Golf Fix

Learn the truth about lofts

Unless you have clubs made of softer metals (like the 303 stainless steel irons), your lofts and lies shouldn’t change through normal use. But if you’ve never had them checked, get it done just so you know exactly what you’re working with. A check of the lofts (your pro can handle it on a loft-and-lie-angle machine like this one) can help explain why you’re hitting your 4-iron the same length as your 5-iron.

Know the distance you hit each club

To hit greens, you first have to pick the right club. That means you have to know how far you hit each club—exactly how far. Spend some time on the range charting distances. Hitting 10 to 15 balls per club will give you enough information to come up with an average distance for each club. Note any unusually large or small distance gaps in your lineup. If your 6-iron flies 155 yards, your 5-iron 180, that’s too big a gap for precision iron play. Equal distance gaps throughout the set (it’s 15 yards for me; perhaps eight to 12 for you) make it easier for you to dial in those in-between distances. Remember, you have 14 clubs. Give each a specific job.

Fixed clubs for fixed distances

There are 15-yard gaps between all 11 irons, starting with 60-degree wedge (85 yards) running through to 16-degree 1-iron (235 yards). You can hit individual clubs farther than their prescribed distance ( 46-degree 9-iron can fly farther than 130 yards), but only when your swing outside your comfort zone. Swinging within yourself produces the most consistency, and with iron play, consistency’s the only thing on your mind. You can hit an 8-iron 170, but it also means hitting the green two out of 10 times—hardly accurate enough to keep you in business.

The right swing for the right distance

It’s rare to find a specific distance that exactly matches a particular club. If you are in between clubs or hitting a shot inside 100 yards, You’ll make one of two swing adjustments.

Either you’ll shorten your backswing or accelerate your rotation on the downswing. A shorter backswing automatically decreases clubhead speed and distance. Accelerating the rotation of your hips and upper body on the downswing can help you hit a shorter club a little farther, but only very accomplished players should attempt this move, because it requires excellent timing to synchronize the swinging of your arms with the turning of your body. For most players, choosing more club and making a more controlled swing is a better play.

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