Why Do I Hit My Long Irons Better Than My Short Irons?

When it comes to playing golf, every club in your bag serves a specific purpose.

Your driver is meant for tee shots, your putter is meant for, well, putting, and your irons are meant for a variety of different shots depending on their length.

So, why do some golfers hit their long irons better than their short irons? Maybe for some it’s technique, for others it might be confidence.

Keep reading to the end and we will try to answer every possible answer in article.

Long Irons Vs Short Irons: An Introduction

Most golfers have a love-hate relationship with their long irons.

They can be notoriously difficult to hit, but when you do connect with one it can feel amazing.

Short irons, on the other hand, are generally much easier to hit but don’t offer the same distance or forgiveness as a long iron.

Long irons range from numbers 2-4. They are best for long shots of up to 250 yards. These have lower lofts and longer shafts, thus producing more energy at impact.

However, short irons range from 7-9, and include the wedges 50-60 degrees. These irons are best for short-game and around the green. Short irons have higher lofts and shorter shafts.

Long Irons Vs Short Irons

Similarities

For starters, both are classified as irons and there are not many similarities other than iron shafts and similar clubheads.

Differences

The differences are many. Long irons have longer shafts and lower lofts. They carry more distance. Their ball trajectory is medium-high. While short irons have shorter shafts and higher lofts. They produce more ball spin. Their ball trajectory is higher

Why Are Long Irons Easier To Hit Than Short Irons For Some People?

First, long irons tend to have wider soles than short irons, which makes them more forgiving on mis-hits.

Second, the longer length of a long iron means that there is more energy transferred to the ball on impact, resulting in more distance.

Finally, the swing curvature of long irons is more difficult than short irons but once you master it, nothing can stop you from being the best.

Why Am I Struggling With My Short Irons?

If you are struggling with your short irons, there are a few reasons why this might be the case.

Short irons are generally forgiving but it is harder to hit their sweet spots, so if you don’t hit the ball perfectly in the center of the clubface, you’ll get a mishit and low-to-no spin on the ball.

To improve, make sure that your stance is correct and that you are using the correct loft for your clubs.

Practice your swing mechanics and focus on hitting down on the ball with a descending impact and make contact with the turf. This will reduce topping the ball and increase pure contact.

 Am I Using The Wrong Clubs?

There is a possibility that you are using the wrong clubs. If your short irons are too light or too heavy, it can make them difficult to control.

Furthermore, the loft degree and shaft size also matter. If any of the above is off, there is a chance that you will keep on struggling. If you’re not sure, ask a professional for help.

Additionally, your swing could be off. If you are swinging too hard or too fast, you are likely to miss-hit the ball. Regular practice can eliminate such issues.

Does The Golf Shaft Matter In Golf?

It is a common question that many amateur golfers ask, the answer is yes, it definitely can!

Having the wrong shaft on your clubs can cause all sorts of problems with your game, including impacting your accuracy and distance with short irons.

It’s worth looking at your equipment to see if perhaps the shafts are to blame.

How Does My Grip Affect My Golf Shot?

The grip strength matters. If you are like most golfers, you probably think that the grip is the most important part of your short iron game.

After all, it’s the only part of the club that you hold onto while you swing. Ineffective grip strength can compromise the shape of shots, accuracy, feel, and distance.

Is The Golf Stance Important?

There are a few things that could be causing you to hit your long irons better than your short irons.

It could be that you are not set up properly for your short irons, or it could be that your swing is different from long irons.

If you are not set up properly for your short irons, you are likely either not taking enough club, or you’re not aligning yourself correctly.

Try considering taking enough club setting up, aligning yourself correctly, swinging slow, and making solid contact with the ball.

Can Alignment & Weight Affect My Golf Score?

Alignment and weight distribution are important factors. If your short irons are consistently going off-line, it could be due to poor alignment.

Weight distribution is also essential for achieving solid contact with the ball. If you are having trouble hitting your short irons, experiment with different grips and stances until you find a setup that works for you.

How Can You Improve With Your Short Irons

To improve your short irons, first, you need to make sure that you are using the proper grip.Golfers tend to grip the club too tightly when they are using their short irons.

This will lead to a loss of control and accuracy. Try swinging not too hard, this usually results in a loss of accuracy.

With proper stance, alignment, and weight distribution, try to swing the club at about 75% of your maximum power and you should see an improvement in your accuracy. You will see a big improvement in your game.

Suitable Clubs

While it is important to have clubs that fit your swing, it is also important to have the right clubs for the shot you are trying to hit.

If you are hitting a long iron, you need a club that will give you the distance and trajectory you need to reach the green.

On the other hand, if you are hitting a short iron, you need a club that will help you control your shot and land the ball on the green.

While there are many different types of short irons on the market, it is important to find one that is suitable for your game.

Correct Your Set-Up

When it comes to hitting short irons, most golfers tend to have a problem with their stance.

This is because they tend to stand too upright, which in turn makes it difficult to properly transfer their weight during the swing.

