Mid Iron Question

[CPERLAS]

Hi, I'm sorry I have to post a question on my very first post. I have been reading threads here a lot and do find a lot of very useful information. I appreciate finding helpful facts about this very frustratingly fun sport.

I'm having trouble comprehending a problem I have with the mid irons. I can hit my pitching wedge to 125 yds., 9 to 140, and 8 to 155. The 4 iron I can hit 170, and 3 about 180, all this are carry. The problem though is, 7,6,and 5 I can't hit at all, and when I do get it in the air, my pitching wedge can go farther, and the rest is about 130 yard roll, to the target at least. I've been playing a little over a year now and its always been the case.

I'm using a Makser AS2 set, which could be considered a progressive set, with TX90 in stiff flex. I asked a proshop guy what he thought and he said ball position might be a problem, or my lie needs to be adjusted. He gave me a few stickers to put in the clubface to see where I'm hitting them. I tried it today, and my shots were concentrated on the middle of the face on the sweet spot, the problem is, none of them were even decent shots.

Please, if anybody have any suggestions, I could really use them. I'm considering maybe switching to all blades, or changing the flex, but like I said, the short and long irons are okay. Thank you very much.

[Ian Hancock]

Re: Mid Iron Question

Hi there,

Sounds more like a confidence thing to me............usually if you hit short irons fine and long irons bad = too upright swing.

Long irons and woods great short irons pulling etc = Too flat.


Your problem is in the middle..technically unheard of...........ball position maybe, try middle of stance progressing forward ( I guess you tried this).


I think it is a simple case of nerves and lack of commitment due to a few bad results, you look into your bag at 150yds and panic, thinking nothing else only "another duff coming up"............!!!!


I suggest you take the clubs you hit really badly to the range and smash a 100 balls with them, trust me you will start to improve if you only have thoses clubs with you.

I used to do the same with long irons, I used to turn up with my 2 and 3 iron only buy 100 balls, by the end of the session I couldn't wait to try my new found confidence on the course.


Hope this helps.

Ian.

[BrianW]

Re: Mid Iron Question

I would suggest that you start with ball and body position. you seem to be hitting wedges too far so the ball flight is probably low due to poor ball position de-lofting the club face, the same problem is probably causing your mid irons to mishit.

Try this:

Always place the ball 2.5 inches inside your left heel, no matter what club you use. Now, the important factor is where your club bottoms out, for the driver it should be before the ball, long clubs right behind the ball and mid to short clubs just in front.

To get the club bottoming out in the right place and your weight distribution correct you will need to move your right foot away from your left by the correct amount. The club actually bottoms out in line with your sternum (The bone running down the middle of your chest) and as you move your right foot the sternum should follow.

For a driver set the right foot wider so that the sternum is behind the ball so the club is past its low point and hitting the ball on a slight upstroke.

Fairway woods and long irons bring in the right foot so the sternum is just behind the ball and the club can sweep the ball off the grass.

For mid irons bring the foot in more so the stance is slightly narrower and the sternum is slightly in front of the ball (This will create a shallow divot in front and hit slightly down into the ball)

For short irons and wedges narrow the stance more with the right foot so the sternum and your weight is more in front of the ball, this will create a steeper blow into the back of the ball required by wedges to create height.

See if this helps.

[Christo]

Re: Mid Iron Question

I would say that confidence is defnitely a factor. As soon as you start hitting bad shots with a specific iron, the confidence is of course influenced.
Try positive brainwashing. It worked for me. Visualise the shot ending up on the green and concentrate on achieving that. Block out the previous shot. I've read Tom Watson writing that the way he always tells himself that he will not play 2 bad shots in a row. So if your hit a bad mid iron, the next time tell yourself that you are not going to repeat that shot. This one is going right at the flag. Always stay positive.The moment you are thinking about your previous failures you've lost half the battle.
Try going to the driving range and hit only your mid irons. The more you practice the more confident you get. If you are able to hit your 3-5 irons, I see no reason why you should have difficulty with the mid irons.
The bets tip I got about ball position was to check it by hitting a practice shot and observe were your club hits the ground. That is were your ball should be in your stance. If you eliminate this problem you know this is not the problem.

