PW-8i are playable, 7i down is a disaster

[Baraethon]

I know long irons are harder to hit, especially for high handicappers (13 here), but damn is it still frustrating to try and practice. I can hit short irons confidently, even if I'm not an amazing ball striker - but anything from 7 down I truly just have no idea what kind of shot is going to come out. Topped, fat, hooked, or blocked right are all equally possible. I try and practice it on the range, but I can't even manage clean contact with half swings that I use to work on my short irons, so I'm not really sure where to go here.

 

I took some video to see if maybe I have a set up issue, but I don't really know what I'm looking for.

 

 

[MonteScheinblum]

Two things

 

1.  Too close to the ball.  Works ok with shirt stuff, but becomes problematic as clubs get longer.

2.  Your chest works down in the backswing and pulls your head and weight down and away from target.  Yiu need your spine to extend and feel your chest pointed toward the sky.

[Baraethon]

Interesting, I've noticed my ball striking getting a tiny bit better with my long Irons as I move close to the ball so I've been doing that on purpose. When I set the sole of the club flat on the ground and then base my distance off that, it tends to be a tiny bit better (especially improves the chunk-hook miss)

 

On the backswing, I've always seen that downward movement and really hated it but I've never had an instructor comment on it, so I thought it was mostly visually ugly but functional. I've tried some drills like doing my backswing with my head against a wall tocfix it, but not consistent enough to make any real change

[MonteScheinblum]

13 minutes ago, Baraethon said:

Interesting, I've noticed my ball striking getting a tiny bit better with my long Irons as I move close to the ball so I've been doing that on purpose. When I set the sole of the club flat on the ground and then base my distance off that, it tends to be a tiny bit better (especially improves the chunk-hook miss)

 

On the backswing, I've always seen that downward movement and really hated it but I've never had an instructor comment on it, so I thought it was mostly visually ugly but functional. I've tried some drills like doing my backswing with my head against a wall tocfix it, but not consistent enough to make any real change

You want the toe slightly off the ground at address because of the way the shaft defects.  Getting closer to the ball is a bandied that can have short term results, but isn’t fixing the issue.

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cp0x0x2DZj5/?igsh=NzBmMjdhZWRiYQ==

[Baraethon]

1 hour ago, MonteScheinblum said:

Two things

 

1.  Too close to the ball.  Works ok with shirt stuff, but becomes problematic as clubs get longer.

2.  Your chest works down in the backswing and pulls your head and weight down and away from target.  Yiu need your spine to extend and feel your chest pointed toward the sky.

Also when you say chest to the sky, is there a specific point for that you're talking about or just the entire swing?

[MonteScheinblum]

1 minute ago, Baraethon said:

Also when you say chest to the sky, is there a specific point for that you're talking about or just the entire swing?

Watch the video I posted above 

[Baraethon]

Gotcha I thought that was setup related, I see now. Thanks! Time to go work on my flexibility so I can hit those positions

[MonteScheinblum]

9 minutes ago, Baraethon said:

Gotcha I thought that was setup related, I see now. Thanks! Time to go work on my flexibility so I can hit those positions

It takes more flexibility to do what you currently do.  I’m a 56 year old fat man and can barely touch my knees and can do it no problem. 

[Baraethon]

I've always thought the downward movement was an adaptation because I wasn't flexible enough to turn without bending more, when I try and do it slow motion it's tough

[MonteScheinblum]

39 minutes ago, Baraethon said:

I've always thought the downward movement was an adaptation because I wasn't flexible enough to turn without bending more, when I try and do it slow motion it's tough

Extending makes it easier to turn. If all you did was extend/straighten your spine in the direction of the green arrow.  Hips +5*, shoulders +10*, head in circle and pressure moving toward lead side instead of rear side.

 

Golfers don’t struggle because:

 

They’re not flexible

Aren’t athletic 

Don’t practice enough 

Sit at a desk all day

Have bad eye hand coordination

etc.

 

Those are reasons they’re not elite.

 

Golfers struggle because they have a poor perception of how things work and what they’re supposed to do.

 

All you have to do is change your perception and you will hit it better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 25 by MonteScheinblum

[Baraethon]

When you say hips/shoulder +5/10, is that less turned (more parallel to my target line)? 

[MonteScheinblum]

3 hours ago, Baraethon said:

When you say hips/shoulder +5/10, is that less turned (more parallel to my target line)? 

They will turn more when you extend 

[Maine Golfer]

im 6'4 and sometimes have strike issues standing to close to the ball around 6 iron or bellow at times. 

[Baraethon]

Starting to dig into the backswing head up a little bit. Feels good, looks good, and better ballstriking immediately so time to go do this a few thousand times.