Long iron play not easy task

Maybe the holy grail of ball striking in golf is long iron play. The ability to hit long straight shots with a club with little loft and a long shaft is not an easy task and requires good technique and mechanics, good athleticism and equipment that suits the individual.

Technique wise, you have to be able to swing the golf club on the correct plane. This is correct for all of the clubs in your bag but you may get away with it being not quite right all the way to a 6 or 7 iron but after that the margins for error are much tighter. Also club face control is critical as the irons get longer. Each degree the club face is out of alignment amplifies how crooked your shots will be, so, you need excellent club face control to hit your long irons straight.

When I say athleticism, the major consideration here is are you able to swing the golf club fast enough to get the ball airborne. If your club head speed is below a certain level it is physically impossible for a 3, 4 or sometimes even a 5 iron to fly high enough for it to be a useful option, not to mention if it is a safe option. The other problem is these clubs will all go the same distance if there isn’t enough club head speed.

Finally, the appropriate equipment is essential. The kind of shaft and the head design you use can make all the difference. It is well worth the effort finding out what you should be using.

There are many options in this space so I recommend you find out from an expert why you may be having trouble with your long irons.