Long irons in golf are among the most difficult to hit when playing golf and most amateur golfers avoid them in favor of the fairway wood of choice. This is fine for the average golfer, but if he is really looking to improve his long game, it would be wise to learn how to hit long irons.
So what are long irons and why are they so hard to hit?
Simply put, long irons are the golf clubs that range from 1-iron to 5-iron. The 1-iron is the longest club with the least amount of loft and generally the most difficult to hit.
And the reason these sticks are so hard to hit is because:
- The longer the handle of any stick, the harder it is to hit. The main reason is that you are standing further away from the ball.
- Long irons are low-loft clubs that make it difficult to hit under the ball.
To be honest, it’s pretty rare these days to see a golfer with a 1 or 2 iron in their golf bag because these have been superseded by fairway woods that can cover similar, if not the same, distances with less frustration. . But while there are alternatives to hitting the 3, 4, and even 5-iron with different clubs, such as the fairway wood, it’s still a good idea to learn how to hit these clubs because, when used correctly, long irons tend to be much straighter. than any fairway wood you find in your golf bag.
So how exactly will the long shot go?
Setting up for a long iron shot is similar to setting up for any other golf shot, except you’re trying to sweep the ball off the fairway instead of creating a big hole.
To achieve this, your stance needs to be slightly wider than normal with the ball positioned slightly forward in your stance. You should be standing farther from the ball than you would with the short or medium irons due to the increased club length.
To create more of a sweeping motion off the platform, your swing should come in at a slightly shallow angle. If your swing is too steep, you are likely to get too much out of a divot.
And lastly, make sure you continue your shot by creating a full rotation with your hips and the ball should travel through the air well.
