Iron off a Tee

[jon25new]

Hi all - I'm really struggling to hit an iron off a tee. Have tried different tee sizes but always seem to top the ball. Play of 28 but using my driver I have no issues. Irons of the fairway/rough I have little irons as long as I keep my head down. Anyone had a similar issue and how did they overcome this? Should I look at a lesson as these holes are where I feel I drop most of my shots.

 

[golfdub]

Your best bet is upload a video onto the forum as it would be a guessing game.

What shot shape would you normally make on a half decent strike ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I would get a lesson but there again that is my stock advice to most high handicappers. Get the basics sorted and it will make it easier rather than second guessing yourself.

 

[jon25new]

Thanks - I had a lesson that sorted my swing with an iron out but now struggle on the tee. Have a few lessons in the bank so might try and see if that helps

 

[palindromicbob]

Hi all - I'm really struggling to hit an iron off a tee. Have tried different tee sizes but always seem to top the ball. Play of 28 but using my driver I have no issues. Irons of the fairway/rough I have little irons as long as I keep my head down. Anyone had a similar issue and how did they overcome this? Should I look at a lesson as these holes are where I feel I drop most of my shots.

If you aren't having the same trouble of the fairway then could be mindset/setup. I know I am sometimes guilty of try to hit an iron of the tee like I would a driver. More of a sweep than hitting down on it. Usually tee it a little to high and also try to take the skin off the ball rather than swing easy.

Tee it low and hit as if you were on a perfect fairway lie and see how that goes.

 

[London mike 61]

Tee it low ( so the ball is JUST off the dirt ) and lean the shaft forwards at address and hit down on the ball like a good fairway lie.

Good luck fella!

 

[the_coach]

Hi all - I'm really struggling to hit an iron off a tee. Have tried different tee sizes but always seem to top the ball. Play of 28 but using my driver I have no issues. Irons of the fairway/rough I have little irons as long as I keep my head down. Anyone had a similar issue and how did they overcome this? Should I look at a lesson as these holes are where I feel I drop most of my shots.

Getting to a PGA pro to give you some advice always a good idea.

But you'll be thinning the shots with any club because the low point of your swing arc is before you get to the ball. The only time this is what you want is when your hitting a driver as with this is the only club club you want an upward AoA.

With an iron even from a tee you want to be swinging down & through impact, so the lowest point of your swing arc is the target side of the ball, so you have to swing down & trust the loft of the club don't try to 'help' the ball 'up' in the air.

There are a number of ways you could be thinning it but they will all having the same cause of having the club approach the ball on an upward path.
This causes the lower part of the face or leading edge of the club to contact the ball at or above the equator of the ball.

You have to make sure first off that you're teeing the ball the correct height & you're not teeing it a ways too high, with an iron it should be teed low, the 'cup' part of the tee actually contacting the ground.
Your 'intent' with the swing, is to swing down & through with a forward leaning shaft, your hands at impact pass the ball first leading the club head into impact, to do this you need your weight on your left side & your left hip cleared, turned left.

It won't be the old 'your head's coming up' advice as if the head is doing that on it's own, thats anatomically impossible.

But it may be because your hips are straightening up coming out of your address posture & spine angle also straightens so you in effect 'stand up' through impact which also may be happening as your arms & wrists collapse forwards as well.
This means your left wrist approaching impact bends forwards causing the club head to swing upwards so you only contact the ball either on the bottom of the face or leading edge & you get tops & thins that way.

Could be that you are swaying right laterally a good ways on the takeaway & backswing, if so, then what tends to happen is as you swing towards impact you're to far behind the ball staying back with far too much weight on the right side into & at impact so again the wrists collapse forwards to flick the club head upwards prior to impact & you get the tops & thins that way.

You could be standing up through the ball & raising your arms up into your body causing the left wrist to collapse forwards getting the thin contact that way, if you're doing it this way you'll have the dreaded 'chicken wing' bend finish with your left arm.

You could, but probably less likely, also be doing it by swaying off the ball but then swaying into impact left laterally so much that you get your body too far in front of the ball coming into impact so you can only get the bottom of the club on the ball & producing the thins that way.

Drill to do at the range with the ball on the tee just barely above the mat, or you can do this drill with the ball on the matt, for the swing & the contact is & should be the same whether the ball is on a tee or not. {At impact it's weight left you swing down & through, hands lead the club head into impact, so the lowest point of your swing arc is couple inches target side of the ball.}

So ball on tee just barely above mat or on the mat itself, some 3" behind the ball place a ball towel, with an 8i (it's shorter so easy to control for you) make swings at 70% effort, concentrating on turning to the top, not swaying right, staying in your posture & from the top have the weight on the left foot to start transition, then swing down keeping your sternum, middle of your chest at or just behind the ball, swing through leading the club head with your hands, miss the towel, contact the ball then the mat after, swing to a fully balanced finish. Swing from the top right the way through to balanced finish, don't 'hit' at the ball & then stop.

As your having trouble with thins you'll probably find this drill a little difficult to do at first but stay with it, cause if you get this drill down, then use the same 'feeling' of weight left hands leading the club head 'downwards & through' whilst staying in posture properly & just trusting the loft on whatever iron your using, you'll get much better solid contact & the thins & tops will go away.

 

[Evesdad]

Thins in general for me occur when I try to smash the ball at 110% lose all body sync start with the arms etc! If it's just off the tee your prob in the mind set of I've got to hit this hard.

 

[apj0524]

coach, forgive the beginners question, is it a rolled or flat towel 3 inch behind the ball?

 

[the_coach]

coach, forgive the beginners question, is it a rolled or flat towel 3 inch behind the ball?

Just a flat towel. (chances are when someone first starts to do this they will contact the towel first, a towel won't do any damage, until they get the hang of having their weight on their lead leg clearing the hips to allow a proper strike down & through so you miss the towel)

As you're doing this drill to get rid of having a 'backwards' leaning shaft, club head in front of the hands coming in to impact which makes the low point of the swing arc roughly where the 'towel' would be placed, you don't want any 'height' that a rolled towel would give.

Towel is there as a visual & physical aid you have to 'miss' to get the hands to lead a forward leaning shaft through impact so the low point of the swing arc is couple inches target side of the ball. (hence why you see good strikes strike the back of the ball then take a divot)

 

[jp5]

Do away with the tee and hit it off the deck. Seriously!