Why oh why am i struggling with my 5 iron

[Hallsy]

For some time now i have struggled to hit my 5 iron consistently.
My 6 iron i can strike well with a nice highish ball flight but for some reason my 5 hardly launches and considering its only 3degrees of difference i cannot get a good strike.
Ive tried different ball positions etc but it still launches too low.
Looks like a 5 hybrid for the bag

 

[Orikoru]

Because 5 irons come from the pits of hell.

 

[Liverbirdie]

Yep, I can hit a 1 iron better than my 5 iron - what makes you so special, you think you can hit a 5 iron?

 

[User62651]

Maybe trying to hit it too hard, advise a slow backswing with a nice and wide takeaway, then a slow transition so you dont cast it. It wont be slow but by thinking slow it down it might help you find some timing. If you can hit a good 6 a 5 shouldn't be much harder, it's become a head thing now, a mental block I think. Break it down and start slowly then build up as the shot results improve.

 

[bobmac]

It sounds as if you're getting your upper body too far ahead of the ball at impact causing the club to lose loft

 

[Hallsy]

Maybe trying to hit it too hard, advise a slow backswing with a nice and wide takeaway, then a slow transition so you dont cast it. It wont be slow but by thinking slow it down it might help you find some timing. If you can hit a good 6 a 5 shouldn't be much harder, it's become a head thing now, a mental block I think. Break it down and start slowly then build up as the shot results improve.

I have a slowish takeaway but although it feels a good strike there is no height. Something for me to work on though so thank you :thup:

Yep, I can hit a 1 iron better than my 5 iron - what makes you so special, you think you can hit a 5 iron?

Everyone says im special :fore:

It sounds as if you're getting your upper body too far ahead of the ball at impact causing the club to lose loft

I do find having the ball further forward than normal slightly better results but the bad shot is then a thin. Il try to hang back a bit. Thank you

 

[Imurg]

It sounds as if you're getting your upper body too far ahead of the ball at impact causing the club to lose loft

Me, me - that's me that is👍😥

 

[garyinderry]

Binned 5 iron last year.

5 hybrid kills it for consistency of strike.

 

[bobmac]

Me, me - that's me that is

No wonder you cant hit a driver to save yourself

 

[Orikoru]

It sounds as if you're getting your upper body too far ahead of the ball at impact causing the club to lose loft

I do find having the ball further forward than normal slightly better results but the bad shot is then a thin. Il try to hang back a bit. Thank you

I have similar 5 iron problems, but I also had a slight improvement from having the ball slightly forward in stance. As well as that, I started gripping the club an inch further down and got another slight improvement.

 

[Imurg]

No wonder you cant hit a driver to save yourself

But I can hit a 3 wood..🤔

 

[Dasit]

Probably not got the cluehead speed for a 5 iron


Try moving to hybrids or 7 wood etc




My 5 iron is no harder to hit than 6 or 7, just goes an extra 10 yards than 6 etc

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I remember a post from Garyinderry regarding long irons v hybrids and I think club head speed on long irons is critical to their success or failure. The gist being you need plenty of it or you are best going to hybrids. It was actually a therapeutic read for me as I have struggled for a long time with long irons and it put my mind to rest. Stop fighting them, accept they are not for me, work with lofted hybrids which are okay with a slower swing. I now no longer agonise about trying to hit a 4 or 5 iron. Bring peace to your life, forget them .

 

[patricks148]

I hit my 5 iron pretty well TBH, well all of them really. But it didn't happen overnight, it took work and practice and a few lessons along the way.

worth it in the long run

 

[Deleted member 23270]

There's a few old Doris's on here if you can't even manage to hit a modern 5 iron :ears:

Hybrids instead?.........man up and grow a pair :rofl:

 

[jim8flog]

In modern sets 5 iron is what I consider the transition club, just that extra half an inch of club length and the 4 degrees difference in face angle may not seem huge but these days I now struggle to hit one straight. This year I bit the bullet and switched to 24 degree rescue instead.

Probably part of for me was that the 5 iron was my 'go to' club for use on the range so I used to hit one very well, these days I virtually never go to the range.

 

[patricks148]

In modern sets 5 iron is what I consider the transition club, just that extra half an inch of club length and the 4 degrees difference in face angle may not seem huge but these days I now struggle to hit one straight. This year I bit the bullet and switched to 24 degree rescue instead.

Probably part of for me was that the 5 iron was my 'go to' club for use on the range so I used to hit one very well, these days I virtually never go to the range.

isn't 24 deg the same as a 4 iron, so getting a 24 deg hybrid surely isn't a direct replacement for a 5 iron?

 

[Hallsy]

My srixon 5 iron is 24 degrees and my sldr 5 iron is 24 degrees. So my problem is I'm really trying to hit a 4 iron :lol:

 

[garyinderry]

isn't 24 deg the same as a 4 iron, so getting a 24 deg hybrid surely isn't a direct replacement for a 5 iron?

Depends on the strength of the iron lofts. My titleist 4 hybrid is 24 and 5 hybrid is 27. Smashing clubs.

 

[Imurg]

Depends on the strength of the iron lofts. My titleist 4 hybrid is 24 and 5 hybrid is 27. Smashing clubs.

Acquired an old Cleveland Launcher 5 hybrid today to try - 26° and it really is like cheating..!!