As a result, they often hit the ball fat or thin. For short irons, the ball should be placed towards the center of your stance.

To improve, you need to make sure that you adopt a slightly shallower stance when hitting short irons. This will allow easy weight distribution during the swing.

Try to keep your head still and resist the urge to peek at the ball during the swing. The set up to the ball is vitally important if you want to make a consistent contact with the ball. The Golf Distillery have explained this very well in this article.

Hit Better Golf Shots: Practice Tips

Here are a few tips:

Grip

Make sure you are holding the club correctly. A good grip will help you control the club and hit the ball more accurately.

Posture

Ensure that you are standing correctly, with your feet shoulder-width apart and your weight evenly balanced. Good posture will help you swing the club more smoothly and efficiently.

Focus on your target

Take a moment to visualize where you want the ball to go before you swing. This will help you stay focused and hit the ball more accurately.

Practice

Hitting balls on the range is important. you should practice because it can create a notable difference.

The Best Drills To Hit Your Irons

To improve your game, we will suggest some practice drills that you can exercise even in your home.

Try hitting balls from different lies (e.g., off a tee, from the fairway, from the rough) and work on different shot types (e.g., fades, draws, punch shots, backspin).

The more practice you get, the better you’ll become at hitting your short irons.

Can Lessons Improve My Golf?

Through practice, you can improve your short iron gameplay.

You must practice your grip, posture, stance, focus on the target, alignment, and weight distribution.

If these factors get in order, you will see a massive improvement in your overall gameplay.

Is The Stance Important In Hitting Golf Shots?

As we have discussed previously, many golfers struggle with their stance.

This is because they tend to stand too upright, which in turn makes it difficult to properly transfer their weight during the swing. As a result, they often hit the ball fat or thin.

You should adopt a slightly shallower stance when hitting short irons. This will allow easy weight distribution during the swing.

Try to keep your head still and resist the urge to peek at the ball during the swing. This will not break your swing rhythm.

How Else Can I Hit My Irons Well?

We have pretty much-covered everything that a golfer should be considerate of.

If you keep the above-mentioned points in mind, you are almost guaranteed to have a good game within a few days.

In this excellent video YouTube star Rick Shiels explains how you can hit your long irons better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc5uanL4P9U

Opening Up With Short Irons

To hit better short irons, opening your stance is a good idea.

When you open up your stance, you will find it much easier to hit the ball squarely and with precision. The open stance may feel a bit awkward at first, but it will pay off in the long run.

A closed stance can lead to all sorts of problems. When you have a closed stance, you are more likely to hit the ball thin or fat, and it will be very difficult to control your trajectory.

Will Switching To Game Improvement Short Irons Help?

If you are struggling with your short irons, it may be time to consider switching to game improvement clubs.

These clubs are designed to help you hit the ball straighter and farther, making them ideal for beginners and high handicappers.

While they may not have the same feel as your old clubs, they can make a big difference in your game.

Short Irons And Game Improvement – The Differences

In general, game improvement irons are designed for beginners and players with slower swing speeds, while Players short irons are designed for more advanced players with faster swing speeds.

Players short irons tend to have a thinner face which results in a lower ball flight. They also have less offset, meaning that the club’s sweet spot is closer to the center of the clubface. This makes them more forgiving of mis-hits, but also makes them more difficult to control.

Game Improvement irons, on the other hand, have a thicker face which leads to a higher ball flight. They also have more offset, meaning that the sweet spot is further away from the center of the clubface. This makes them more forgiving on mis-hits, but also makes them easier to control.

Short Irons Vs Wedges – What’s The Difference?

Short irons and wedges are used for short-game and around the green.

The main difference between short irons and wedges is their loft, distance, trajectory, and ball spin. Short irons have high lofts, less spin, and more distance coverage.

However, wedges are designed for greens. They have even higher lofts, more spin than short irons, and higher trajectory. Suitable for softer landings on the green.

 How To Hit Both Well?

There are not many differences in hitting the short irons and wedges well. You just have to set up a proper stance and posture for the shot.

You should aim at the target and align yourself with optimal weight distribution. Your swing curvature should be perfect for the shot. A solid square impact will produce the best results for both clubs.

When Should I Use A Bump And Run Instead Of Pitching/Chipping?

Bump and run is a good and viable shot option when you have plenty of green to deal with.

You can also hit a bump and run for a difficult lie, where hitting a chip or pitch shot either comes out thin or fat or might not generate the required result.

Often, when the lie is tough, a bump and run are preferred. LPGA Professional golfer Danielle Kang explains here how to hit the perfect bump and run shot.

Why Am I Losing Distance On My Short Irons?

There might be a few reasons. If you are losing distance on your short irons, it’s likely because your clubface is open at impact.

An open clubface will cause the ball to fly left of your target. To correct this, simply close the clubface at impact. This will help you hit the ball straighter and longer.

Swing curvature is important with good grip strength and angle management. Additionally, improper setup, stance, alignment, and weight distribution also reduce the distance.

