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what is a long iron in golf

by Bria Crooks Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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A long iron is anything longer than a six iron. Six iron seems to be the bridge between the clubs that are considered long irons and those that are short or mid irons. This is why you see so many golfers switching to the hybrid irons after their six irons.

Long irons are the 2-, 3- ,and 4-irons; mid-irons, the 5-, 6-, and 7-irons; short irons, the 8- and 9-irons and pitching wedge. (Two-irons are becoming obsolete and are exceedingly rare for recreational golfers. Because of this, some sources now count the 5-iron as one of the long irons.Jan 6, 2020

Full Answer

How to hit long irons in golf?

What Are the Long Irons in Golf? What Are the Long Irons in Golf? The term "long irons" is traditionally applied to the 1-iron, 2-iron, 3-iron and 4-iron, as a group. Today, nearly all golfers use only the 3-iron and 4-iron from the long irons group, and many golfers don't even use the 3 …

What is the typical length of golf irons?

Jan 02, 2010 · Long irons are the golf clubs from the 1-iron to the 5-iron. These clubs have relatively long shafts with the 1-iron having the longest shaft with the club shafts getting progressively shorter as we go down in clubs from the one through the five iron. Do golfers even use these long irons anymore?

What are the best irons for an average golfer?

Definition of long iron. 1 : a golf iron (as a North 1, North 2, or North 3 iron) that has a long shaft and relatively slight loft and is used for hitting a long relatively low ball. 2 : a shot or stroke made with a long iron — compare short iron.

Which irons are the longest?

The best advice I can give you is one of philosophy: Don't try too hard. Amateurs watch the pros hit long, high, arcing 2-lrons and then they go out and try to make their own 2-irons do the same thing. But the key is not to make it happen but to let it happen. Don't try to hit the ball hard or high. In fact, don't try to hit the ball at all ...

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Is a 7 iron a long iron?

The long irons are the 4 and 3. And some other Monkeys consider the SW, PW and 9 to be short irons – the 8, 7 and 6 to be mid – and the 5, 4 and 3 to be the long irons.

What is a long iron used for?

The irons from 2 to 4 are typically called the "long irons"; they have the lowest lofts and the longest shafts, and are designed to hit the ball long distances (180-260 yards) with low launch angles.

What is a short iron vs long iron?

Long Irons Vs Short Irons The most significant difference between these two clubs is the length and the loft. The long irons are, in fact, longer than the short irons. When you start with a club like a pitching wedge in your hand, and you move up to the nine iron, there is an increase in the loft of the club.

Why is hitting long irons so difficult?

It becomes much more difficult to square the clubface up at impact. As for ball position, the No. 1 reason why amateurs struggle so much with their long irons--besides not practicing with them--is that they over-exaggerate how far forward they're supposed to play the ball in their stance.Nov 5, 2013

Why do I hook long irons?

Probably the most common cause of a hook is the swing path. A perfect swing path would be slightly inside out. The players that hook the ball come very far inside with their path. You will notice with a golfer who has a terrible hook problem that the club may end up on an inside path directly after take away.

Should you hit down on long irons?

The long iron shot is more of a 'sweeping' stroke and many players will barely scuff the ground, rather than take a divot, when playing with a longer club. One thing to note here, however, is that the strike on the ball with a long iron should still be downward.Mar 7, 2021

What's considered a long iron?

Long irons are the 2-, 3- ,and 4-irons; mid-irons, the 5-, 6-, and 7-irons; short irons, the 8- and 9-irons and pitching wedge. (Two-irons are becoming obsolete and are exceedingly rare for recreational golfers. Because of this, some sources now count the 5-iron as one of the long irons.Jan 6, 2020

How do you play long irons?

3:249:23(2020) How To Hit Long Irons Pure And Straight [*NEW GOLF DRILLS!]YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd just hit a few little shots feeling a good robust crack of the whip a snap of the club head butMoreAnd just hit a few little shots feeling a good robust crack of the whip a snap of the club head but stop a couple of feet right after impact right about there give or take.

Why do I chunk my long irons?

Chunked or fat shots are often the result of having a “low point,” the vertically lowest point of the swing's arc, too far behind the ball. What we see with many golfers that chunk their irons is the upper body bends too far forward in the downswing and then stays there during the follow-through.Aug 10, 2018

What is the hardest club to hit in golf?

In our fittings, the driver is usually the most difficult club to fit, mostly because it is the longest and lightest club in the bag. If you don't get the shaft weight, length, flex and swing weight right, shots will be inconsistent at best. This goes for both driver and fairway woods.Jun 6, 2018

Should you swing harder with long irons?

The tendency with longer irons is to put more effort into the shot than you would if you were swinging a pitching wedge. But if you swing these clubs just like your short irons, your timing will be a lot better. You'll also have a better chance of making centerface contact, which matters most when swinging these clubs.Dec 22, 2018

What is the easiest golf club to hit?

On average the easiest golf club to hit is the 7-iron. 6-irons and 8-irons come close because these mid-iron clubs deliver high launch angles for all standards and their appearance gives confidence when players look down at them.

Why are golf clubs called irons?

The golf clubs called irons are so-called because their clubheads are made of metal. Of course, "woods" are now also made of metal, but that's a relatively recent development. Irons have featured metal clubheads (steel, these days) for centuries. The clubheads of irons are thin from front to back, and the clubfaces are grooved to impart spin on ...

Why are irons called irons?

The golf clubs called irons are so-called because their clubheads are made of metal.

What is the difference between a blade and a muscleback iron?

The difference is that a blade-style features a full back on the rear ...

How many clubs are in a set of irons?

