Iron distances...

[Face breaker]

Hello boys and girls, haven't been on for a while as I've been busy with work and a college course and of course 'playing golf' as much as possible before it starts raining again...

Just a quickie really I've been working on my drives off the 'T' as this is where I've been falling flat on my face most of the time but a new 3-wood (callaway XR) has cured the issue...

what I'd like to know 'if you don't mind' is what sort of distances you lot are hitting your 7i, I'm carrying mine about 140/45 which seems a little on the short side in my opinion, especially when my mates are hitting 8's and 9's those sort of distances...

Its not causing me any real issues but I do find myself coming up short on quite a few occasions...

I don't fat, thin, slice, hook, top or shank my irons (barring the very odd occasion) and I hit them on target and for the most 'straight' save the odd slight fade/draw...

Does this seem a reasonable distance to you or would you be querying those sort of distances ?...

Any views on the subject would be most appreciated... :thup:

 

[TheJezster]

I wouldn't worry what others hit, hit the right club for you. If as it sounds for 150 you need to hit a 6 iron, just hit that. Doesn't matter if your mates hit 8 or 9. As long as you're hitting it cleanly and consistently that's all you really want.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I would say 140 or say is pretty average. I wouldn't worry what others hit and just concentrate on hitting smoothly and consistently and work on dispersion

 

[guest100718]

depends on the club. my xr pros were a hell of a lot longer than my current ap2s.

 

[Hosel Fade]

Depends entirely on your size/age/general athletic ability. Play the club that you hit the yardage required, don't try and force an 8 10 yards extra just because your mate just hit 8.

 

[the_coach]

Hello boys and girls, haven't been on for a while as I've been busy with work and a college course and of course 'playing golf' as much as possible before it starts raining again...

Just a quickie really I've been working on my drives off the 'T' as this is where I've been falling flat on my face most of the time but a new 3-wood (callaway XR) has cured the issue...

what I'd like to know 'if you don't mind' is what sort of distances you lot are hitting your 7i, I'm carrying mine about 140/45 which seems a little on the short side in my opinion, especially when my mates are hitting 8's and 9's those sort of distances...

Its not causing me any real issues but I do find myself coming up short on quite a few occasions...

I don't fat, thin, slice, hook, top or shank my irons (barring the very odd occasion) and I hit them on target and for the most 'straight' save the odd slight fade/draw...

Does this seem a reasonable distance to you or would you be querying those sort of distances ?...

Any views on the subject would be most appreciated... :thup:

can't really use other folks club distance as a measure for your own

so would need to know stuff like the the swing speed with the 7i - the AoA - the dynamic loft at impact - the spin rate & where the strike location is off the face to really judge if potentially you could get more distance from a better club head delivery at impact

if say you are often times short of the 140 -ish mark with real high straight- ish flight & if the 7i generally tends to fly pretty high
then you probably are leaving some distance along with a flight that won't be affected so much by wind through the current impact conditions

if either of these things sound like they could be happening then the likelihood is the dynamic loft at strike is too high so nearer the static loft build of the 7i
& a trip to the Pro probably a good idea

 

[Face breaker]

Don't get me wrong, I'm quite happy with how I'm hitting them and to be honest I'm producing better/more consistent shots than my mates are and my scores are good, mostly pars and bogeys (with the odd double and the odd birdie chucked in for good measure) so I'm not complaint as such, I just wondered if it was me falling below the standard or them exceeding the average, I'm quite stocky if you know what I mean (silverback ring any bells) but I've got quite a delicate swing for a gorilla or so I've been told anyway...

 

[Face breaker]

can't really use other folks club distance as a measure for your own

so would need to know stuff like the the swing speed with the 7i - the AoA - the dynamic loft at impact - the spin rate & where the strike location is off the face to really judge if potentially you could get more distance from a better club head delivery at impact

if say you are often times short of the 140 -ish mark with real high straight- ish flight & if the 7i generally tends to fly pretty high
then you probably are leaving some distance along with a flight that won't be affected so much by wind through the current impact conditions

if either of these things sound like they could be happening then the likelihood is the dynamic loft at strike is too high so nearer the static loft build of the 7i
& a trip to the Pro probably a good idea

Yes I do get quite a lot of height in my shots which is something I've struggled with a bit and no they're not greatly effected by a crosswind but 'headwinds' almost bring me to tears as I loose so much distance when hitting into a headwind, to the point where I physically try to avoid playing on windy days...

 

[selwood90]

7 iron distance with my ap2s is 155 average. 160 ripped. But can easily catch a weak flight and make a 140 carry. Consistency of strike is key when it comes to carry distances I find. Can easily hit a 6 iron 160 or 180 makes for hard work. But that's why we're amateurs I suppose!

 

[BrizoH71]

Depends entirely on your size/age/general athletic ability. Play the club that you hit the yardage required, don't try and force an 8 10 yards extra just because your mate just hit 8.

This.

No point in forcing a shot if it increases the likelihood of messing up, play the club that best matches your own swing and ability to hit the required yardage. I could potentially get 5-10 yards more out of my 7i (which is around 135-140 average), but the trade-off is I'm far less certain of the result. I'd rather take an extra club, swing a bit easier and be more sure of the outcome, than lashing it because my mate has hit 8 or 9 iron from the same distance and potentially leave myself in trouble.

