I don't like longer clubs.

[Foliage Finder]

Evening all, was hoping for some gems of wisdom from the wealth of experience on here. Little bit of help required with the full swing.

I'd say my best game lies with my mid-iron play at the moment, I can fairly safely hit 5 iron downwards with confidence. Go up to a 4 iron and it gets a bit 50/50, and above 3 iron and into the woods/driver, I'd be lucky to get a decent shot away, never mind one I could watch and think "Chuck Norris'ed it".

Obviously without video footage/pictures, it's hard to give advice, but the bad shots I hit tend to be very inconsistent. I can hit it fat, occasionally sending it skywards, then I could thin it straight across the turf (lawnmower shot). If I do make a decent contact, it's often with a hook.

Then I'll decide enough is enough, pull out a 7 iron and hit a lovely arrow straight 150yd carry off the deck.

Anything obvious/common to happen to beginners here?

 

[Maninblack4612]

This is one of the facts of life. The longer the club, the larger margin for error and the harder this to hit. I can't imagine there are many golfers of any standard who hit the long clubs more accurately than the short ones.

As for advice, it's impossible to give without seeing the swing. What you describe is typical of a player with an inconsistent swing, a single type of bad shot is much easier to diagnose. Get some lessons to identify your faults, then practice what you've been taught. Pot a video,cyoull not be short of conflicting advice!

 

[the_coach]

you often times find you fall back on your trail foot some after impact?

 

[bobmac]

Hitting the ball fat and thin are caused by the same thing.
You probably subconsciously feel you have to help the ball up in the air so you lean back and keep the weight on your back foot as the coach hinted above.
You then either hit the duff or you catch the ball half way up and thin it.

Do you do any practice and can you get to a range?

 

[Foliage Finder]

I do occasionally have to stick the back foot out to regain balance after impact yes, less often as I practice more.

As for my practice, I usually do it around twice a week, probably 70/30 split of being down at the range or working the short game around the local pitch and putt/par 3 course.

That point does seem to make sense, as I'm aware of the difference between hitting irons where you want to take a divot after the ball with the bottom of your swing being a few inches ahead of it. With the driver I've read you should be hitting it on the way up so the bottom of the swig should be slightly behind the ball. Perhaps it is awareness of this and trying too hard that is putting my weight too far back in the downswing?

 

[bobmac]

You're spot on.
Your weight should be moving forward during the downswing.

When you get to the range next, imagine you are trying to hit the ball through a 6in hole about 5ft in front of you and about a foot off the ground. That should give you the feeling of being more on top of the ball at impact, rather than being stuck on the back foot, trying to help the ball up. The club's loft will do that for you.

 

[Foliage Finder]

Thanks for the tip! Decided it's too sunny to revise at the moment, and my freshly re gripped clubs need trying out. Will try and get some footage of my swing with my mid irons vs driver whilst I'm at it!

 

[Doh]

Very often with the longer clubs people try to hit them harder because they are supposed to go future, try putting your 7 iron swing on a 4 iron.

 

[Foliage Finder]

Morning all, took footage in slo-mo on my phone (nice little feature on an iPhone 5s) but it doesn't remain in slo-mo when transferring to the computer! So until I find out how to, I don't think the videos I have will be much help.

However, I did notice some improvement by trying to get the weight transfer right, hit it nicely once or twice. Seem to be hitting it out of the middle speaking in a toe-heel direction, but contact in a crown-sole direction is the problem.

I did manage to hit the roof (little overhanging canopy style thing) of the driving range by skying it spectacularly with people either side of me slightly fearing for their lives. I also got it on camera, and once I find out how to, will post in slo-mo in the spirit of representing a realistic impression!

So if you were at Bowlee driving range yesterday at around 10:30am, I apologise for the shock!

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Very often with the longer clubs people try to hit them harder because they are supposed to go further, try putting your 7 iron swing on a 4 iron.

^^^ This!

There is a natural tendency to try to hit the ball harder with longer clubs. Swing with the same tempo, the longer shaft and less loft will provide the extra distance. And remember, if you are standing with a 4 iron and think you need more distance, change up to a hybrid or fairway wood and put a smooth swing on it :thup:

 

[Foliage Finder]

Funny little twist here...Had a lesson today and the pro told me that they recently bought new tees. The new tees are different colours, the orange ones are now the highest, rather than the moderate height ones. Guess which ones I had been unwittingly using when skying it into the range roof?

Lesson in doing the basic checks first!