Why Does My 4 Iron Go the Same Distance as My 7 Iron?

There could be a few reasons for that. These include improper setup stance, alignment, and weight distribution.

Clubhead position and swing speed also impact the yardages. So if you are getting the same distance with your 4 and 7 iron, you should go back to the basics and rectify your technique.

Why Do I Hit My 5/6 and 7 Irons the Same Distance?

All these irons have different lofts and shaft lengths. So, if you are getting the same distance with 5,6, and 7 iron, this could be because of your improper technique.

These include improper setup, stance, alignment, and weight distribution. Clubhead position and swing speed also impact the yardages.

Why Do I Pull Short Irons and Wedges?

Pulling shots is common in golf. When the golfers try to produce 75% of their swing, they loosen their hands, often known as “Happy Hands” and cause short irons and wedges to pull.

This happens because of the irregular lower body rotation. To rectify this, you should practice your swing and follow-through, trying to regularize body rotation.

How can I improve my distance control with my irons?

One of the most important aspects of the iron play is distance control. Many golfers struggle with controlling their distances with their irons.

There are a few things you can do to help improve your distance control with your irons.

First, make sure you are using the correct clubs for your game. It is important to get fitted for clubs so that you are using ones that are the right length for your swing.

Second, focus on making solid contact with the ball. This will help you hit the ball closer to the sweet spot on the clubface, which will lead to more consistent distances.

Finally, pay attention to your ball flight. If you notice that your balls are consistently flying too far or not far enough, make some adjustments to your swing.

Lee Scrabrow in Today’s Golfer discussed a useful drill that you can try at the range where you practice hitting your 6 iron the same distance as your 7 iron.

Mentality Tips For Hitting Short Irons Better

First, look at your setup. Make sure you are not too close to the ball, as this can cause you to hit down on it too much and create a fat shot.

You also want to make sure that you are not aiming too far left or right of the target.

Once you have your setup sorted, it’s time to focus on your swing. Remember to keep your arms relaxed and take a smooth swing. Finally, don’t forget the mental side of the game.

If you get frustrated or start doubting yourself, it will only make matters worse.

Stay positive and believe in yourself, and you’ll start hitting those short irons better in no time!

Can Single Length Irons Help?

Single-length irons are designed so that each iron is the same length, weight, and lie angle.

Having single length golf shafts can help promote more consistent shots as it takes away the need to adjust your swing for different clubs.

Bryson DeChambeau is a famous Professional Golfer who advocates single length golf irons.

If you are struggling with your short irons, it might be worth considering giving single-length irons a try. They could help you hit more consistent shots and improve your game.

What If My Irons Are Too Long?

If your irons are too long, you may be losing power and accuracy. Long irons are more difficult to control than shorter irons.

If you are struggling to hit your long irons, you may want to consider having them cut down.

Should I Choke Down On My Iron Shots?

The answer, unfortunately, is that it depends.It comes down to personal preference and what works best for your swing.

There’s no magic formula that will work for everyone.If you are struggling with your iron shots, it might be worth giving choking down a try.

It can help you create more consistent contact and get the ball flight you’re looking for. But if you are hitting your irons well, there’s no need to change anything.

Why Do I Hit All My Irons The Same Distance?

It’s a common question that golfers ask themselves – why do I hit all of my irons to the same distance? There are a few potential reasons for this phenomenon.

One possibility is that you tend to swing your longer irons with more power and speed than your shorter irons.

This extra momentum can help to generate extra distance. Another possibility is that you try and exert all of your power which can also contribute to greater distance.

Our Favorite Short Irons To Improve Your Golf

Following are the best short irons to improve your game. All these irons are forgiving.

• Ping G425 Irons
• Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal Pro Irons
• TaylorMade Stealth Iron
• Titleist 2021 T300 Irons
• Callaway Rogue ST Max OS Iron

The 3 Best Short Irons

A good short iron should be accurate, forgiving, and reliable. Following are the 3 best short irons that can improve your game.

Ping G425 Irons

Pros:

• Better Feel
• Accuracy
• Good Distance
• Optimal Spin

Cons:

• Expensive

Overall Score: 96/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal Pro Irons

Pros:

• Good Control
• Longer Distance
• Optimal Spin
• Compact and Good Design

Cons:

• Might not be consistent

Overall Score: 94/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

TaylorMade Stealth Iron

Pros:

• Forgiving
• Stylish Design
• Good Distance
• Impressive Spin

Cons:

• A bit expensive

Overall Score: 95/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Conclusion

If you’ve been struggling with hitting your long and short irons consistently, I hope you found this article useful.

There are a few reasons why you might hit your long irons better than your short irons. It could be that you have more practice with long irons, or that you naturally swing them faster.

Whatever the reason, if you find that you’re hitting your long irons better than your short irons, there’s no need to change anything.

We have discussed everything in detail about what you can do to improve your short iron gameplay. A little practice can make a lot of difference for your game.

Why don’t you let us know which irons you hit better in the comments below, long, or short?