What is the best way to hit a long iron?

Question

Hit a fw wood instead? Yeah, I know. But I'd like to see if I can hit my 3 iron.

Answer 1

Replace the long irons with hybrids.  The ball is played a little more forward than it would be with short irons.  Other than that, its the same golf swing with every club.  Sometimes, I have students hit 8 irons and then have them switch back to the long iron, trying to keep the speed and tempo the same.  Long irons are harder to hit no matter what your name is but that doesnt mean you have to TRY harder.  Ok, now get rid of the 3 iron and get a hybrid.

Answer 2

A long iron needs to be a more 'sweeping' swing.  You still need to hit down and strike the ball first, but you cannot put your wedge swingpath on a 3 iron and expect good results.  

I try to remember to use the same swing speed as I would use on an easy 9-iron shot and trust that the loft and longer shaft length will provide the extra distance.

Answer 3

SON, I STILL CARRY A ONE AND TWO IRON IN MY BAG... HIT WHAT YOU LIKE AND TELL OTHERS TO KISS IT!!! BUT TO HIT THEM YOU HAVE TO HAVE FAITH IN YOUR SWING AND DON'T TRY TO KILL THEM... SWING SMOOTH AND HIT SLIGHTY DOWN ON THE BACK AND THAT MIGHT HELP!!!

"HIT 'EM STRAIGHT"

Answer 4

Hit DOWN on the ball, don't let the flat face of the 3 iron delude you into thinking the ball has to be lifted.

Don't try to kill it.  Put a 7 iron swing on it and you'll be stunned at how nice it flies.

Answer 5

You may find it easier to hit if you grip down on it and making the club a little shorter.  You might want to try moving the ball back in your stance too.

Answer 6

Hit it like you would 4 iron. It just go a little bit longer by itself.

Answer 7

Everyone here is missing the big picture. The reason the long irons are not recommended and are fading, is the BALL. Fifteen years ago ( and earlier) we all used Balata covered balls. Wound cores, etc. The balls had a Lot of spin. If you didn't have a great swing the ball would spin wildly sideways. If you had a good swing, the balls would rise quickly and launch high. NOT the case anymore. The new ball technology is solid cores that spring, and covers of urethane ( on the high-end balls) that grip and spin. These balls WILL NOT BACKSPIN GOOD ENOUGH TO USE LONG IRONS WITH THE SAME RESULTS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE WITH THE OLD BALL. It's a fact. To argue is to show stubborn ignorance. To use a long iron these days is simply stubborness. The only exception is a very high swing-speed that imparts a lot of backspin no matter what kind of ball it is. If you don't have a driver swing speed of 110 or more, your just making an already hard game, even harder. If your into pain, go for it.

Answer 8

Here's the best advice out there for long iron shots. Treat them like any other iron. Make sure your arms hang naturally at address. Make sure you put a smooth relaxed swing on it and most important that you turn through and swing through. The problem with long iron shots is that you think you have to kill the ball. This is not only untrue it's impossible. There is no way to take a 3i and blast the guts out of a ball. It's just a long club with 21 degrees of loft in the clubface, treat it as such. When you don't you end up hitting "at" the ball and either slicing or hooking it. The progression of iron clubs from 1i to 64+ degree wedge is made to change the trajectories and distances of shots within the exact same parameters of the exact same swing. The biggest long iron mistake is to change your swing when you hit one. It's longer and flatter, that changes the shot not you.

Answer 9

Keep it simple.  If you spend enough time practicing, you can create a swing that is the same for a 3 iron as it is for a pitching wedge - the only difference will be ball positioning.  The longer the iron, the more forward you need to put the ball in your stance.  Just remember that you still need to hit down on the ball, even though you have less loft on the clubface.  Also, try to focus more on tempo with the long irons.  If you are hitting the right tempo from the right position, long irons will be much easier for you to hit.

Answer 10

The cardinal rule of good golf is " ball , turf " on every iron shot from the driving iron(about which most new golfers know nothing) through the wedges. There is less turf taken with the longer irons. It is almost a skimming shot similiar to the fairway woods. The goal is distance.