Alright, so I’ve been battling my irons lately, and figured I’d document my struggles and, hopefully, my eventual triumphs. It’s been a journey, lemme tell ya.
The Initial Problem: Where’d My Distance Go?
It all started a few weeks back. I noticed my iron shots were just…shorter. Like, a club and a half shorter. I wasn’t topping the ball, the contact felt okay, but the distance just wasn’t there. Super frustrating. My first thought was, “Am I just getting old?” (Spoiler alert: probably, but I’m not giving up yet!).
Diagnosis: A Flurry of Bad Habits
I decided to film my swing (thank god for smartphones). What I saw was…not pretty. A few things stood out:
- Early Extension: I was standing up way too early in the downswing, losing my angles and pushing the club out.
- Reverse Pivot: Weight was shifting to my front foot on the backswing, instead of staying centered or shifting slightly to my rear.
- Weak Grip: My grip had gotten lazy. My left hand was too far under the club, leading to a weak face at impact.
The Fix: One Thing at a Time (Attempted!)
I knew trying to fix everything at once would be a disaster. I decided to focus on the early extension first. That seemed like the biggest culprit. Here’s what I tried:
- Setup Changes: I focused on maintaining my spine angle at address. I felt like I was almost sitting back in a chair a bit more.
- Impact Feel: I tried to exaggerate the feeling of my belt buckle pointing towards the target at impact. This helped me stay down and through the ball.
- Drills, Drills, Drills: Wall drill to feel early extension and prevent it, and hip rotation drills to maintain the correct angle.
Progress (Sort Of):
I saw some improvement with the early extension. My shots were a bit more consistent, and I felt more “connected” to the ground. But the distance was still lacking, and now I was fighting a bit of a hook. Great.
Tackling the Grip:
Next up: the grip. I strengthened it a bit, rotating my left hand so I could see more knuckles. This helped me square the clubface at impact, and the hook started to disappear. I also started focusing on a firmer grip pressure – not death grip tight, but enough to maintain control throughout the swing.
The Reverse Pivot: Still a Pain
The reverse pivot is proving to be the toughest to fix. I’ve been working on keeping my weight centered during the backswing, but it’s a real mental battle. I’m trying to feel like my weight is more on the inside of my right foot, but it’s not natural. I’m still working on drills and video analysis to get this sorted.
Where I’m At Now:
I’m not gonna lie, my irons are still a work in progress. My distance is coming back slowly, and my ball striking is more consistent than it was a few weeks ago. I still have bad days, but I’m seeing progress. The reverse pivot is the next big hurdle, and I’m determined to conquer it.
Lessons Learned (So Far):
- Film your swing. It’s painful, but necessary.
- Fix one thing at a time. Don’t try to overhaul your entire swing overnight.
- Be patient. Swing changes take time and practice.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. A good instructor can spot things you might miss.
I’ll keep you updated on my progress. Wish me luck!