 

[the_coach]

Yes I do get quite a lot of height in my shots which is something I've struggled with a bit and no they're not greatly effected by a crosswind but 'headwinds' almost bring me to tears as I loose so much distance when hitting into a headwind, to the point where I physically try to avoid playing on windy days...

then what likely goin down is current swing motion is presenting a bunch too much 'loft' on the club face coming into/at impact - could be bunch of stuff as to why that is happening from hanging back with the body on the trailside some with hip angle that's a bunch too 'square' to ball/target line - so lead hip not really turning left out of the ways & not enough weight pressure on the lead leg

but for sure all kinds of stuff could play into it from how the hands sit on the handle & body angles at set-up

so the focus rather on being over distance ball flies - the biggest improvements through the game in the full swing would likely be through being able to bring down both LA & spin rate so improve the trajectory of flight (then you'd get a tad more distance as a by-product)

 

[Face breaker]

then what likely goin down is current swing motion is presenting a bunch too much 'loft' on the club face coming into/at impact - could be bunch of stuff as to why that is happening from hanging back with the body on the trailside some with hip angle that's a bunch too 'square' to ball/target line - so lead hip not really turning left out of the ways & not enough weight pressure on the lead leg

but for sure all kinds of stuff could play into it from how the hands sit on the handle & body angles at set-up

so the focus rather on being over distance ball flies - the biggest improvements through the game in the full swing would likely be through being able to bring down both LA & spin rate so improve the trajectory of flight (then you'd get a tad more distance as a by-product)

My stance is quite narrow (due to a lack of flexibility) as I struggle to follow through on the swing if I stand to wide, I struggle to turn out of the way so tend to stop short of completing a full swing when utilising a wider stance, I find that a 'feet together' stance (about 4/5" apart) eliminates the problem, would this be contributing to the problem ?...

 

[the_coach]

My stance is quite narrow (due to a lack of flexibility) as I struggle to follow through on the swing if I stand to wide, I struggle to turn out of the way so tend to stop short of completing a full swing when utilising a wider stance, I find that a 'feet together' stance (about 4/5" apart) eliminates the problem, would this be contributing to the problem ?...

real hard to say - not a bunch helpful I know - but it could have or may have nothing much to do with - usually if stance tending to narrow then that can often times help hip turn has to be real wide to really limit turn but depends on folks range of movement for sure - but also playing into it is what else is goin on in how the club goes back to the top - how the transition sequence starts - all that kinda stuff

but given the brief description of maybes the swing being sawn-off some one part of it could be leaving too much weight pressure through the trailside/trail leg in the downswing to impact - as that would then limit the ability to turn & clear the lead hip fully which again would limit the ability to rotate the upper body - all of which can mean the hands/handle have some of a 'flip-type' release through the impact area which would result in too much 'loft' on the face-angle at strike

if possible a trip to the Pro would help sort out any stuff at set-up like grip-hold wise & stance posture that could be playing into the swing motion issues & also work with the swing motion to improve the impact conditions

if for any reason that not possible -
then one 'given' to have a penetrating kinda flight so able to lower the dynamic loft (with irons) is being able to get onto the lead side with the weight pressure & being able to turn & clear the lead hip out of the way

good mental image is remember that set-up position of the club & body is not the same as the position of the club & body into & through impact

so getting yourself in to a reasonable set-up position then without making a swing just put more weight pressure on the lead leg & turn the lead hip left some (out of the ways) should find that will also open up the chest & shoulders a tad with lead shoulder higher trial shoulder lower & all that will have move the hands forwards some so you got a tad forwards leaning shaft with hands/handle also a tad left of where they were at address - & looking at the face angle of the 7i you should see that the loft (from address position) has lowered by a real bunch

if you just work from set-up to posed impact position a good bunch of times should begin to feel where you trying to work to at impact in a swing

then say once done that a bunch of times just swing back halfways & swing smooth through that 'impact position' you been working with on the way to a finish with the weight on the lead heel & the trail foot working up onto to toes (perpendicular to the ground)

 

[ScienceBoy]

I score in the 80s on a decent day and its carry is 135-140. With run out it can go longer but that's the safe carry distance.

If I had to make a 140 yard carry I might even chose a 6. 140 to the pin and it would be an 8

I think I hit the ball well with decent control but my irons are far from new...

 

[Orikoru]

Mine aren't exact to the yard, but based on what I would play from these distances on a course in normal conditions:

Less than 80 yards = SW
80-120 yards = PW (80y would be a half or three quarter swing, but I don't own a gap wedge so needs must)
125-135 = 9i
140-150 = 8i
150-160 = 7i
160-170 = 6i
170-180 = 5i
185+ = 4 hybrid

Around that anyway.

 

[hines57]

work out which club you need to hit in order to achieve a certain distance and go with that. Forget the number on the bottom of the club and what others are playing. If you are consistent with your shots, you'll play to your handicap and enjoy your golf.

 

[xreyuk]

The best way to realise whether you’re hitting a club the correct distance for you is to have your swing speed measured.

I swing a 7i 86mph, have stiff shafts and hit it around 150-156 carry, 160 with rollout.

From my swing speed, I should be hitting it further, but I present too much loft at impact, as I swing slightly out to in and present an open club face, and then on top I’m an early releaser, so lose distance.

Clubs also affect it, if and you use clubs with to additional lofts, a 7i is about 34 degrees, where as modern lofts as 7i is 30-31 degrees. If you present both clubs at impact with the same hand position, the modern club goes further due to less dynamic loft.

So there are a lot of variables, just hit what you need to.

 

[Kaizer_Soze]

If I have 150 to the middle of the green I know a solid 7 iron is for me. Like the OP I see PP's hitting it with a 9 from that sort of distance, I never let it bother me, it's how many not how far that goes on the scorecard.

 

[londonlewis]

Some clubs have different angles. A mate of mine would hit his 9 as far as I hit my 8. We swapped clubs on a par 3 once and he hit my 8 shorter than mine and I hit his 9 further than my 8 and his 9.

I wouldn't worry too much about having to hit an extra club than your pals though as proximity to hole is more important.

 

[GG26]

As a general rule of thumb I work on a 130 yard carry with my 7-iron.