Good luck!
Hope this helps.

[BrianW]

Re: Mid Iron Question

I would say that confidence is defnitely a factor. As soon as you start hitting bad shots with a specific iron, the confidence is of course influenced.
Try positive brainwashing. It worked for me. Visualise the shot ending up on the green and concentrate on achieving that. Block out the previous shot. I've read Tom Watson writing that the way he always tells himself that he will not play 2 bad shots in a row. So if your hit a bad mid iron, the next time tell yourself that you are not going to repeat that shot. This one is going right at the flag. Always stay positive.The moment you are thinking about your previous failures you've lost half the battle.
Try going to the driving range and hit only your mid irons. The more you practice the more confident you get. If you are able to hit your 3-5 irons, I see no reason why you should have difficulty with the mid irons.
The bets tip I got about ball position was to check it by hitting a practice shot and observe were your club hits the ground. That is were your ball should be in your stance. If you eliminate this problem you know this is not the problem.

Good luck!
Hope this helps.

I agree confidence is a great asset but if things are going bad and no matter how much you practice they get worse then your confidence wont last. Perfect practice makes perfect so solve the problem then practice and confidence will take care of it's self.

[CPERLAS]

Re: Mid Iron Question

I appreciate everybody's response, everyone did help a lot. I never realized, but its true that everytime I have any mid irons in my hand, I do panic, and can't concentrate on the shot. Even worse, I have the same feeling even just on the range. It gets so bad that I get nervous just looking at them in my bag, even if its not what I'm playing, and would hit a bad shot.
I would try the ball position suggestion of keeping the ball the same distance to my left foot, this maybe a real problem for me since I absolutely have no concept of the distance between my feet until now. Thank you very much.
Another question though, if you don't mind. Should I purposely swing flat for long irons, and upright for short irons?

[BrianW]

Re: Mid Iron Question

I appreciate everybody's response, everyone did help a lot. I never realized, but its true that everytime I have any mid irons in my hand, I do panic, and can't concentrate on the shot. Even worse, I have the same feeling even just on the range. It gets so bad that I get nervous just looking at them in my bag, even if its not what I'm playing, and would hit a bad shot.
I would try the ball position suggestion of keeping the ball the same distance to my left foot, this maybe a real problem for me since I absolutely have no concept of the distance between my feet until now. Thank you very much.
Another question though, if you don't mind. Should I purposely swing flat for long irons, and upright for short irons?

Just use the same swing and tempo for all clubs, when you adjust your right foot and sternum it will bottom out the swing ahead, level or behind the ball, this will create a steeper or shallower strike without any other adjustments. Read my previous post again and please ask if there is anything you don't follow?

[CPERLAS]

Re: Mid Iron Question

Thanks Brian. Your post really help me understand the concept of ball position. I really had no idea about it, and usually over do the positioning. The guy who kinda got me started in golf just told me to position them different because its the natural position for the body with the specific clubs. Since then I just thought the its because the ball was farther away from the body. Well its hard to explain what I thought feet distance and ball position played on the swing, suffice to say, I it wasn't even close. I tried searching for an explanation before but I don't think any instruction covered it and explain it like you did. Thanks again, I truly appreciate it.

[LowPost42]

Re: Mid Iron Question

Hello CPERLAS,

Asking questions in a first post is how most get started (otherwise they just lurk and read).

I think BrianW is onto something with the length of your wedges compared to your long irons. At those wedge distances, your iron distances should be longer (4 or 5 iron 200 yards), OR your wedges should be shorter.

Job 1) Figure out your ball position. The next time you're at a range (or playing by yourself) lay two clubs down to form a lowercase 't'. The first clubs points at your target (for aligning your feet), and you straddle the second club - showing you where the middle of your stance is. I still do this at the range, as my tendency is to play the ball in the middle of my stance (but this causes all types of mishits). Almost all your normal full swing shots should be played between your lead heel and the middle of your stance. (If you need to, make an 'f' instead, with another club to mark your heel).