Conference 7.286::golf

Re: -.1

>    I brike my wrist a couple of years ago and in my quest to recover
>    distance I have purchased a 1 iron. My question where and how to use
>    it;also what is it's distance?

     In what situations were you thinking of using a 1 iron to recover
     distance?  Given what I know about 1 irons you may have made a mistake.
     It is a difficult club for the average player to hit.  Most of us are
     much better off with a fairway wood in our hands.

     Larry

    Well.... After ONLY waiting 7 months to get my 1 and 2 iron from the
    Wilson plant in New Jersey. I finally had a chance to try hitting
    a 1 iron, which was my first ever attempt. I stopped on the side
    of the road on my way back from Stow Acres golf shop and tee'd up
    a couple of balls... results? Slice , fade, worm burner (topped it)
     followed by another fade, then I ran out of balls. I can see/feel
    that hitting a one iron straight as Larry says, will be difficult.
    Being it's a long iron, you want to hit it hard/far... but doing so
    I was leading the swing too much with my hands, and not waiting for
    the clubhead to come around. So it seems from the little hitting I
    just did, I'll need to develop a tempo that gives the clubhead
    more time to catch up to my hands. 
    
    Any tips on one iron play would be appreciated.
    
    	thanks  Walt

    Walta,
    
    Try teeing it up as you would for a driver, experiment with the ball
    position and hight (on the tee).
    Then swing the club as slow and easy as you can. Totally disregard
    distance. Once you are hitting it straight then gradually apply the
    power until it stops going straight. Then you have to do the same
    thing from the grass. After that all it is, is
    practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice.
    Rich

    
    The whole idea in golf is a smooth, consistant, controlled golf swing
    and this applies to every club in the bag.  It does not matter if it is
    a pitching wedge, a 5-iron, the driver, the putter or the supposed
    dreaded 1-iron.
    
    I have carried a 1-iron for a long time and it truely becomes a club 
    for many uses, the tee shot for narrow fairways, a fairway shot that
    is long and into the wind, the very popular punch shot from the trees,
    almost anything.....
    
    If you play any long irons today, just remember that a 1-iron is just
    slightly longer and has slightly less loft but besides that it is just
    another club in the bag........

    Hi Rich,
    
    	I ended up hitting some balls at the Indoor Golf place in Worcester
    on Saturday. Took your tip, and used the 1 and 2 irons with the swing-
    tempo of my driver and VOILA! They started flying straight. I guess
    what I was doing was trying to "yank" the clubhead, to catch up to my
    hands... I went to more of a sweep swing, allowing more time for the
    clubhead to come around.
    
    Reply .4,
    
    	I also believe one swing should work for all clubs in the bag...
    but, each club, has certain spec's that ( in the case of  driver vs
    sand wedge) will cause adjustments to tempo. Now that I just wrote 
    that I'm beginning to wonder??? Is it more correct, to adjust per
    club length? Or slow down the sand-wedge swing, as if it were a 1 iron?
    So then all clubs would have the same tempo????
    
    	What do you guys think?
    
    	thanks
    		Walta
    
    
    

         I don't know about anyone else but the swing that I use
    with all of my short irons and wedges is slow and smooth. It
    is with the long clubs that I pick up speed and get into trouble.
    
    Mad Hacker

    I use the same swing and tempo for every club in my bag. This seems to
    work the best for me.
    
    					-Paul
    

    
    Hi,
    
    	After giving this some thought and being reminded of numerous
    knowlegable people saying "same swing for every club", I always felt
    thay meant "swing basics" not swing tempo. I assumed (and you know what 
    that does) that swing tempo was a club specific thing. Where I could
    snap the sandwedge from backswing forward, but smooth the longer clubs
    to avoid loosing control. But just now, it hit me... when Fred Couples
    , Curtis Strange, Nick Faldo swing a club you'd find it tough to
    guess which club they swung if watching their tempo. However their are
    those like Mark Calcavechia, Greg Norman and Arnold... that leave no
    doubt that they just swung a Driver ;) . I fall into the 2nd group,
    but honestly think it best to emulate a Fred Couples type swing. Think
    I'll add keeping a consistent tempo through all clubs to my long list
    of things to improve on...
    
