Are you in long iron purgatory? Are you struggling with consistency, hitting long iron, or not even able to hit them at all? This might be the way out for you...

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Are you struggling with consistency hitting your long irons, or not even able to hit them at all? Hopefully this article will help you better understand what to do and how to apply that information the next time you either hit the range or the course.

Hybrids Might Help

Before we address the technical side of how to improve your long irons, maybe the question of whether or not all the hard work can be streamlined by taking those long irons out and replacing them with hybrids may be the best and easiest solution for you. Most players really struggle hitting clubs with any less loft than that of a 6 iron. Are you one of those players?
The best solution, if training and practice is not your thing, is to head down to the local golf shop and test a few of their hybrids. Try at least a few brands and different lofts until you find the club that hits the ball the distances you are struggling with. It would be best if there is a professional fitter or coach there to assist you in this endeavor.

For the rest of you who don't want to do that, pay attention to this next part.

Set Up For a Success

When setting up for a shot with a long iron, the ball position is key to getting the strike correct, but even before that is the pre-shot routine. Setting up "your mind" to get ready and hit the shot. "Mind sets before skill sets". Mind sets are anything that you would put in the category of non-analytical, non-technical thinking.

All this means is getting behind the ball to visualize your shot and imagine where you want the starting line of the ball to go, at least that, and then taking some practice swings. The real key here is to pay attention to the path you see the club head traveling on in the practice swings. Try to match up the path with the path you just visualized. Then once you can see the path, put the ball on the part of that path where you think the club face "feels pretty straight" to you. This might take a little trial and error, but it works.

Visual Aides

Try putting some tees in the ground creating a path about 1 foot long or so to help you better visualize the path while training on the range or simply use the aim sticks you can buy in any golf store nowadays. I think you will get a lot out of such a simple exercise. Sometimes learning is best achieved in an environment where simplicity is the norm.

Too many amateur players are so worried about keeping their head down, releasing the club, or whatever it may be(technical skill sets), that they don't just make life easier for themselves and better visualize and match up what they see the practice swings doing in relation to what they feel, and just visualized from behind the ball(mind sets). It can be so much more simple if you let your mind and instinct assist you and not over think things with no actual awareness of what is going on in reality. Be aware!

Now, I know the club is traveling fast, but you can still see it's path when you swing and at least see the way the grass is moving as you brush it a few times. This tip will help you a lot, use it! When your mind is able to take the time to see and feel the shot, you will feel more relaxed and free through the impact, and start to hit those long irons a lot better.

Keys to remember...

• Mind set before skill set(don't think so technically)
• Visualize the shot
• See the path and put the ball where you feel the club and path are what you visualized
• For some people, hybrids are easier to hit than long irons

Make the game easier for yourself, whether it be buying a club to do that or just getting your mind set where it needs to be,... golf is a game that "can" be simplified if you believe it can be. Have fun.

A.J. McAdam, PGA

Founder G:RAM method
Director of Instruction
Golf Channel Academy At Black Bridge powered by Golf House

(main image: courtesy of Keith Allison,