The long irons are the nemesis of the average golfer. I’m convinced that the underlying reason for this is that he keeps hearing how hard they are to handle. They’re not that difficult, truly. – Jack Nicklaus
Long irons are harder to hit because they have less loft and require a shallower swing path than shorter irons.
This means golfers often come down too steep, resulting in high spinny ball flights.
Or they get too shallow, causing a thin or topped golf ball.
The main culprit is a lack of swing speed, which is needed to lift the ball into the air. Most golfers average around 154 yards with a 4-iron.
But just like old Jack said, a lot of the time, not being able to hit long irons is all in the mind.
Not being able to hit a long iron consistently can ruin a golfer’s confidence and score at the end of the round.
Golfers find hitting long irons so difficult that more amateur golfers have chosen to use high-lofted woods or hybrids over the last few years.
In this post, you will find out why they are so hard to hit, what you can do to hit them more consistently, and the other options if you can’t.
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What Are Long Irons?
Before 1940 irons had names instead of numbers. Thankfully, today, they don’t. I know a couple of savory names I’d give my clubs…
But today, long irons start from a 1-iron (driving irons) and end at a 6-iron. Any number higher than a 6-iron falls into one of three categories:
- Mid-Irons
- Short-Irons
- Wedges
Most golfers will be more familiar with 4, 5, and 6-irons as they are standard in most iron or golf club sets. 3-irons and below must be bought separately or added to your set at an additional cost.
Check out the below article if you want to know what all the different numbers on golf clubs mean.
What Do The Numbers On Golf Clubs Mean?
Why Long Irons Are Harder To Hit Than Short Irons
Long Irons Are Longer
Long irons are, well… longer than the rest of your set.
The additional length is one of the reasons you can hit these clubs further because the club head has to travel further than a pitching wedge to make contact with the ball.
It is excellent when it works, but the average golfer often struggles to control the extra length.
Golfers who have problems with long irons often have problems with their driver, too. It’s the same issue, just a different club.
This is why there is an increasing trend of getting single-length irons, but you will find out more about them further in this post.
Long Irons Need A Different Golf Swing
You can’t use the same swing as you do with your wedges or other irons. Longer irons require a larger swing with more of a turn of your shoulders and hips. You will also have to stand farther from the ball than usual.
Golfers are often left scratching their heads because they flush their 8-iron and then try the same swing with their 4-iron, but the results are entirely different.
With shorter irons, you can get away with having a steep attack angle to the ball, maybe caused by not rotating enough or flipping your wrists. These golf clubs’ loft and spin rates will allow this to work fine.
On the other hand, longer irons won’t respond positively to these steep angles of attack, which will cause big slices, hooks, and everything else in between.
These irons need a shallower attack angle for consistent results, meaning you need a different swing variation for your long irons.
How do you get this shallow attack angle? Keep reading to find out.
Long Irons Need To Be Swung Faster
Longer irons need to be hit faster than the rest of your irons because of their lower lofts.
When you’re hitting a 9-iron, you can swing nice and slow, and the ball will still pop into the air due to its loft. Do the same thing with a 4-iron; the ball will stay very low to the ground.
You must hit the golf ball with speed to keep it in the air and off the ground for as long as possible.
Some golfers don’t have the speed necessary to hit these clubs and would be better suited to hitting a hybrid or high-lofted wood.
Golfers who need a regular or “whippy” graphite shaft in their driver will struggle with long irons.
It’s important to note that you don’t want to start gripping and ripping with these irons in an attempt to hit them if this is not natural to you.
Swinging harder than you should make controlling the club and your body more difficult, leading to many mistakes.
After reading this post, going out to the course and swinging for the fences isn’t the best approach.
You must work on it over time by practicing speed drills at the range.
Long Irons Have A Lower Loft
The generally accepted law of golf is the lower the loft, the harder it is to hit.
Lower-lofted clubs need to be hit well, as they are less forgiving than higher-lofted clubs. The higher the loft of a club, the more forgiving it is.
This is why you rarely hit a huge slice with a 9-iron, but with a 4-iron, it’s more likely to happen.
Lower loft means it needs a good strike to keep it in the air longer since the ball will fly closer to the ground.
How You Can Hit Long Irons Consistently
Work At Clearing Your Hips & Turning Your Shoulders
The longer the club gets, the more turn you will need to consistently square the clubface at impact.
With short irons, you can get away with not fully turning your shoulders or clearing your hips, but these two movements are crucial for long irons, woods, and drivers.