    	But, what about those days when you barely swing and the ball goes
    far? And you hear "Wow! You really poked that one!" So you think "
    Hell, you ain't seen nothing! " And proceed to look just like Arnold
    again! ;)
    
    	It won't be an easy thing to maintain...
    
    	Walta

    Walta,
    
    I am glad I was able to help out. Regarding the same swing for every
    club, I find it helpful to think that the swing is the same but because
    the clubs are longer it take the clubhead longer because the clubhead
    travels farther. Another thought helps me with swinging, is that the
    swing requires a constant acceleration that is smooth. Imagine a weight
    on the end of a rope (a rock in a sling). Now to swing it with your
    hand you must use a smooth gradual acceleration to get it moving.
    That is what it takes, smooooth acceleration.
    Rich

    
     
    Again, just remember to stay smooth and consistant on all swings.  By
    doing this you will develop a very repeatable swing that more times 
    then not finds the old sweet spot .... and once you find the sweet
    spot you'll find this game much easier and a lot more fun.....
    
    The other thought I would like to mention is this very, very, very,
    very bad notion that to hit a little golf ball a long way you must
    take a long golf club and kill it....hit is as hard as you can....
    
    BAD IDEA !
    
    You will probably see that some of your longest, truest shots have
    come from your easiest, smoothest swings.....Let the design of club,
    the loft, the shaft, the clubhead do the work......
    
    
    
    
    

    I agree with the last few commentors. I went out this weekend and
    instead of trying to bash the ball I just concentrated on my mechanics
    and voila! Drives of 225-250 yds of the tee. I even managed to hit the
    1 iron for 200 yds. Of course this was only practice though. I'll find
    out thurs. cause I'm gonna play then. Re.1 I'll use the 1 iron when I'm
    under trees.but have a clear shot at the green some 200 yds away as an
    example.

    re .11
    
    200 yds = 1 iron?   Naaaa that's a 3/4 swing with a 3 iron. a 1 iron is
    for driving on a narrow fairway where your need to get out there about
    230 or so ;-)

    
    re .12
    
    Not all of us are gorilla's. If 200 yds. put him 2 feet from the cup,
    it's the right distance ;-)

    Like i said I brOke my wrist a couple a years ago and the 1 iron was to
    recover lost distance. My oldest son[17yrs] can hit a ball 300 yds off
    the tee but at a 45 degree angle. My practice shots were deadeye
    straight ahead. 
    
        BG

    Hi,
    
    	Couple days ago I was able to play 27 holes, and the course allowed
    me to use my recently purchased 1 + 2 irons. The first hole is a short
    par 5 @ Monoosnock CC, after missing my tee-shot a little I had 240
    to the pin. Seemed like the appropriate time to try to glide a one
    iron fade to the flag. Gave it a nice full swing, and kept my hands
    smooth .... waiting for the clubhead to come around. Ended it making
    good contact, which yielded a 10 ft eagle attempt. It was an easy 
    uphill putt with no break, one of those putts you just need to
    get there... and it got there! 
    
    	Well anyway, I feel may game has been improved a great deal with
    the 1 + 2 irons. I dropped the 5 wood and 60 degree wedge. Initially
    I felt a little aprehensive about making the change , but am now glad
    I did. The difference is, with the 5 wood I couldn't rely on direction
    or a consistent distance. The 5 wood flew to high and would be tough
    to control when windy. If I needed more distance than my 3 iron, I
    would try to manipulate a 3 wood shot, either choking up (or worse,
    slowing the swing). So now I have 2 clubs that will let me recover on
    those looooooooong par fours, like Stow 9th, when a missed tee-shot
    breaths doom.
    
    	Walta
    
    	

Walta,

>    The 5 wood flew to high and would be tough to control when windy. 

     I really learned to appreciate what you descirbed while on vacation
     in Hawaii recently.  I started hitting my two iron into the wind and
     it stayed low beneath the trade winds, where the 5 wood would ride up
     the wind and soar like an eagle (not for an eagle).

     My dilema is that I like the 5 wood for long shots out of the rough,
     so what club should I drop from my 14?  I just don't have the strength
     to muscle an iron out of the rough.  From what I've read, I guess that's
     not your problem ;-).

