Fixing iron swing...Q for instructors

[diablojoe]

I have been maddeningly bad with irons for far too long. I swing too shallow and hit thin too much. I have had lessons. An instructor can stand right there with me, and I will hit more than half the balls thin. I just can't get it in my head.

 

I had another lesson today. As usual, the 7i wasn't working. I was frustrated, and the instructor was telling me to do the same thing, over and over. Obviously, I wasn't doing it. Finally, he said, "What do you hit the best, besides driver?" I pulled out my 50* gap wedge. I am nails with this thing.

 

I lined up, came down on the ball with a firm 3/4 swing, took a perfect divot and the ball lifted exactly 105y yards and stopped on a dime. I did 4 more just like it. And the instructor just laughed out loud -- "That's what I've been telling you to do with the 7 iron!!!"

 

I said, "No, no...this is a wedge. I can't hit a 7 iron like this."

 

He replied, "Oh yes you can, and you're going to."

 

It took a major piece of mental discipline on my part, but I started doing my gap wedge routine with the 7i. Hands low, weight forward. Hit and have my hands make a sharp left turn around my left thigh. No wrist action. Basically, a punch shot with some loft.

 

Damned if it didn't work. We adjusted the ball forward a little to get it up in the air, and I started drilling iron shots. I played a few quick holes with my kid after the lesson, and I hit green on a couple of 165y par 3's with that little punch swing with a 6i. Plenty of distance, and the ball stopped on schedule.

 

So, my "homework" for the next few weeks is to hit every iron with a firm 3/4 punch swing, just like I hit my gap wedge. It feels completely wrong to me...I feel like I should be winding up and taking a full swipe at the ball. Given how crappy my iron play is, I'm willing to try anything!

 

Does this make any sense? Seen it before?

[fanofsaosin]

i'm not an instructor but it seems like he is trying to teach the muscle memory of how to accelerate threw the ball on your iron shots. Remember you don't have to fully wind up for iron shots.. Most of my iron shots i feel like a 3/4 shot, once i start trying kill the ball the wheels start falling off. With my iron shots i wanna feel like i have control of the club head.