Why

[Break90]

Hitting irons so badly

Over the years I've had quite few bouts of the unmentionables, lasting from seconds to months.

Cause has been identified as lateral movement on the downswing coupled with a swingpath that gets a bit too inside the line, due to wrists breaking far to early on the takeaway.

Lesson a couple of months ago, lots of practice since and things have been pretty good since, a few buffers, a decent cut and some near misses.

Until a couple of weeks ago.

I'm driving the ball very well (by my own standards), likewise fairway woods and hybrids are solid and reliable. Chips and pitches from 75 yards in are generally ok.

Put an iron in my hand with anything more than a half swing, and its shank after shank after shank.

How can I hit the ball so solidly with woods and hybrids, but so badly with irons?

Answers on a postcard.........

 

[One Planer]

Re: Hitting irons so badly

Impossible to tell as there are so many reasons for an Arthur J.

Could your weight be falling onto your toes in the downswing?

 

[Break90]

Re: Hitting irons so badly

I guess it's possible, although it's never been identified previously as a factor.

Not sure why it would only hapen with irons though?

 

[patricks148]

Re: Hitting irons so badly

I'll do a deal with you, you can drive off the tee and I'll hit all the iron shots... oh and we will use your 10 shots as well

 

[Break90]

Re: Hitting irons so badly

I'll do a deal with you, you can drive off the tee and I'll hit all the iron shots... oh and we will use your 10 shots as well

Give it a week or so and we'll have 11 to play with.....

 

[the_coach]

Re: Hitting irons so badly

folks can get a deal creative with a bunch of ways to accomplish the skill of repeatedly hitting ball with heel

given what's said in the OP issues possibly partly due to set-up and the tendency encouraged by clubhead design more 'room' for error with heelside with the hybrids, metal, driver than irons

big intuitive part of the whole socket issue is most other ball racket, bat games the 'sweetspot' is directly 'inline' with the hands/handle - but in golf it's the heel/socket that is directly inline with the hands not the 'sweetspot' - design and build of irons also makes the heel kinda more bulbous target which is also a tad in front of the middle of face

some areas to maybes consider looking at
set-up. posture, weight distribution, distance hands from thighs, first 6" of movement in takeback

at set-up with irons kinda want the weight through center of feet (could stand on an alignment stick through center of feet to be able to be more aware of where weight is at set-up) with a forwards leaning spine (with iron set-up need to guard against being a ways too upright with the upper body which is what set-up with the metals, driver etc would be more likely to be through the longer length of the shafts) but that 'lean' from the hip sockets not from the waist or belt
and have a trail fist plus half thumb distance aways from the lead hand holding handle and the thigh - when both hands on the handle they more vertical under the throat while maintaining that space to the thigh - hands/handle crowd the thighs then in motion they are likely going to move outwards when in motion

first motion of takeback 'feel' more governed by the torso (belly button to sternum) so the butt end of the club stays pointed at the belly button area so more one piece move during that first foot or so of travel - so no immediate break outwards of hands to push handle out away from body to try to set wrist angles if this is happening the butt end of club will pretty much immediately point target direction instead of at the midriff

if can practice on grass with an iron (say 7i) and being mindful of set-up angles etc. place ball then 1" inside the ball (so nearer to you) place a tee halfways down into ground - with takeaway as described re where butt end points to midriff then set hands little ways more vertically (not rolled over) and turn to the top
from the top transfer weight to lead leg then swing down with the intention to hit the tee with the heel of the 7i

as well as the tee in that position could always put a headcover down an inch the other side of ball, (headcover length ways parallel to ball target line, so also have to just miss the headcover with toe end while taking out the tee with the heel of 7i

 

[Break90]

Re: Hitting irons so badly

folks can get a deal creative with a bunch of ways to accomplish the skill of repeatedly hitting ball with heel

given what's said in the OP issues possibly partly due to set-up and the tendency encouraged by clubhead design more 'room' for error with heelside with the hybrids, metal, driver than irons

big intuitive part of the whole socket issue is most other ball racket, bat games the 'sweetspot' is directly 'inline' with the hands/handle - but in golf it's the heel/socket that is directly inline with the hands not the 'sweetspot' - design and build of irons also makes the heel kinda more bulbous target which is also a tad in front of the middle of face

some areas to maybes consider looking at
set-up. posture, weight distribution, distance hands from thighs, first 6" of movement in takeback

at set-up with irons kinda want the weight through center of feet (could stand on an alignment stick through center of feet to be able to be more aware of where weight is at set-up) with a forwards leaning spine (with iron set-up need to guard against being a ways too upright with the upper body which is what set-up with the metals, driver etc would be more likely to be through the longer length of the shafts) but that 'lean' from the hip sockets not from the waist or belt
and have a trail fist plus half thumb distance aways from the lead hand holding handle and the thigh - when both hands on the handle they more vertical under the throat while maintaining that space to the thigh - hands/handle crowd the thighs then in motion they are likely going to move outwards when in motion

first motion of takeback 'feel' more governed by the torso (belly button to sternum) so the butt end of the club stays pointed at the belly button area so more one piece move during that first foot or so of travel - so no immediate break outwards of hands to push handle out away from body to try to set wrist angles if this is happening the butt end of club will pretty much immediately point target direction instead of at the midriff

if can practice on grass with an iron (say 7i) and being mindful of set-up angles etc. place ball then 1" inside the ball (so nearer to you) place a tee halfways down into ground - with takeaway as described re where butt end points to midriff then set hands little ways more vertically (not rolled over) and turn to the top
from the top transfer weight to lead leg then swing down with the intention to hit the tee with the heel of the 7i

as well as the tee in that position could always put a headcover down an inch the other side of ball, (headcover length ways parallel to ball target line, so also have to just miss the headcover with toe end while taking out the tee with the heel of 7i

Coach, many thanks for the detailed response, much appreciated. I get most of what you're saying, but would you mind going over the bit in bold again?

I think you're saying my hands need to directly under my throat at address, but I'm not 100% certain.

 

[the_coach]

Re: Hitting irons so badly

just trying to give some 'ball park' areas of what's useful in a good set up with irons given shorter shafts (compared to driver etc. where folks naturally have a more upright upper body angle - which if that creeps into iron set-up can cause issues)

so just describing stuff that may be useful though got to bear in mind don't know what it is that's really goin on with the swing technique

so the often times this kind of issue can stem from set-up then balance issues so useful to get address in a good ball park area

so if stood at set-up address iron in lead hand lets just say 6i with a good forward spine angle from the hip socket bend the arms will hang so that lead hand would be approx a trail fist with approx half thumb (kinda looking at old movies the 'hitchhike' hand shape away from the thigh)

so with that the natural arm hang would put the hands approx under the throat area, so not real close-up to thighs

the real point would be folks need some space between the thighs-hands at set-up as their gotta to be some space otherwise everything moves outwards away and bang, socket but also the hips have to turn and clear also - to do that weight has to get to lead side to start transition - if weight stays too much trailside that tends to make the trail shoulder tilt back, the hips get thrust out towards the ball which pushes arms/hands club out so bang - socket

would try hitting a 7i, even if not with the training drill mentioned before, with an alignment stick under middle both feet swinging at no more 60% and concentrating on balance and keeping posture angles