Iron Distance Problem

So I recently picked the game back up over the last year. I’m 32 years old and got a whole set of Strata clubs bc I had nothing so I needed everything. Started going to the range and worked my way to the course shooting around 100. Now I can shoot mid to upper 80s. Mid 80s is a great round for me.

Early on I struggled mightily with the driver. Very inconsistent and always way too high. Did a little research and turns out the strata driver was like 12* or something. So went and got “fit” for a M4 at DSG. The 9.5 * and stiff shaft have been great for me. Drive usually end up around 250 and sometimes when I groove it it gets out to about 275+.

Now my conundrum. My irons go no where. I’m hitting the PW 100, 9i 115, 8i 130, 7i 150. Even when I feel like I flush it.

I talk to friends who hit PW as far as I hit my 8i. Could the equipment make that much of a distance or could it be a swing issue? TIA

Definitely a swing issue. You're me 20 years ago. If anyone tells you that you should get fit for irons, then they are the type of people who think they can buy lower scores instead of digging it out of the dirt.

If the lofts of your irons are more "traditional" than what you see in a lot of modern GI irons - and what your friends might be playing - then yes. Like, my PW is 47°. The new Callaway Mavrick irons has a 41° PW! That's a significant difference.

That said, honestly, those numbers sound about average for an AM with traditional lofted clubs.

Your numbers are not too far off for a novice. Work on your swing/technique...focus more on solid contact vs trying to hit the stuffing out of the ball, take some lessons or experiment. I had given my kids the following advice and I follow it myself...you cannot fix everything at once. Write down no more than 2 things that you will focus on improving each season (think about the things that are hurting you most).

Work on them hard.

By the end of the season - re-evaluate. Then pick no more than 2 more things, repeat.

Over time, you will be more consistent.

If you hit driver 250-270, you should be able to hit 8i around 150, even with traditional lofts.

So it's likely a swing issue.

If your driver carry is say usually 230-240 then your 9i carry should be roughly 115-120. So, I'd say that your numbers aren't crazy off even though they seem short. Your clubs are a bit out dated and you could definitely benefit from a fitting. I'm guessing that you're leaving 5-8 yards on the table with the irons.

Remember, irons are not distance clubs, they should be precision based.

Also...get some lessons. I'm your age and hit 9i about 145-150 carry. Again.... You shouldn't be trying to crush a 9i.

My guess is you're flipping and adding loft at impact with your irons.

You're me NOW, but then, I'm 72 years old. The clubs are an issue (perhaps), but it's more likely your swing. I wouldn't do anything except work on the swing a little bit. If things don't improve, you might consider a couple lessons just to make sure you are compressing your iron shots. I had this problem and after working on it a little bit, I started hitting down and getting good compression on the ball and things improved a lot.

Thanks for the feedback. I might try to get a video and put on the appropriate forum and see what you guys say.

Take a look at this video. Several good tips.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFH-iONwAOE

Will do. Thanks

This sounds most likely. It would be well worth a lesson to help the OP keep their hands in front of the ball at impact. I had a lesson last year and was flipping slightly at the bottom and didn't even realize it until the pro pointed it out. I've gained about 10 yards per iron since I've focused on that issue.

This is my guess as well. Get the hands leading the club into impact and you should start compressing the ball. Lots of good drills out there to correct this. Best training aid for me anyway is the Impact Snap. Let’s you know where you release the club and trains you to get hands out front and deloft the club. Once you get this under control then go get fit. My .02.

KeithC224

have you asked your friends to hit your irons?

what are their results?

I've got an early extension problem I can't quite seem to fix and flip a bit as a result, but I'm still in the 165 range with a 7i.

I have not but have thought about it.

Thanks for all the input.

I had/have the same issue with my irons. I can crush my driver out to 280 when I pipe it, but my irons are shorter like yours. Like the other posters said, it’s likely a swing issue, but I don’t want to mess with my swing too much because I’m actually pretty good with my irons even though they’re shorter than they should be. Last season I switched from Pro V1 to Project a balls and I increased all of my iron distances by about 1 club, which gets me closer to where I should be. Did my iron swing just improve last season by one club, or is it the ball switch? No clue, but my driver distance stayed the same. Like the one member posted above, maybe I stopped flipping my wrists as much and increasing loft. Or maybe I’m getting better contact. It is, however, interesting that it corresponded with the ball change.