Conference 7.286::golf

    
    if you hit your 7 iron 180 yards, then you hit it "too long".  Why too
    long? because unless you're Hercules himself, the loft of the club (if
    hit in the intended fashion) should bring the ball higher and shorter. 
    I hit mine 135-140, some stronger folks might add another 10 yards or
    so.
    
    My guess is that you're reducing the effective loft of the club by,
    e.g. hitting the ball too far back in your stance or holding the club
    in such a way as to reduce loft, etc.
    
    Some guys tell me that they hit a 3 iron 220 yards.  Maybe so, but it
    probably doesn't lower their score.  If I were you I'd be happy with
    the 180 yards on the 3 iron, and I'd practice hitting my shorter irons
    shorter distances rather than trying to bang a 3 iron a whole lot
    farther than 180.
    
      my 2�
    
      /jim
    

    I'd throw my 2 cents in with Jim's.  Just curious though, are you
    talking 180 yd. carry with a 7, or carry and roll?  Either way, you're
    probably heading for problems with your shorter irons with a full
    swing.  I think Jim's guess is likely right on.  Check the ball
    relative to your stance.  It should be dead center or somewhat ahead of
    center.  Also, if you're hooding the club (closing up the face on
    impact) you're cutting down on the loft greatly and actually hitting
    something like a 5 iron.
    

    OK, thanks for the input so far. Maybe I ought to approach this from
    another angle; roughly what sort of distances would you expect to an
    average build 2-3 year experience golfer to acheive with irons. Now, I
    realise that it's going to vary from one player to another, however I
    would like to get a feel for the sort of distances that should be
    achieved by an average player as desribed above.
    
    Thanks
    
    Russell  

	Yards in chart are CARRY (distance ball flies, not rolls).  See
    	note 393.
    
    	Driver (1-wood) distance = 2.033 x 9-iron, or 1.698 x 7-iron

	     WOODS     |               IRONS               | WEDGE
	 X | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | P | S
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	305|280|256|232|246|232|218|205|191|178|164|151|137|124|110
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	294|270|247|224|237|224|211|198|185|172|158|145|132|119|106
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	283|260|238|216|228|216|203|191|178|165|153|140|127|115|102
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	272|250|229|208|220|208|196|183|171|159|147|135|123|110| 98
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	261|240|220|200|211|200|188|176|164|153|141|129|118|106| 94
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	250|230|211|192|203|192|180|169|158|146|135|124|113|101| 90
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	239|220|202|183|194|183|173|162|151|140|129|119|108| 97| 86
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	228|210|193|175|186|175|165|155|144|134|124|113|103| 92| 82
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	217|200|184|167|177|167|157|147|137|128|118|108| 98| 88| 78
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	206|190|175|159|169|159|150|140|131|121|112|102| 93| 83| 74
	---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---
	195|180|166|151|160|151|142|133|124|115|106| 97| 88| 79| 70
	   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

    Interesting.  Can you tell us where you got this from?  I find the
    4th line uncannily close to how I figure my distances.  Of course,
    figuring the DIRECTION is a whole different matter...

                                   Andy

    The past two months have found me struggling with my woods.  On the
    practice tee my driver and 3-wood are quite consistent.  Also in
    practice, my 5-wood, from a grassy lie, is quite acceptable.  (My
    fairway woods used to be a strong part of my game.  Stick a 3 or 5 wood
    in my hands and I used to be quite happy.) Lately, on the course things
    are a different matter altogether.  I got hooks,... slices, you name
    it.  I attribute much of this due to learning to correct a slice
    (usually) and overcompensating for one at other times.  There's no
    question that I have a lot of analysis and practice coming to get
    things back to where I was, somewhat, consistent.  More importantly, I
    need to find a way to bring my consistent practice shots to my game.
    
    So, where am I going with this?  Well, for a number of rounds I really
    struggled from the tee and found myself in trouble on both sides of the
    fairway.  I got tired of losing balls or punching back out to get back
    into play.  Cost me a pile of strokes!  Two weeks ago I decided that
    until I get my woods back on track I would hit irons on most holes. 
    Mind you, long irons (2 & 3) for me were usually something that mostly
    took up room in my bag. Since my woods went South, I've spent a good
    deal of time hitting both of them in practice.  The last few rounds
    I've played I used mostly irons from the tee and fairway.  Interesting
    enough, I've become quite good at getting a decent tee shot off, and
    STRAIGHT!  It's also helped with my mid-iron play, too.  Additionaly,
    it's made me play a bit smarter.  Rather than trying to hit that
    elusive 250-260 yd. drive down the middle, I'll take a pretty
    consistent 185-205 iron shot instead.  I find myself playing to get
    near or inside of the 150 yd markers and being a bit more strategic
    than just trying to smash something to the green. It might take me 3
    shots to get on a long par 4, but it's a lot more fun being on in 3
    than losing balls on bad tee shots and getting on in 4 or 5!
    
