Why are long irons so hard to hit well?

[JEFF4i]

I actually tried quite a few of hybrids, I will stick with my long irons. Shoot, at my home course Ive hit a Par 3(210-230) 9/10 times, so that's my 5-3. Of which, 3 were birdies.

If you CAN hit a long iron, even with work, it's definately worth it.

 

[Eracer]

Augster

'Almost nobody should have a 3/4 iron in the bag,and most shouldn't have a 5 iron'

rubbish

Most 24 handicappers maybe,but many players in single figure handicaps would touch a hybrid,they spin to much,and either hook badly or in my case,just fly to the right,and high,almost via radar.

This is the "Hacker's Anonymous" section, right?

Maybe we should have a separate section for single-digit players. This forum has enough of you that you could keep it busy.

I'm not trying to be critical Dave, but we are talking about clubs that are intended to help mid to high handicap players like myself enjoy the game more.

Would I improve myself, as RBB said, by working hard to learn how to make proper swings with 2 and 3 irons? Absolutely. Should I learn to play with true blades? Small persimmon-headed drivers? What about learning to play with X-Stiff shafts? I certainly would be a better player if I could learn to hit those clubs consistently. But I'm trying to better my game within the framework of my athletic ability, and the time I have to devote to the game.

I use shortcuts. Forgiving irons, hybrids, large titanium-headed drivers. I promote the use of clubs like hybrids, in a forum section geared towards players of like ability. Are those clubs right for you, or IG, or any of the other excellent golfers that I am priviledged to enjoy the company of on Shottalk? Maybe not. But they are right for me, and if I can convince players (like Doc, who I think has a similar game to mine) that they are right for him as well, then I'm contributing to the "Hacker's Anonymous" section in a positive way.

 

[SiberianDVM]

Now, boys, let's not get all cantankerous.

Went to the range last evening specifically to work on the long irons and to try out a couple of hybrids. The pro only had a couple of Ping G2 hybrids that I could swing. What I found was that with a crappy swing I could hook the heck out of them too! But they do get the ball up in the air much better.

I also worked on shortening my considerable backswing, swinging easier, letting the club do the work, and keeping the right elbow close to my hip. All of those things, but primarily shortening my backswing by pretending I was only swinging to 9 oclock, helped all the clubs and I hit some good ones with the 3 & 4 iron.

I'm gonna have 21* & 24* hybrids made, with Rifle 5.0 shafts, and probably Wishon heads. Should run about $90 each.

 

[wirehair]

Imo jump in late, but there's 2 things that make long irons tough.

They're longer (duh) and harder to control, but with a lower loft that means they need to be hit on the sweet spot.

You use them long distances you see all that green stuff as far as the eye can see, and your brain says "kill it". The testosterone starts pumping, you become golferman, swing harder & miss the sweet spot.

 

[Hangfire]

I've dumped my 3 and 4 iron and have opted for 4 wedges and a hybrid 3i... work on the short game to improve your score;-)

 

[JEFF4i]

This is the "Hacker's Anonymous" section, right?

Maybe we should have a separate section for single-digit players. This forum has enough of you that you could keep it busy.

I'm not trying to be critical Dave, but we are talking about clubs that are intended to help mid to high handicap players like myself enjoy the game more.

I thought this thread was also to help people who want to improve. I honestly feel that as you said, you want to become a better player you shoulder play teh harder clubs. That's my viewpoint of golf though, constantly working constantly grinding.

And, as it stands, I am a head coach of a high school team which I believe gives me some credit.

 

[Eracer]

Now, boys, let's not get all cantankerous.

Sorry Doc (and Dave), That hottie I met at the bar around 2:00am on Saturday night (Sunday morning? Whatebvverr...) turned out to be that 90yo arthritic grannie with the cataracts. Gotta quit the tequila.

 

[ezra76]

I picked up a 3iron with hopes of being able to hit it like my 5i. I can see this was a bad decision already. I was only hitting it well about 50% of the time at the range and even when I did my 5i is almost as long and 10times more accurate. I think I'll put the hybrid back in the bag today. Eventually I'll come up with the setup that allows me 100% confidence in every club.

