Hitting a 3 iron

[trumb1mj]

I would love to turn the corner this year and start playing my 3 and 4 irons. I was at the range yesterday and I flushed a 3 iron about 230 right at the target and it inspired me to become more consistent with long irons.

Does anyone have any tips to becoming more consistent with my 3-5 irons? Maybe a link? Stance? Scoop vs. Downward blow? etc???

Thanks in advance!

 

[acarty]

I would love to turn the corner this year and start playing my 3 and 4 irons. I was at the range yesterday and I flushed a 3 iron about 230 right at the target and it inspired me to become more consistent with long irons.

Does anyone have any tips to becoming more consistent with my 3-5 irons? Maybe a link? Stance? Scoop vs. Downward blow? etc???

Thanks in advance!

The only thing I can say from my experience is swing it as smooth as a wedge. I have the tendency to try and rip it, just like a driver, and my swing goes all over the place. Swing it smooth and let the club sort the ball out!!

 

[eclark53520]

I would love to turn the corner this year and start playing my 3 and 4 irons. I was at the range yesterday and I flushed a 3 iron about 230 right at the target and it inspired me to become more consistent with long irons.

Does anyone have any tips to becoming more consistent with my 3-5 irons? Maybe a link? Stance? Scoop vs. Downward blow? etc???

Thanks in advance!

I usually give them a nice downward blow right into the friggin bag after bend it in half because i duffed it into the woods after deciding that i am good enough to take a 3I out of the bag....if i would have layed up i would've had a chance at par, no, instead i am hitting off the top of a boulder through 12 acres of pine trees over a lake and three bunkers...

 

[Release]

Hit it more often. You'll have to find out what works for your swing. Ball position is personal, I put it just forward of the center of my stance for normal golf shots. Because of the longer shaft, it's more a sweeping blow than a downward blow than the shorter irons.
YouTube - Sam on Ball Position
Swing thought should be the same as yor 7 iron, the common mistake for the majority is trying to help the ball get off the ground and trying to hit it harder than the short iron.
If you practice the long irons as often as your short irons and driver, you'll be better at it.

 

[ezra76]

I don't have a 4iron but with my 3 and 5 I tend to weaken up grip a little and play the face almost a tad open. I have trouble yanking them left otherwise. Seems to work for me and produces a higher ballflight. I've been working on the 3iron and it's now as easy to hit as a hybrid but more accurate. It's easier to hit than my 5Wood for sure.

It might help, if you can use a grass area at a range, to use a small tee at first, then work your way down until it's basically the same off the grass.

 

[JasonMacIsaac]

I don't know, I have always been a great long iron player. The biggest keys to hitting good long irons is to have no tension in your arms or body, take three quarter swings (this makes it harder to stand up in the backswing) and swing easy going through.

A drill I do on the range is one I read in an old golf magazine from the 70's with johnny miller. Swing to the top, pause for a second to let everything catch up then swing smooth through the ball.

 

[MyBluC4]

why would you want to stick with the 3 iron? A hybrid 3 serves the same purpose, has the same distance range but more versatility in terms of using it in the rough? I love hitting a pure long iron as well, but the older I get the more I appreciate the multi-task performance of the hybrid 3.

 

[Clugnut]

I agree with Jason. Pretty much try not to swing harder, and keep that grip loose. If you do not have the natural swing speed for long irons, I suggest moving to hybrids. But if you can hit a three iron 230, you have the speed. I carry my three iron about 210. Be careful though, if you start to hit it consistently, you're going to want to try to go to a two iron. That's where I'm at!

 

[War Eagle]

I am a beginner but every since I started I could hit my 3 iron 200 dead straight. 240 when hit perfect. Just finish your swing and see it fly away.

 

[King Par]

What helped me was focusing on hitting the ball first and really concentrating on rotating the club head through.

At the start of the summer it was a 110 yard slice. I finished the summer off not doing too shabby, usually about 190-200 yards and relatively straight, slight fade.

 

[JasonMacIsaac]

240 3 irons? Who are we here, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia or Camillo Villegas? I love how if someone flushes a 3 iron about 210 with 20 yards of roll they start thinking they hit 3 irons that far.

I have 110 clubhead speed and I carry a 3 iron 215. I would love to see some of you begginers carry a 3 iron 240. If I could carry a 3 iron 240 I wouldn't use my driver or 3 wood in most tourneys.

 

[JasonMacIsaac]

Vijay Singh: 'I don't change irons until the grooves are gone.' | Golf Digest | Find Articles at BNET.com

I suggest some of you read this article and see how far Vijay carries his irons.
Driver: 300, 10.5 [degrees]
3-wood: 265, 13 [degrees]
9-wood: 240, 18 [degrees]

IRONS

3-iron: 225, 22 [degrees]
4-iron: 215, 25 [degrees]
5-iron: 205, 28 [degrees]
6-iron: 190, 32 [degrees]
7-iron: 175, 36 [degrees]
8-iron: 160, 40 [degrees]
9-iron: 145, 44 [degrees]
PW: 135, 48 [degrees]
SW: 120, 54 [degrees]
LW: 100, 60 [degrees]

 

[SilverUberXeno]

I saw a guy on a fullswing golf simulator today hit a 7-iron 211, then 212, basically stacked right on top of eachother. It's an accurate sim too. I hit a good 7 174 on it, which is about right for me. Notice he said it's usually 200, not 240. 240 when he rips it and things fall into place. That sounds about right to me.

 

[mddubya]

Remind me not to play a round with any of ya'll. :laugh: My home course has a 175 yard par 3. If I make a good smooth swing I can reach it with a 5 iron. If I over swing I may clear the green a bit, 180ish. I've played a couple of rounds sans any woods and tee'd off with my 3 iron and got it out there 200-210 off a tee. But I can't hit it off the deck for squat which is why I carry a 3h. Same distance off the tee, and practically the same off the deck. I'm not calling anyone out or saying it can't be done, but if you are hitting it that far, how accurate are you? Like I said, don't get me wrong, I am NOT saying you can't do it, if you can and are even remotely accurate hitting it that far, I am truly impressed.

 

[MCDavis]

Remind me not to play a round with any of ya'll. :laugh: My home course has a 175 yard par 3. If I make a good smooth swing I can reach it with a 5 iron. If I over swing I may clear the green a bit, 180ish. I've played a couple of rounds sans any woods and tee'd off with my 3 iron and got it out there 200-210 off a tee. But I can't hit it off the deck for squat which is why I carry a 3h. Same distance off the tee, and practically the same off the deck. I'm not calling anyone out or saying it can't be done, but if you are hitting it that far, how accurate are you? Like I said, don't get me wrong, I am NOT saying you can't do it, if you can and are even remotely accurate hitting it that far, I am truly impressed.

Our distances are very similar. My home course has 2 175/180 par 3's and I usually hit 5 iron on both...4 if I'm having a really bad day.