     I like where you said you had 240 for your second shot and hit it to
     10 feet.  If you are looking for a scramble partner just give me a shout
     I make my share of 10 ft. putts!

	Larry

    Hi Larry,
    
    	I can see what you are saying... the 5 wood is a great club for
    recovering from the rough, and maybe saving par after an errant tee
    shot. If your game finds you in that predicament often, then you
    can't take the 5 wood away. It's tough as you know, to get any
    distance from rough with any iron. 
    
    	I'll rely on my tee-shot to get me close enough to reach the green
    on my approach shot, even if I miss the fairway and end up in the rough.
    If the rough is "thick" , where getting 150 yards is about max... I'll
    play a long iron off the tee, and increase my chances of hitting the
    fairway. Otherwise I'll probably trade the 1 or 2 iron with the 5 wood,
    and go back to the advantage the 5 wood will give me. Luckily the 
    courses I usually play , the rough isn't bad.
    
    	I hope we get the chance this year to team up! The Challenge Cup
    was a fantastic time, playing against/with the noters went over well.
    I'm sure the Challenge Cups popularity will generate plenty of
    tourny's!  Geeee, I hope I can squeeze in the wedding ??? 
    
    	Only kidding Eunhwa ;) !
    
    	Walta

    I dumped my 3 and 5 woods to make room in the bag.  I'm now carrying
    2-SW and driver, 4-wood.  I haven't decided what number 14 will be.
    I use my 4-wood as a rough buster, and for very little else.  The 
    2-iron has become my key club.  When the driver leaves me or the course
    gets ridiculously narrow it's my tee club.  I use it on the fairways
    from anywhere outside of 200.  I don't have a 1-iron. I put a full year
    in learning the 2-iron and can't imagine going the route again with a
    1-iron.  Besides, if God can't hit it, I sure can't!!!!!!!
    
    Rick

    RE: .11 + .16
    I played on that Thurs. that i said I would in .11. Had my lowest score
    ever in spite of playing in awful conditions. Sometimes the wind would
    be still and sometimes it would gust between 15 to 25mph. On the 18th
    tee my shot went wide right due to a sudden gust of wind [writ that one
    down folks].Iwas in modrate rough but had a bunch [flock] of tres about
    10 yards in front of me. I saw that I had a shot to get my ball into
    the fairway about 160yds straight ahead. It was a dogleg right par 5
    I used my 1 iron and it land exactly where I thought it would. Becaus
    of th trees I don't think i could have used my 5 wood but I like my
    five wood as a rough buster and on the fairway now what do I do?
    
   BG

    re: .18
    
    	God can't hit a 1 iron because Nicklaus says he isn't ready to
    show him/her how yet...!!! :^)

    From my years of listening, no mortal can hit a "One Iron",
    however God can hit it and never be on the course when there
    is a storm, because lightening can also hit it.
    All that aside, you must hit the one and two irons with a one 
    piece "Driver" type swing, better to use a "Three Wood".
    
    "I love the challenge and the thrill"
    
    Mal

    My "one" iron is the the best club in my bag.  When the driver, 3 wood
    is letting me down, I take out the Ping 1.  Over the years, I have hit
    this clube straighter and longer than any club.  So put me and god in
    the same league!!
    
    RTG

    my nephew hits a 1-iron miles and straight (damn him) whilst his
    Taylor-Made driver goes all over the place
    
    dont know what this means about his swing (if anything)

    Well, I  am sure each noter will have a different comment on 1 irons.
    I have a ping eye-2 1  iron.   I not very consistent with long irons,
    (3 and up) and feel more comfortable (thus I am more consistent) with
    fairway woods.  So last year I took  the  1  iron  out  of my bag and
    replaced  it  with  a  midsize  Taylor-made  Raylor.   That  baby  is
    beautiful from the rough and it's distance (180-190 yds.  for me) and
    height makes it a great club to land the ball softly.
    
    When I need to keep it low, I use a 2/3 iron, move  the  ball back in
    my stance and make sure my hands are always ahead of the club face.
    
    Now I am even considering taking out my 2 iron and  replace it with a
    lob wedge.
    
    Tavo