 

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

I picked up a 3iron with hopes of being able to hit it like my 5i. I can see this was a bad decision already. I was only hitting it well about 50% of the time at the range and even when I did my 5i is almost as long and 10times more accurate. I think I'll put the hybrid back in the bag today. Eventually I'll come up with the setup that allows me 100% confidence in every club.

Hey Ezra, in the course of my rummaging around last week, I unearthed an old blade 2-iron with a clubhead the size of a pinhead. How much will you give me for it?

 

[ezra76]

Hey Ezra, in the course of my rummaging around last week, I unearthed an old blade 2-iron with a clubhead the size of a pinhead. How much will you give me for it?

LOL. My dad has around a dozen sets from the 60's and 70's. There are a few 1 and 2 irons kicking around in there. I would actually like to put together a nice set of Wilson Dyna-Powered blades 1 or 2iron up and play them in the offseason when the temp. tees are set up. That should improve the ballstriking.

 

[Eracer]

LOL. My dad has around a dozen sets from the 60's and 70's. There are a few 1 and 2 irons kicking around in there. I would actually like to put together a nice set of Wilson Dyna-Powered blades 1 or 2iron up and play them in the offseason when the temp. tees are set up. That should improve the ballstriking.

Just keep us informed about how many times you hit the thing before you snap it in half over your knee...

 

[Eracer]

I thought this thread was also to help people who want to improve. I honestly feel that as you said, you want to become a better player you shoulder play teh harder clubs. That's my viewpoint of golf though, constantly working constantly grinding.

And, as it stands, I am a head coach of a high school team which I believe gives me some credit.

You teach high school golf. The boys you work with are just beginning their golfing lives, and should focus on developing a sound swing that will serve them over the next 50 years or so. So your approach makes sense.

For older golfers like myself, who never developed a really good swing, the ROI of playing with clubs that are more difficult to hit in the search for a better swing is just not enough.

Besides, as Allen Doyle said, "I can beat par 90% of the time on any course in the world. I play hybrids. Now, tell me again why you don't".

 

[warbirdlover]

The explanation is simple (in Tom Wishon's book "the Search for the Perfect Golf Club"). Years ago one club maker "de-lofted" their irons to make them go farther then the competition. The competition had to do this also or lose sales. Now this left a gap in the short irons which is now filled by the different loft wedges. The long irons now are very hard to hit because they no longer have the loft the original irons of years ago were designed with. Now you need Hybrid's to hit the long irons. All very well spelled out in this golf club designer's book. It also stresses that if you don't have clubs fit to you you'll never do well and enjoy the game and that a proper swing still will not give results with poorly fitted clubs. An example he used was that none of the touring pros could play nearly as well with off-the-shelf clubs. But they could get along better with them then amateurs that don't have as good of a swing. Makes sense to me.

Siberian,

I shortened my backswing about 15 years ago and the results were amazing. I can now ALWAYS make solid contact and the ball goes much farther then when I didn't hit the sweet spot. I immediately dropped 10 strokes per 9. No kidding. The big backswing is overrated. Don't believe me? Try it at the range.

 

[SiberianDVM]

Oh I believe you about the big backswing, and I'm trying mightily to shorten mine. But I have gotten so used to timing the big backswing that it's going to take a little while to properly time the shorter one.

I did pretty good at the range last evening. The 3 & 4 iron were definitely getting up in the air better.

 

[JEFF4i]

You teach high school golf. The boys you work with are just beginning their golfing lives, and should focus on developing a sound swing that will serve them over the next 50 years or so. So your approach makes sense.

For older golfers like myself, who never developed a really good swing, the ROI of playing with clubs that are more difficult to hit in the search for a better swing is just not enough.

Besides, as Allen Doyle said, "I can beat par 90% of the time on any course in the world. I play hybrids. Now, tell me again why you don't".

And an excellent argument, I was just waiting for it to come. :usflag: :ukflag: