Iron swing question

[bighairydel]

So when I'm hitting my irons I will always generally be swinging to hit it 100% as hard as I can.
For instance if say my max distance on a 7 iron is 160 yards, if I was 160 yards from my target I'd choose my 7 iron and hit it as far/hard as I could.
Is this thought process wrong?
I'm a high handicapper, it would interesting to hear what the lower handicapper would usually do?
Should I be say reigning it in a bit and take a club more and swing say 75%? I struggle a bit with inconsistency (strikes/accuracy etc) and was thinking today that this could be a big reason.

 

[fundy]

Yes its wrong (and one the majority of us make)

Ideally you should probably trying to hit a club 90-95% as a full shot with the odd occasion where you have good reason to hit one really flat out. In your example your 7 iron should be a 145-150 club and if you have 160 yards you should be hitting a 6 iron

Where do you miss, are a lot of your misses short? If so then you definitely should be looking to hit one more club and throttle back a tiny bit (not as far as 75% though!)

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I never try and put everything into a shot, when I do I loose control and composure. Normally I would sat 80% max, as that gives me better control and beter contact and its the better contact that gives me distance with control.
I'm not cat 1, but I know how my swing goes when I try too hard.

 

[bighairydel]

Well I've got every kind of miss, mostly not so much short, usually right or left or I'll catch it supremely fat and it goes 10 yards.

 

[duncan mackie]

I play the club that best fits the distance - but that isn't the real issue.
That is what constitutes 100%? - as hard as you can isn't really a comparable factor to 100%.

 

[bighairydel]

Any tips on how to stop myself from trying to smash the plastic off the ball? 🙈😂

 

[bighairydel]

If 100% is as hard as you can swing at it.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Try thinking smooth rather than 'Hulk smash' 😄.

The more popular way is to say a name to slow you down. Severiano (on the back swing), Ballesteros (on the down swing). You should not have hit the ball before finishing the name. It's quite effective 👍

Incidentally, I hit it further when swinging at around 80%. That's because I get my timing better, synch arms and body better. Better golfers than me, plenty of them, can swing harder because they manage that timing issue better than I can. You have to work out what your optimum speed is and then fight like mad to keep at that. It's a battle but your ball striking doesn't half improve so it is worth working on.

 

[bighairydel]

Will try this, just thinking about it I would probably complete my full swing and follow through just saying his first name!

 

[howbow88]

It's all feel based isn't it, and so really down to each person's interpretation. I find it easier trying to hit a club hard as then I have to commit - swinging 'easier' tends to put me in two minds.

Try out what Tyrion has suggested and see how your get on

 

[Sandsider]

Like everything else, it depends. If I need the height a more lofted club gives and it's on the limit of that club, then I give it the beans. Otherwise I throttle back and ease it on, or try to.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

I find I hit my irons best when I get the tempo right. Smooth and full.
Every time it's wrong with me it's the tempo I haven't got right.

 

[bobmac]

Each to their own.
Having said that, I NEVER hit an iron 100% power and if I'm at 160yds, I'd be hitting a normal 6 or easy 5.
However, I do hit the driver hard on occasion but my target is 30yds wide. With my irons the target is just over 4ins wide.
My dad taught me a valuable lesson once...........
''Hit it as hard as you can but no harder''
I was only 9

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The simple solution would be to club up and swing at 90% and learn the distances for each club on a 90% swing. Once done, if you are then standing there and it takes a full on hard as you can swing with one, simply go back up one. Most danger on courses is at the front of greens, so take more and aim for the centre of the green. As Nicklaus said if you hit the middle of each green you'll never be far away from any hole

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

The more popular way is to say a name to slow you down. Severiano (on the back swing), Ballesteros (on the down swing). You should not have hit the ball before finishing the name. It's quite effective 👍

Which works best, Spanish or English pronunciation?

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I have always hit the ball better, when I feel I swing 'harder/faster'. So tend to always swing at least at 95%.

When I try the dolly approach to swinging, I normally quit on the swing and the ball can go anywhere.

But try both ways out and whatever works best for you, is the way forward

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

The best tip I have ever been given is "Hit the ball better, not harder"

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Which works best, Spanish or English pronunciation?

Definitely Spanish. You have to say it with flair and a flourish

 

[Orikoru]

I never hit it as hard as I possibly can, that's a recipe for disaster. I have a short backswing and just try and make good contact really. If I was trying to hit 100% there's much more chance of it going wrong. I suppose I hit everything at 90 or 95%. My problem is I can't go lower than that either, so the 'smooth' or 'soft' swings that people talk about, if I try that I don't hit it properly and it'll just go nowhere. I just try and hit it the same every time really, and hopefully I have the right club in my hands.

 

[jim8flog]

I put 100% in to most of my normal iron shots but only when I want 100% of the distance that the ball will travel when hit that way

Shots are very rarely to the exact distance that the ball will travel when hit 100%.

PS my 100% is when I will remain in total control of the swing so is not a thrash at the ball.