We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Cant hit down with my irons

U

Underpar

New member
Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Location
Louisville KY
Handicap
14
Hi,
I always have an issue with not hitting down with my irons. I always tend to hit the ball like I would want to with a wood. Rarely do I ever take a divot with I think is part of the problem of me not getting the ball very high. I naturally have a low ball flight but I think by me not hitting on the way down is doing nothing but hurting me. Also I notice that when I do take a divot, I normally hit the green, but when I dont the ball is tending to draw.
Thanks!
Nick
 
Mystery Meat said:
Slam it baby .. Slam it
Click to expand...
Then I cant control the face. My normal swing speed is about 85 mph and I feel if I swing much more than about 90 mph there is no telling where the ball will end up. Slight chance of it going straight, slight chance of a slice, HUGE chance of hitting behind it.
 
It helped me a lot when my fitter told me to start trying to hit a few inches in front of the ball.
 
Solid weight shift to our lead leg and get your hands as low as possible coming through.
 
Underpar said:
So in effect, move the ball back in the stance, or move the point of impact in your mind back.
Click to expand...

Move the impact zone metallurgy forward a few inches. Keep the ball just forward of center.
 
When my weight shift gets out of wack i tend to have issues hitting down on the ball
 
Try looking at a spot in front of the ball and swing.

Don't worry about the ball just hit that spot.
 
blugold said:
Solid weight shift to our lead leg and get your hands as low as possible coming through.
Click to expand...
This just sparked a question for me- I know we are supposed to learn this when we are taught the "correct" golf stance, but I think I overlooked this. Are we supposed to have 55% of our weight on our lead foot at address or evenly distributed?
 
Underpar said:
This just sparked a question for me- I know we are supposed to learn this when we are taught the "correct" golf stance, but I think I overlooked this. Are we supposed to have 55% of our weight on our lead foot at address or evenly distributed?
Click to expand...

If I had to put a number on it. It would be 50% for me. I try to stay even at address. It allows me to stay balanced.
 
Underpar said:
So in effect, move the ball back in the stance, or move the point of impact in your mind back.
Click to expand...

I keep the ball in the same place as always. I was hitting behind the ball with my irons, so I started aiming in front of the ball.
 
I don't know if this is very correct but I don't think one simply "must" take a divot. Hitting before the bottom of the arc can be as close to the bottom without much divot at all and if ones arc is more of a sweeper can further add to less or little divot at all but doesn't have to be a bad strike. Right r wrong about that I'm not sure.

But anyway sounds like your leading with the club head and not the hands causing thin and also closing face. As been suggested try move the imaginary impact zone forward a bit or as you say the ball back a tad. But if you then still just lead even sooner with the club head the result will be the same accept t a new place.

Went through similar with an instructor. At one point I was leading with the club head. Meaning my wrists/hands were breaking too soon and the club head was in front at impact starting it finishing stroke. Starting upwards also starting to close causing thin and left shots. What helped me from his advice. You may want to try swinging the club back and forth leading with the hands and even exaggerate the motion by holding the wrists from breaking and lead with the hands. Something he had me doing. Sort of like your just trying to chip punch out a ball from under some branches. It helped and in fact a recent golf tip posted on THP is almost exactly the same drill and I was happy to see what I was told was the same as this Leadbetter tip JB posted. I now sometimes even do this while waiting to hit or even as my warm up stroke before I hit. Thast why I am so good :) yea right :( but really it does help a lot imo. Hope it may help you if this is indeed part of the problem your having.. Notice the hands leading the shots, not the club. Heres the link http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?55917-Improve-Iron-Ball-Striking-Lessons-W-Leadbetter-amp-Callaway-Golf&highlight=david+leadbetter
 
Smallville said:
I keep the ball in the same place as always. I was hitting behind the ball with my irons, so I started aiming in front of the ball.
Click to expand...

I am somewhat similar to this. I look at the front of the ball for all shots except the driver. I look at the inside 1/4 of the ball when using the big stick.
 
