# Long iron advice?



## TGOH

So, yesterday I played a round at Cherry Island, a relatively nice course in the Sacramento area. I played pretty well, by my standards, and shot an 88. This was only the second time I've broken 90, so, naturally, I'm happy with that. 

What I noticed was that I was striking the ball well with my irons. It seemed like anything I pulled out of my bag I hit well...Except my 4 iron. I used it once, and sliced a weak shot in to the water, and ended up doubling the hole. This wasn't a rarity either. I only had to use it once yesterday, but that weak slice is a common occurance whenever I pull it out of the bag.

What gets me is that this is the only club I hit poorly consistently. Any suggestions as to why this might be and how I could remedy it?


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## Surtees

Fristly let me say congrats on breaking 90. Have you tried good to the range and hitting with your 5 for a while until your happy with your swing and tempo go to your 3. Then go to your 4 just focusing on your swing and tempo not focusing on your distance and see how you go.


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## TGOH

Surtees said:


> Fristly let me say congrats on breaking 90. Have you tried good to the range and hitting with your 5 for a while until your happy with your swing and tempo go to your 3. Then go to your 4 just focusing on your swing and tempo not focusing on your distance and see how you go.


I haven't yet. I'm guessing that will be my first course of action. Thanks for the advice.


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## cbwheeler

Here is what is happening. When you have a longer club in your hand, you subconsciously want to swing it harder. This is something we as golfers all fight against. It happens to absolutely everyone. Most golfers, when they swing harder, do it with their arms which causing a casting effect that results in an open clubface and a glancing blow that causes a slice.

The solution? Head to the range and choke down about 3/4 of an inch on your 4 iron to groove the feel of hitting it nice and smooth. This will help to control it and will build your confidence. This will also help to instill in your mind that a 4 iron can be swung smoothly and still fly the same distance.

Once you've got it down, gradually go back to normal length. Honestly if you want to, you can leave it choked down. You'll notice a lot of tour players choke down on their irons quite a bit, Sergio Garcia being one of them, one of the world's best ball strikers (although a head case of a short game).


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## TGOH

cbwheeler said:


> Here is what is happening. When you have a longer club in your hand, you subconsciously want to swing it harder. This is something we as golfers all fight against. It happens to absolutely everyone. Most golfers, when they swing harder, do it with their arms which causing a casting effect that results in an open clubface and a glancing blow that causes a slice.
> 
> The solution? Head to the range and choke down about 3/4 of an inch on your 4 iron to groove the feel of hitting it nice and smooth. This will help to control it and will build your confidence. This will also help to instill in your mind that a 4 iron can be swung smoothly and still fly the same distance.
> 
> Once you've got it down, gradually go back to normal length. Honestly if you want to, you can leave it choked down. You'll notice a lot of tour players choke down on their irons quite a bit, Sergio Garcia being one of them, one of the world's best ball strikers (although a head case of a short game).


I'll definitely give that a try on Monday when I get to the range. Thanks for the tip.


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## white_tiger_137

It's all in your head!

The truth is that it takes long hours of practice to get comfortable with any given club. If you don't have an unshakable confidence in a club and you hit a few crappy shots with it, naturally you'll expect that the next time you pull it out something atrocious will happen. Self-fulfilling prophecy. 

I have the same mental block with my 5 and 6 irons. I rarely use them, which leads to second thoughts when I do have to use them, which leads to bad shots, which leads to me rarely using them. 

Take your 4 iron to the range and hit a few buckets. Break the cycle!


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## broken tee

white_tiger_137 said:


> It's all in your head!
> 
> you're correct it is all in your head...50% THINKING AND 50% MENTAL


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## BoilerGTI

just relax and focus on the tempo of your swing. generally, when golfers get to their long irons, they try so hard to hit the ball, that it gets in the way of a good shot. let the club work for you....just go out to the range and have a specific goal in mind, pick out a target like it were on the course.
best of luck


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## broken tee

BoilerGTI said:


> just relax and focus on the tempo of your swing. generally, when golfers get to their long irons, they try so hard to hit the ball, that it gets in the way of a good shot. let the club work for you....just go out to the range and have a specific goal in mind, pick out a target like it were on the course.
> best of luck


I've done that many times, its a hard habit for me to break over swinging
one of these days I'm going to learn.


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## BrianMcG

TGOH said:


> What gets me is that this is the only club I hit poorly consistently. Any suggestions as to why this might be and how I could remedy it?


This reminds me of a funny story. Quite a few years ago in "Golf Digest" I believe, they decided to take an old set of Bobby Jone's clubs and test them to see what the flex, swingweight, etc. of his irons were and to compare them with a modern set of clubs.

