Iron Play

[stokie_93]

Really struggling with my irons at the moment.

Main two bad shots are a fat and a weak flight off the toe. When I do catch one i'm really hitting it well but just not doing it consistently enough.

Does anyone else suffer with either of these 2 and have any tips of how to eradicate them?

Thanks!

 

[njc1973]

I try to focus on getting the set-up right & maintaining my body position/height through the swing, find this helps me.

 

[Wabinez]

Struggling with the same thing myself....no real answer as yet, although probably a swing/posture fault somewhere along the line. I have plenty!

 

[stokie_93]

Struggling with the same thing myself....no real answer as yet, although probably a swing/posture fault somewhere along the line. I have plenty!

It's frustrating the hell out of me because the rest of my game is there at the moment (thankfully)

Played 2 under my handicap through 9 yesterday, I think I hit 1 good iron shot.

 

[patricks148]

I would get some lessons.

helped me no end, i was a mediocre with my irons, now the best part of my game by far... shame about my driving now though

 

[bobmac]

Do you ever take divots after the ball ?

 

[stokie_93]

Do you ever take divots after the ball ?

when I hit the ball well yes, at the moment i'm catching it fat (not to the point where it goes 30 yards) but being short of the target by 20-30 yards.

Can't seem to consistently strike the ball well enough at the moment.

 

[stokie_93]

I would get some lessons.

helped me no end, i was a mediocre with my irons, now the best part of my game by far... shame about my driving now though

Considering it Patrick, i've always been good off the tee, main strong point of my game.

My chipping/wedge game is hot and cold and my putting is normally great.

Never considered myself an amazing ball striker with my irons though. I've had a new set of irons and they don't particularly fill me with confidence. I feel like I need to go back to more cavity again but not too sure.

 

[patricks148]

Considering it Patrick, i've always been good off the tee, main strong point of my game.

My chipping/wedge game is hot and cold and my putting is normally great.

Never considered myself an amazing ball striker with my irons though. I've had a new set of irons and they don't particularly fill me with confidence. I feel like I need to go back to more cavity again but not too sure.

i was the same, never missed a fairway, but irons poor... lost the driving completely at the moment.... i can hit the driver off the deck better than i can off a tee currently... if this carries on i won't be off 5 for much longer

 

[stokie_93]

i was the same, never missed a fairway, but irons poor... lost the driving completely at the moment.... i can hit the driver off the deck better than i can off a tee currently... if this carries on i won't be off 5 for much longer

We'd make a lethal better ball team :whoo:

 

[bobmac]

Sounds as if you are swaying and not getting the weight far enough forward on the fat shots.
Have you seen your swing from face on recently?

 

[patricks148]

We'd make a lethal better ball team :whoo:

Not necessarily, we might end up with my driving and your iron play:rofl:

 

[the_coach]

Really struggling with my irons at the moment.

Main two bad shots are a fat and a weak flight off the toe. When I do catch one i'm really hitting it well but just not doing it consistently enough.

Does anyone else suffer with either of these 2 and have any tips of how to eradicate them?

Thanks!

{for sure best off going for lesson}

would tend to think some issues will trace back to set-up, possibly ball position and posture

ways impossible to tell exactly not knowing what's really goin down

but essentially the issue being the low point of the swings arc is happening before the clubhead arrives to the ball, instead of it being target side of ball
but folks can be real creative in what stuff exactly plays into their particular reason for this to be happening

often times a lateral sway in the takeaway can mean the weight goes trailside and never really gets back to the leadside

do shots in general that ain't hit fat, tend to fly overhigh, & assuming RH player, high and rightfield, some pulls, some over fades/slices (or is the main average shot pattern different to that? push fade/slice some hooks?)

with the toe strikes could be out to in swing path, along with lead arm pulling in towards body some at strike with posture straightening up some to avoid dumping the club into the ground

so with this would folks would tend to see and feel bunch of chicken wing issues after strike so the swing finish position would tend to be fairly low hands handle someways level with the left ear, with the lead elbow at finish lower than the lead shoulder with body weight maybes falling back onto trail leg some

so essentially weight not getting to the lead side enough so not finishing on the lead leg along with this is no real width extension of the arms in the throughswing,
with arms extension through the ball the hands handle would then finish at least level with top of head with the lead elbow at least level with lead shoulder

this could all be a ways tied in with some 'casting' from the top, losing the hand/wrist/arm shaft angles too soon in the downswing so effectively the swings arc is getting too long, too extended in the downswing prior to strike

often times folks tend to not want to do it as it's a small swing (plus first off it's a tad difficult to do right given folks swing issues trying to be changed) but the hip, pelvic punch drill is a real good ways to feel how sync hip and body rotation, weight shift, got to work to have the weight on the lead leg & hands leading the clubhead into the strike with arms extension (good natural width) in the throughswing

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube;GaC4ze2OMHg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaC4ze2OMHg[/video]

 

[the_coach]

one thing pretty crucial if you goin down the route of doing either of these drills is for sure you gotta use your cell fone to video the practice
so it can be reviewed to monitor that what should be happening in doing either of the drills ... really is taking place
as for sure 'feel to real' non monitored practice will be unreliable

most folks doing this drill 'think' they are only taking the lead arm back to horizontal but when viewing what's really going down see they have gone way past that lead arm horizontal position
usually takes a good bunch of attempts and viewing the video evidence to get the drill down on point

[video=youtube;6npyaf53cFc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6npyaf53cFc[/video]

 

[kevster84]

Been hitting my irons so well recently, then yesterday.... couldn't hit them for toffee. Constant topping and then dreaded shanks!!!! Pity as was driving and putting well. It was so frustrating I'm surprised I didn't break a club.

 

[BrizoH71]

Been struggling with irons for a few weeks, but a lesson has quickly got me back on track after it threw up three things to work on which have greatly improved how I'm hitting irons now. There's still work to be done on them, but here's what the lesson threw up.

a) I had developed a tendency to snatch the club inside too quickly on takeaway, leading to me getting too flat and then coming over-the-top trying to get the club back on plane;

b) On set-up, I had a tendency to arch my wrists, so have been working on keeping the wrists more neutral;

c) My weight would move onto my front foot too early on my downswing, leading me to get ahead of the ball and delivering the clubface early and open, resulting in a high push-fade.

Not saying any of the above could be your problem, but perhaps something worth checking.

 

[stokie_93]

Thanks for everyones advice.

Going for a swift 9 holes tonight and then a competition on Saturday.

If things don't go so well i'm going to hopefully get a lesson booked in at some point!

 

[stokie_93]

do shots in general that ain't hit fat, tend to fly overhigh, & assuming RH player, high and rightfield, some pulls, some over fades/slices (or is the main average shot pattern different to that? push fade/slice some hooks?)

with the toe strikes could be out to in swing path, along with lead arm pulling in towards body some at strike with posture straightening up some to avoid dumping the club into the ground

Hi Coach,

Thanks for the response, really appreciate how in depth you've gone.

My normal shot tends to be a high/medium-high draw when struck properly and swung properly.

I really think that the out to in swing could be the issue. I have a tendency to play with an open stance so not sure if this could be the issue?

I also think that when swinging I don't let my arms release or 'push out' enough through the ball thus cause the club to 'extend' out, I think maybe this coupled with the out to in swing could be the issue.

 

[bobmac]

So to recap.........
You have an open stance,
You swing out to in
Your arms don't release
You hit it fat and out of the toe
Your normal shot tends to be a high/medium-high draw

Confused

As you didn't reply to my question and given the above info I can only suggest.....

You need a lesson