Hitting Your Long Irons

Long irons are always a struggle for a lot of golfers. Especially for the mid and high handicappers they can be almost impossible to master.  So one thing to consider right away is whether you even want to play these golf clubs.  With the new hybrids and other exciting new technology available to golfers, you might want to consider giving up those long irons.

But if not, I have a few tips that I have found that works for a lot of golfers. If you want to stick with your 3, 4, or 5 irons, try the following and see if you can get some consistency with your golf game.

First, I talk a lot about tempo on my blog and in my golf swing program. It is so important for a  good golf swing.  And it is even more important when you are hitting those long irons. A lot of times when I am working on my tempo, I think about trying to swing at around 80% of my normal swing speed.  That helps me to slow down.  But if you are struggling with the long sticks, I encourage you to think about your swing speed and focus on a 50% swing tempo.  You won't end up swinging that slow, but it will really help your tempo to be smooth and easy.

Now a second thing to focus on is to really concentrate on the golf ball during your swing, particularly during impact.  You want to focus on staying with the swing and try to actually see the club face make contact with the back of the golf ball.

One last thing that will help you is to make sure that you complete your follow through. A lot of times with your short irons you don't swing through that reverse C position.  But with your long irons, you really want to finish that swing and end up just like you would with a driver. If you don't finish your follow through, you can leave yourself open to hitting a fade or even a slice.

Now I am not a big believer in hitting tons and tons of golf balls on the practice range.  Just read my blog and you'll understand. But a little practice with your long irons using these tips can pay off.  These clubs are just harder to hit and take a little more work that some of the other clubs in your bag.

One other reason that I personally don't throw my long irons away.  Even when I've used hybrids and some of the older fairway woods all the way down to a 9 wood or so, I still would try to keep a 3 or 4 iron in my bag.  These were always good for some long chips onto greens and also for punching out of trouble when I needed to.

So there you have it.  You may decide to replace your long irons all the way down to your 5 or 6 iron.  But if not, try these golf tips and see if they help.