They found to their surprise that he had a perfectly matched set, swing weights, shaft stiffness, lengths, lie angles and lofts, except for his 5 iron (a surprise given to the fact that it took hundreds of clubs and thousands of shag balls to get a set to perform properly since all clubs were made by hand then). 

The 5-iron they found to have a shaft that was much stiffer than the rest of his set. They asked Mr. Jones about this, thinking that this had been done on purpose, to which he replied "I never could hit that damn 5-iron right."


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## broken tee

Good story, if you saw my fairway shots yesterday you'd think I was playing a five iron


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## Fourputt

TGOH said:


> So, yesterday I played a round at Cherry Island, a relatively nice course in the Sacramento area. I played pretty well, by my standards, and shot an 88. This was only the second time I've broken 90, so, naturally, I'm happy with that.
> 
> What I noticed was that I was striking the ball well with my irons. It seemed like anything I pulled out of my bag I hit well...Except my 4 iron. I used it once, and sliced a weak shot in to the water, and ended up doubling the hole. This wasn't a rarity either. I only had to use it once yesterday, but that weak slice is a common occurance whenever I pull it out of the bag.
> 
> What gets me is that this is the only club I hit poorly consistently. Any suggestions as to why this might be and how I could remedy it?


I replaced my 4 and 5 irons with TM hybrids.... problem solved.


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## Surtees

yes hybirds do help to replace the long irons.


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## tkessel

Surtees said:


> yes hybirds do help to replace the long irons.


I'll "third" that motion. I have three hybrids. I took my 5 iron out of my bag recently, and I only carry my 4 iron to make punch shots out from under/behind the trees. I'd never try to hit full shots with that 4 iron: the hybrids are so much easier for me to hit well.


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## broken tee

Fourputt said:


> I replaced my 4 and 5 irons with TM hybrids.... problem solved.


Rick: I read a post by CB wheeler and he points out that we have a tendency to over swing and over grip on the long irons. let us see if some else read that post. and by the way I going to Windsor, Colo over the 4th and will play a couple courses one is a semiprivate club Pelican Bay and the other is a public couse love my hybids too:thumbsup:
Bob.


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## BigBen88

broken tee said:


> Rick: I read a post by CB wheeler and he points out that we have a tendency to over swing and over grip on the long irons. let us see if some else read that post. and by the way I going to Windsor, Colo over the 4th and will play a couple courses one is a semiprivate club Pelican Bay and the other is a public couse love my hybids too:thumbsup:
> Bob.


 Yep i read that quote and told my bro. about it and he was like "yea that's totally right" haha I had the same problem now when i have a long iron in my had(or hybrid) then I think of that right away before i hit it and let me tell ya it helps now, now I'm not trying to kill it like 250 yard I'm just doing my normal strength hit.... helped a lot thnks!!


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## broken tee

Rick: I was responding to TGOH, It was Surtee's fault He had me laughing from another post, but there goes the neighborhood in Windsor or may be I should call the golf courses and warn them about me


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## Fourputt

broken tee said:


> Rick: I read a post by CB wheeler and he points out that we have a tendency to over swing and over grip on the long irons. let us see if some else read that post. and by the way I going to Windsor, Colo over the 4th and will play a couple courses one is a semiprivate club Pelican Bay and the other is a public couse love my hybids too:thumbsup:
> Bob.


Hmmmm.... for most people, Windsor is someplace to get away *from*, not go *to*. :laugh:

My recommendation is to get over and play Mariana Buttes in Loveland. It's only 18 easy miles from Pelican Bay (CR 17 south to Highway 34, then straight west to N. Rossum Dr., turn south and you're there), and it's a nice fun course to play.


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## broken tee

Fourputt said:


> Hmmmm.... for most people, Windsor is someplace to get away *from*, not go *to*. :laugh:
> 
> It's known as Tornados I'll suggest the course in Loveland Thanks :thumbsup:


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## Surtees

broken tee said:


> Rick: I was responding to TGOH, It was Surtee's fault He had me laughing from another post, but there goes the neighborhood in Windsor or may be I should call the golf courses and warn them about me


It's always someone elses fault isn't it Bob?


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## broken tee

Surtees said:


> It's always someone elses fault isn't it Bob?


Luke,luke Luke: you did,I had tears in my eyes. Okay I'm old and senile does that satisfy you?


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## Surtees

broken tee said:


> Luke,luke Luke: you did,I had tears in my eyes. Okay I'm old and senile does that satisfy you?


Yes I'm quiet satisfied now thank you Bob


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