New member here. Lessons have been paying off across the board and excited to jump into the Saguto methods. I notice a distinct control difference above 7 iron. I’m sure I’m doing something different, but struggling to understand why it is such a difference once you get above a certain club. Any insight why these longer irons and woods/driver are so hard? I just don’t find much info on it other than the acknowledgment everyone struggles with it.
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Really appreciate the V1 lesson @Tom Saguto. Still working my way through GSS right now, but the things you pointed out in the video lesson will help provide some really good context as each part relates to my particular swing. Will work on those drills you sent and exercise some patience to start hitting some crispy longer irons.
Welcome aboard!
With no knowledge of your current swing, I’ll just respond based on my experience, which includes the struggles you have mentioned. I’m sure others may do the same because, as you know, everyone has experienced this struggle.
Again, based on my experience, when you are over the ball and you see that 5 iron down there, which by the way is probably close to what a 3 iron loft used to be, you begin to doubt that you can get the ball in the air. Doubt breeds tension, tension breeds tight muscles, tight muscles restricts your backswing, a shorter backswing breeds an out of sequence downswing (timing is shot), and at the moment of impact you try to get the ball up in the air by flipping and you thin it. But maybe that’s just me! LOL
Another thing that might be happening is you dump your lag early because the club head is further from your hands and the longer swing arc gives the club head more apparent weight and resultant force is more difficult to hold the “flying wedge” through impact. Result is a flip/skulled shot or you lay the sod over the ball.
Tom has a whole class of videos devoted to the long irons, hybrids, and fairway woods.
I recommend those videos and try to master the 2.8 video drill using a 5 iron.
my 2 cents, I probably owe you change.
Good luck.
Hi Jeff. Many golfers struggle with longer irons (3,4, and sometimes 5). Depending on where you live, if you have dormant Bermuda in the winter, hitting a 4 iron off a thin lie in cold weather is not my idea of fun. Statistics reveal that most golfers with a 16+ handicap don't hit long irons well. For me, it was more mental, but I played with guys who loved hitting a 2 iron and could flush it. I try to hit all my irons with the same feel and mentality as if it were an 8i. With that said, I had a club fitting a few years ago, and the guy said, "Why make it hard on yourself? Go hybrids." Now, the longest iron in my bag is a 6, which I hit around 172. I have a 5H and 3H, and I can hit those with confidence a variety of yardages depending on how much I choke down. I don't carry a 3W any longer b/c my Epic Flash 3H can go ~210, and my 3W had a tendency to misbehave. I now have 4 wedges and total confidence in my 50 yard and under game, which has knocked at least five strokes off my handicap.
So, in summary, it was more mental for me with the longer irons, and I checked my ego at the door, went hybrid, and have total confidence in those clubs. My theory is if I don't have confidence in a club, why have it in the bag? My 3i was always shiny and never needed regripping.
The driver is a different story, and many people struggle with the driver in Stack and Tilt. Tom has some specific videos for the driver, and I have found a couple of videos that have helped me. Here is one of them. I don't think Tom will mind I'm sharing these because he has made some great videos with both Eric and Jess.