Table of Contents
Introduction
Who else wants to learn how to hit and crush long irons like a pro?
Do you want to improve your lower scores shot?
You must have known that as a golfer, hitting long irons are one of the biggest challenges faced in the game, an average golfer will point to the long iron without thinking twice. The club manufacturers have been really smart to come up with the invention of hybrids that seems to be a sort of replacement for long irons due to its wider sole, lower, deeper center of gravity, and most importantly, easy to hit.
Despite this innovation, hybrids are not right for everyone. Even, research has shown that nothing beats the precision of a well-struck long iron. Therefore, to know how to hit your long irons well, you will need to know how to swing a golf club to master your swing speed and if you are going to get better at hitting your long irons truly, you have to practice with them more.
Let’s dive into a few key tips to help you become more confident and efficient at hitting the long irons
Approach to hit the long irons with the right setup
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the average golfer when it comes to long irons is the right setup. Anytime you want to hit the long irons, you should approach it from the tight, compact nature of the backswing to the rhythm of the swing down to the ball position. In most cases, a shorter arm distance during a swing makes it easier to keep your arms and club in the form with your body and make solid contact. Your body rotation will get better to hit the ball to the required distance. If you are trying to hit the ball farther or you are trying too hard to swing long, you will likely lose the connection with the body and everything goes to waste. Don’t try too hard!!!
Ball Positions
Apart from not practicing with the long irons, ball positions can be an overlooked factor for most average golfers. They place the ball so far that they can’t hit down perfectly on the ball, thinking that the ball will go farther. This is wrong!
If you are struggling to compress the ball and hit the ball solidly with your long irons, this is a solution. Play the ball in the middle of your stance. This will help you to compress the ball better, giving you a right swing and enough spin to carry the ball to the appropriate required distance
Focus on the strike by keeping your head still
Before you make your strike, you should assume a wider stance. This will make it impossible for you to be moved even when someone pushes you. Now that you feel balanced make your swing. As you swing back, if you are wearing a cap, make sure the brim on your cap does not move the ball. It would be best if you kept your head still. This will make you centred over the ball to make a tangible impact on the sweet spot of the ball when striking. The clubhead should be bottomed out just before you make your strike.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hitting the Long Irons
What is the longest iron I should have?
Nowadays, 5-iron is mostly used by players. Even some pro players use the 8-iron. A 3 or 4 iron is usually the longest but to start with and practise your long irons; a 5-iron is very helpful because it is still relatively easy to hit
Should I use long irons or hybrids?
This depends on individual preferences, swings, handicaps, and the amount of time you devoted to practising. According to statistics, the average 0-9 handicapper hits their 5-iron 175 yards, the 10-19 handicapper 168 yards, and the 20+ handicapper 149 yards. This is quite a huge gap between those players. Therefore to either using long irons or hybrids depend on your potential. A high handicap player should opt-in for playing hybrids first until you get close to a 10-19 handicap
What happens if irons are too long?
Normally, our maximum speed is reached when our arms are straight. A very long iron can reduce the arms from straightening out bringing about the difficulty to make a solid impact when hitting the ball because the clubface of the long iron will not be able to square itself up.
How do I know if my irons are too long?
Check out for these signs
- You have to stand up completely straight
- You experience a steep downswing
- You are unable to move your lower body when swinging
- The ball goes too high without reaching the appropriate distance
Why do I hit my irons so low?
The majority of the average golfers tend to hit long irons too low, and this is because they narrow their swing radius, taking the club back by letting the lead arm bend too much. Instead, try to maintain a fairly straight appearance to the top.
Conclusion
Hitting long irons perfectly and efficiently isn’t something that can be done over-night. But before you should use the long irons, you should know more about yourself, your potential before laying hands on long irons. You could start with playing hybrids first before bouncing on to the long irons
However, if you need a high level of precision when hitting the ball, a long iron can be your best shot. You have to devote more time practicing consistently with the long irons. Do some research beforehand on the course you are about to play. Warm-ups to hit a long iron also go a long way to get you better. Practice a lot of punch shots, swinging from your 9’O clock to 3. This will rapidly build your confidence when taking the long irons
In our final thoughts, practice and consistency are the only keys to crushing and hitting the long irons more in the future. For more informational tips, feel free to check our website for more information. See you next time!
