee shot and found myself in front of a small tree, this impeded my direct line to the green so I had to play way left (I'm left handed) and needed a big hook to get back online
I hooded the face with a five iron and it did hook, the only problem it went so low it caught some rough I was hoping to clear which took the pace off it
Should I have used something like an 8 iron to get the distance or would the distance be the same or less? What's the standard thinking on this type of shot?

thing you gotta remember same ways opening the face adds loft, hooding, toeing in the face not only closes it but will take significant loft off.
so that plus having hands ahead forwards leaning shaft means the dynamic loft at strike is going to be some ways lower.
if you in some few inches of thick rough you first off got to assess what loft you need to get out of the rough so 9 times out of 10 can you play the shot you're attempting with some good success, if the answer is no very possibly you have to rethink.

plus if you are in the rough the ball will tend to come out (if you escape the rough first off) a good ways straighter as grass between ball & face tends to limit the amount the spin axis can be changed ball won't tend to 'hook' as much as it would with a cleaner lie.

 

[Huwey12]

Thanks Coach, I was in some debris strewn area with no grass with a rough area about 140 yards I had to get over but didn't make it, the ball went about 160 yards
Say if there wasn't any rough to negotiate with 200 yards in a straight line to the green would the more lofted iron hook less or more than the 5 iron just in case I find myself in a similar situation?
I don't have time to practice much lately just play comps otherwise I would hit the range, also the info might come in handy for general play where there is a lot of trouble to the left of the fairways on my course

 

[the_coach]

generally the more loft the more backspin, more backspin will tend to some extent keep the spin axis from tilting (why folks often times say 'I can hit the shorter irons straight but" .....) the harder you strike the ball generally (speaking of decent strikes from center) the more backspin.

by the time you struck that 5i at impact could've been a 3 or even 2i then with the loft right down if you trying to hit it hard you could have smothered it some.

if the ground firm enough to get run out with 'hook' spin axis you might have got more out of a smoother 3/4 6i struck right out of center having made the set-up adjustments to draw/hook the ball. but you gotta hit these shots enough to be able to judge how to best achieve what you looking for.

the key whether 4i to 7i whatever is distance of travel for the shot & the amount of draw/hook needed, is the set-up position to target line, & the swing path & face angle through impact.
draw spin will if ground allows run out more but you still gotta factor in the amount of curve as to whether you end up getting the distance, bigger the curvature needed the less forwards travel you going to get.

 

[Huwey12]

Thanks for the detailed reply Coach, it looks like I won't be able to dodge the the range. It was the first time I purposely hooded the club face but like the thought of having another string to my bow. Thanks again