It has to be mental!

First off, I am fairly new to this game.  While I have dabbled a few times over the years, I don't play often and have yet to break 100.  This year, I have  been trying to improve more, stepping up range time and hitting the course a few times. 

 

The part that I'm thinking has to be mental is that I am better off the light rough then off the nice clean, crisp fairway.  I am all sorts of inconsistent off the fairway, some fat shots, some toppers that go 20 yards.  When I tee it up on a par 3, I'm comfortable and confident and usually have good results.  I just can't pick it clean off a smooth lie like the fairway. 

 

I have had a few lessons this year, and on the range, those lessons have helped me a lot.  On the range, I get a nice ball strike and flight more often than not. 

 

This has to be at least partially mental, right?

54542[/snapback]

Well, it could be partially mental, but, more than likely is a result of your not striking the irons properly......striking them after the swing arc has bottomed out OR from casting the clubhead from the top. There are any number of things that you can check.......

Start with ball position? Is it somewhere around the center of your stance BETWEEN your heels? IF not then you have the ball either too far forward or too far back......more than likely too far forward. Once you get the hang of actually striking the ball first and then the turf.....hitting down or trapping the ball.....then you can move it forward or backward as the lie/shot justifies......

My suggestion would be to hit some pitch shots trying to pinch the ball against the face and the turf.....Mr. Penick had a great image.......imagine or actually hit pitch shots UNDER a bench place a few feet in front of you while taking a shallow divot......to keep the ball low with a SW or PW you MUST trap the ball against the turf which de-lofts the clubhead.......works great for my students who can't seem to learn to strike irons slightly before the arc bottoms out.....

Secondly, you can also tee the ball up about 1/4 of an inch......then using the same method as described above you try and cut the tee in half and drive it in the ground.....the divot should start just in front of where the tee went into the ground........this also works wonders for most people.......

Once you get the hang of hitting down on an iron you'll never prefer the light rough over a tight fairway lie.......at least with a short/mid iron.....Its a HUGE advantage to be assured of getting to the ball first and also being able to KNOW where the ball is going to strike the clubface everytime.........when the ball sits in light rough you can never tell vertically exactly where your going to strike the ball on the clubface......you also run the risk of hitting a flyer or fat shot......dependant upon the lie/type of grass, etc.

First off, I am fairly new to this game.  While I have dabbled a few times over the years, I don't play often and have yet to break 100.  This year, I have  been trying to improve more, stepping up range time and hitting the course a few times. 

 

The part that I'm thinking has to be mental is that I am better off the light rough then off the nice clean, crisp fairway.  I am all sorts of inconsistent off the fairway, some fat shots, some toppers that go 20 yards.  When I tee it up on a par 3, I'm comfortable and confident and usually have good results.  I just can't pick it clean off a smooth lie like the fairway. 

 

I have had a few lessons this year, and on the range, those lessons have helped me a lot.  On the range, I get a nice ball strike and flight more often than not. 

 

This has to be at least partially mental, right?

54542[/snapback]

 

Well, it could be partially mental, but, more than likely is a result of your not striking the irons properly......striking them after the swing arc has bottomed out OR from casting the clubhead from the top. There are any number of things that you can check.......

 

Start with ball position? Is it somewhere around the center of your stance BETWEEN your heels? IF not then you have the ball either too far forward or too far back......more than likely too far forward. Once you get the hang of actually striking the ball first and then the turf.....hitting down or trapping the ball.....then you can move it forward or backward as the lie/shot justifies......

 

My suggestion would be to hit some pitch shots trying to pinch the ball against the face and the turf.....Mr. Penick had a great image.......imagine or actually hit pitch shots UNDER a bench place a few feet in front of you while taking a shallow divot......to keep the ball low with a SW or PW you MUST trap the ball against the turf which de-lofts the clubhead.......works great for my students who can't seem to learn to strike irons slightly before the arc bottoms out.....

 

Secondly, you can also tee the ball up about 1/4 of an inch......then using the same method as described above you try and cut the tee in half and drive it in the ground.....the divot should start just in front of where the tee went into the ground........this also works wonders for most people.......

 

Once you get the hang of hitting down on an iron you'll never prefer the light rough over a tight fairway lie.......at least with a short/mid iron.....Its a HUGE advantage to be assured of getting to the ball first and also being able to KNOW where the ball is going to strike the clubface everytime.........when the ball sits in light rough you can never tell vertically exactly where your going to strike the ball on the clubface......you also run the risk of hitting a flyer or fat shot......dependant upon the lie/type of grass, etc.

54640[/snapback]

Great advice Fixer!

I would have to guess that you have alot of left wrist breakdown at impact. I would do as fixer said, and practice compressing the ball. Learn how to chip, and pitch the ball properly with a flat left wrist at impact.