Taking divots is a result of hitting down on the ball but no the only indicator. Brushing the grass at the bottom of you swing also mean you hitting down. But what you have described is more an issue of not staying down through impact. It sounds like you are hitting the ball thin. It is very important that you maintain the flex in your waist from address through the entire swing.

Also so a rule of thumb is your 5 iron is played off your navel. Long irons start to move forward from this point and lower irons back.
 
Tadashi70 said:
Taking divots is a result of hitting down on the ball but no the only indicator. Brushing the grass at the bottom of you swing also mean you hitting down. But what you have described is more an issue of not staying down through impact. It sounds like you are hitting the ball thin. It is very important that you maintain the flex in your waist from address through the entire swing.

Also so a rule of thumb is your 5 iron is played off your navel. Long irons start to move forward from this point and lower irons back.
Click to expand...

Are you a believe that the the mids and short irons should have the ball in the middle? Not forward of center.
 
blugold said:
Are you a believe that the the mids and short irons should have the ball in the middle? Not forward of center.
Click to expand...

Never forward of mid on 6 iron through 60* wedge
 
My 8, 9 and PW are always lined up with my right testicle. Not trying to be funny but it works for me and usually ensures a nice, high baby draw. I have more of a tendency to come over the top with my longer irons resulting in a slight cut but they're both effective.
 
I've been playing pretty much everything off of my left pec and just bringing in my right foot to narrow stance as the irons get shorter. I'll have to try moving it back a bit and see how ballflight is.
 
Tadashi70 said:
Taking divots is a result of hitting down on the ball but no the only indicator. Brushing the grass at the bottom of you swing also mean you hitting down. But what you have described is more an issue of not staying down through impact. It sounds like you are hitting the ball thin. It is very important that you maintain the flex in your waist from address through the entire swing.

Also so a rule of thumb is your 5 iron is played off your navel. Long irons start to move forward from this point and lower irons back.
Click to expand...

This has been a major key for my game lately--I don't take huge divots, but staying down through the shot gives me the impact I want.
 
When I start wiping it or polishing the ball , not compressing / slam it .. I go back to the basics lee explained to me via a million texts / emails / phone calls and help from his friends. All about setup , a more stack and tilt weight left setup forces me to take a more descending blow. . Not huge chunk divots , but nice long thin dollar sized divots are my goal. When I hit gouges i tend to push / slice a lot .. When I have no divot i tend to have more hook / pull miss. So that thin divot , not forced , but created by a left setup helped me so much this year . When I'm struggling , I go back to the setup that makes it happen more automatic than forced . One day I will be able to just swing freely , not there yet still in minor maintenance mode

i know I read a while back that tadashi isn't all in on stack and tilt. But for me , ( and yes I was hesitant ) the setup it self helped me stay low and take more of a divot .. But the stay low feel as ward said was monumental for me
 
Put a dark dot on your ball. Focus on hitting that dot and keep your head down

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
 
New guy here with a high handicap (working on things this year!). I took a irons lesson last week and the pro spray painted a line on the tee box (perpendicular to the target) and placed the ball directly behind the line (my side of the line). He the told me to focus on the line. Sure enough, I started taking a divot and making solid contact with the ball.

You can use a chalk line as well so you don't piss anyone off at the range.
 
You draw the ball when you don't take a divot? I would consider practicing your takeaway with a basketball behind your club. Get used to pushing the basketball straight back as you start your backswing. I think this will help get rid of the draw and consistently put you in the right position at the top of the swing to "hit down on the ball."


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
mjs_32 said:
You draw the ball when you don't take a divot? I would consider practicing your takeaway with a basketball behind your club. Get used to pushing the basketball straight back as you start your backswing. I think this will help get rid of the draw and consistently put you in the right position at the top of the swing to "hit down on the ball."


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Please share how this drill gets anyone ready to hit down and through the ball.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top