As we mentioned earlier, one of the key reasons golfers struggle to hit long irons is a lack of speed. More often than not, this lack of speed comes from an incomplete backswing.
You miss out on extra distance by not rotating your shoulders all the way on the backswing so that your back is turned to the target. This means that you can pick up more speed without having to swing harder.
Similarly, golfers forget to clear their hips going in the backswing and follow through. Clearing your hips can generate some serious power, and all the game’s big hitters do this.
Work At Gaining More Swing Speed
Let’s say you have perfected all of your swing fundamentals, and you still don’t have the swing speed needed to launch your long iron shots into the air.
You need to get the speed somewhere, but where?
Well, you have to work on it like any other aspect of your game. Speed takes time to build, and you can increase your swing speed over time in a few ways.
Here are some examples:
Explosive Gym Training – Lifting light weights in the gym can help you increase your speed. Focus on slowly lowering the weight and then exploding back up to complete the rep. Focus on your chest, back, legs & shoulders.
Weighted Stick/Multiple Clubs – One drill you can do is use a speed trainer stick or hold two clubs together and swing as fast as possible. You’re not worried as much about technique, just getting the stick or club moving fast.
Speed Build-Up – Next time you’re at the range, start hitting golf balls, but begin at 25% speed. Hit five golf balls at this speed, then move to 50%, and so on. Once you’re swinging as fast as you can remember, take a break and start over again.
Work On Proper Ball Position And Stance
Long irons require you to be further away from the golf ball and to have the golf ball further up in your stance towards the lead foot.
Using the same setup you use for your 9-iron won’t work for long irons.
Due to the length of the club, you will need to make more space between you and the ball so you don’t get caught up in the way.
Also, even if you can make contact by standing closer to the ball, you will sacrifice additional speed gained from standing farther away, which you need to pure your long irons.
Similarly, the golf ball should be a little less than halfway between your lead foot and the middle of your body.
Practice As Much As You Can
Lastly, you need to practice a lot to get better with your long irons.
After all, usually, the better players are the ones who move the most turf and hit the most golf balls.
That is, of course, if they follow an actual training routine and not just blasting through buckets of golf balls.
Who Should Use Longer Irons?
Any golfer can use longer irons if they choose to, but they are suited better for some golfers.
Long irons are ideal for golfers with fast swing speeds and can easily control the club at these speeds.
This means that you might struggle hitting these longer clubs if you have a slower or regular swing speed,
Also, for players who play in windy conditions or those of you who play Links golf courses, long irons are the preferred choice.
Longer irons have a lower flight than hybrids or woods, which makes them ideal for staying below the wind and not getting dragged around as much as other clubs.
What Can You Use Instead Of Longer Irons?
Hybrids
Hybrids are fantastic for golfers who struggle to hit longer irons and are more forgiving for mishits.
The additional weight helps increase clubhead speed and make solid contact with the ball.
Even professional golfers have begun to add them into the bag over the traditional irons, so they are not just for golfers with slow swing speeds.
Hybrid golf clubs launch the golf ball higher into the air, which means they will land softer on the greens.
Sometimes, getting the ball to stick to the greens can be tricky due to long iron ball flight unless you’re playing on the tour.
Most beginner or senior golfers might be better suited to using hybrids or chunkier irons. Checkout our list of the best golf irons for golfers starting out or just need more consistency.
Single Length Irons
These irons can be perfect for golfers who don’t want to worry about setting up differently for other irons in their bag.
Having irons cut to one length means using the same swing for both a long and short iron. The only thing that needs to change is the ball position.
Even the likes of Bryson DeChambeau have made the switch to single-length irons when they play golf.
Liked this post? Check out some more below:
How Much To Reshaft Irons: Cheapest, Average & Most Expensive
Types Of Golf Irons: Which Is Best Suited For You?
Forged Or Cast Irons? Which Is Better
Long Irons Vs Hybrids: For And Against
Still unsure which club you should have in your bag? Check out the bullet point lists below to help you make up your mind.
Long Irons: For
- Penetrating Ball Flight
- Improves Ability To Shot Shape
- Easier On The Eye At Address
- Comes Standard In Most Sets
Long Irons: Against
- Doesn’t Suit Slow Swings
- Golfers Struggle With Consistency
Hybrids: For
- Easier To Hit
- Bulkier Head Inspires Confidence
- More Forgiving
- Launches Easier
Hybrids: Against
- Can’t Shape The Ball As Easy
- High Launch Not Ideal In Windy Conditions