    I've been playing a lot of tight courses lately and my new found
    strengths are paying off and giving me a lot of enjoyment in the
    process.  So, whenever my woods come around again I will have found new
    confidence in hitting those long irons and playing a bit more of course
    management (great advice for places like The Overlook) in the process.
    
    
    

Good point.

For about 3 weeks all I had was 3-PW, and it was great!
It made me realize how few courses I play where it really requires
one to hit driver.

Mike

I suppose the initial question is why worry about your long 
irons?  If you can hit a 6-7 iron 180 yds, that is a long way.  

Gary Player maintains that he judges everything from his 7 iron, 
which he can hit 140 yds. Everything is plus or minus 10 yards 
e.g. 6-iron is 150 yds, 5-iron is 170 yds, 8 iron is 130 yds.

The shape of your shot may give a clue to the problem. An iron 
should climb high, hit the green and stop dead.  You do not want 
any forward roll with your irons.  What-you-hit-is-what-you-get. 

Hitting a ball 180 yds with a 7 iron means one of the following:-

 a) the John Daly GRIP-IT-AN-RIP-IT video worked wonders for you.
 b) you have very long arms and a very hairy body aka Mr G.RILLER
 c) you hood the club at impact, hitting a low running shot.

If the answer is a), then I think I will revisit the video.  If 
the answer is b), then I apologise profusely for even suggesting 
that your game needs improving and hope you have many many fine 
days of golf ahead of you.

If the answer is c), then try the following.  On your backswing, 
stop when the club is parallel to the ground.  Look at the club 
head.  It should be vertical, pointing to the sky.  If it is 
pointing away from you, then you have hooded it on take away, and 
will always be fighting a draw or duck-hook.  Secondly, when the 
club is parallel to the ground, imagine yourself standing at the 
bottom of the club shaft, looking straight along it. The line 
should be pointing slightly right of the target( about 3-4 yards 
right).  If it is pointing way right, then you have taken the 
club too far back on the inside.  This exaggerates the in to out 
swing, causing a big draw, or duck hook.

So why does this give you big distances with your 6-7 iron, and 
no further distance with your longer irons.  Basically, you are 
hooding the club at impact, hence delofting the club. 
Essentially, turning your 6 iron into a 4 or 5 iron, turning your 
7 iron into 3-4 iron.  If you deloft a long iron,they become very 
difficult to hit, normally producing a low running shot. As I'm 
sure you've heard Lee Trevino say on many occasions, eevn God 
can't hit a 1-iron.

To fix this, practice the take away for hours.  Always stop when 
the club is parallel to the ground, check the club head is 
vertical and the shaft is pointing slight right of target. BTW if 
the club head is pointing towards you, and the shaft is pointing 
to the left of target, you will produce a magnificent fade.

And finally, to encourage a high floating shot, which is 
guaranteed to stop dead on landing, hold the following thought.  
Try and keep your right heel on the ground all the time.  Even at 
the end of the follow through.  This encourages your body to stay 
back hitting down and through the ball.

Randall

> Gary Player maintains that he judges everything from his 7 iron, 
> which he can hit 140 yds. Everything is plus or minus 10 yards 
> e.g. 6-iron is 150 yds, 5-iron is 170 yds, 8 iron is 130 yds.
    
    10 yards per club -- I'm glad I saw that.  After checking the "chart",
    I thought I was a bit strange (no comment) in my distances:
    
    	1W	240
    	3W	225
    	5W	210
    
    	3	200
    	4	190
    	5	180
    	6	170
    	7	160
    	8	150
    	9	135
    	PW	120
    	SW	 90
    
    I ain't no gorilla (5'11", 180 lbs).  I use Square Twos with graphite
    shafts.  I believe they're about 2� less on most of the clubs.
    
    Do many others get the 10 yards/club differences??
    
    -- dg

    re: .10
    
    the 10 yards per/club is a "average or generalization"
    
    it varies with the individual....
    
    Hogan's caddie would move back 13 yards when Hogan went to the
    next iron, and it was always "right on the money"
    
    some get more yardage/some get less yardage...!!!
    

    RE:  .10
    
    You use the chart by keying off either your 7-iron or 9-iron, whichever
    is the more consistent.
    
    +/- 12 works for me.

    I do it another way.  I always carry the scorecard from the course i
    know best in my bag.  And pick the right club based on similar
    disrances.  This provides me with the right distance/club and i always
    try to remember my best shot in that situation