A typical, off-the-shelf set of irons will include a 3-iron through pitching wedge (advertised as "3-PW"), 8 clubs total. The clubs are identified by a number (3, 4, 5, etc.) on the sole of each club, except for the pitching wedge which will have a "PW" or "P." Other irons may be available for purchase separately, including a 2-iron and additional wedges ( gap wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge). None of the additional clubs are necessary for beginners, and especially not the 2-iron. 1-irons used to be available, too, but are now virtually extinct.

How many yards is a 3-iron?

The yardage gap between irons is generally 10-15 yards. Your 3-iron, in other words, should produce shots that are 10-15 yards longer than your 4-iron. The specifics of this gap depend on the player, but the gap should be consistent from club to club.

What are the different types of irons?

Irons are generally categorized as long irons, mid-irons , and short irons. Long irons are the 2-, 3- ,and 4-irons; mid-irons, the 5-, 6-, and 7-irons; short irons, the 8- and 9-irons and pitching wedge. (Two-irons are becoming obsolete and are exceedingly rare for recreational golfers. Because of this, some sources now count the 5-iron as one ...

Why is a shorter shaft better?

A shorter shaft makes a club easier to control in the swing (think of baseball where a batter will " choke up " on the bat—essentially, shorten the bat—when he's simply trying to make contact rather than swing for the fences). More loft helps get the ball airborne and adds a little more control to the shot.

What are golf clubs made of?

In the very beginning of the game, golf club shafts were made from hardwood. In modern club design however, the shafts of irons are predominantly made from steel, although a sizable segment now feature shafts made from graphite and both are readily offered by club manufacturers.

What is loft on irons?

The loft (or angle of the clubface in relation to a vertical line) of irons climbs higher as does the number on the sole of the club. Or in other words, the loft will be lower on lower-numbered iron than on high-numbered irons.

What is an iron in golf?

Iron. Irons are golf clubs that are designed to send the ball on distances between that of fairway woods and hybrids and that of wedges. This category of clubs is usually the most represented in a golfer’s bag – oftentimes at 7 clubs and classically numbering from 3-iron all the way to 9-iron.

What are the different types of iron clubheads?

Types of Iron Clubhead: Cavity Back vs Muscle Back (Blades) Irons either belong to one of two clubhead categories: the cavity back or the muscle back. Muscle back irons features smaller head sizes than their counterparts and are generally made using the forging process.

Which shaft is better for golf?

Better golfers with faster swing speeds will tend to prefer steel shafts as they are thought to provide more feedback to the hands. In contrast, graphite shafts will usually be preferred by golfers with lower swing speeds and those with more limited body strength.

What happens when you hit long irons?

Too often, what happens when amateurs try to hit long irons is they let their wrists do the work, attempting to "scoop" the ball.

Where should impact be made with a long iron?

Impact with a long iron should be made directly on the ball with the hands positioned in front of the ball, allowing the body rotation and the force of the club to do the work.

How long should a golf iron be?

For most golfers, the length of a golf iron should be 38.75 inches. The height of the player is one of the primary factors that determine the length of the golf irons. There is no average length that can be considered to be suitable for a large number of players. A player who is 6 feet and 3 inches tall will often not be very comfortable using ...

What is the highest lofted iron in golf?

The club is also ideal to hit a good shot surrounding obstacles and for delivering airborne shots. With a loft degree of 41 degrees, the 9 Iron has emerged as the highest lofted golf iron. On average, it covers a distance of 132 yards.

Why do golf clubs have long shafts?

Golfers often use long shafts in their golf clubs as they feel that the club with a longer shaft would help it to cover a large distance. This is not exactly true but lengthening golf irons does have a direct impact on your game and performance. There are different ways in which you can lengthen your golf iron.

Why use single length irons?

Here are a few reasons why some golfers may prefer using single length irons: 1 It’s easy to hit by having a shorter shaft on low-loft irons 2 You can have the same swing on all the shots 3 The player doesn’t have to reposition the ball or change anything between two shots

What is the standard length of a 9 iron golf club?

With graphite shaft, the standard length for men is 34.35 inches and for women, it is 33.75 inches. A 9 iron club is categorized as a short iron golf club. The 9 iron features a high-mass clubhead and a short shaft.

How long is a 5 iron golf club?

With steel shafts, the standard length of a 5 iron golf club is 37.5 inches. With a graphite shaft, the standard length for men is 38 inches and for women, it stands at 37.25 inches. A 5 iron golf club usually offers a 28-degree loft angle. The 5 Iron is a mid-range golf club featuring an iron clubhead.

Why shorten your iron?

Shortening the length of a golf iron helps to hit shots at the center of the clubhead consistently. A lot of players feel that their shots are more accurate once they shorten their irons.

Why do you need a long iron in golf?

Overall, if you have the skills and the swing speed , it can be worth keeping both a hybrid and a long iron in your golf bag.

What is a 3 iron golf set?

The 3 iron was considered a staple in the set, and it bridged the gap between the irons and the fairway woods. More and more golfers started realizing that the 3 iron was just too difficult to hit, and the sets started being sold as 4-PW.

Why are long irons being phased out?

This mostly comes down to the difficulty that golfers have of getting the ball up in the air. Long irons, when hit well, are going to feel really pure. They will allow you to go after a pin and stop the ball quickly on the green.

What irons are available in a short iron hybrid?

Some brands make hybrids available in a 6, 7, 8, 9 iron and even a pitching wedge and as part of a full hybrid set.

Is driving irons good for golf?

For golfers that can’t get the hang of hybrids, the driving irons are often a good choice. You will have the look of a club that looks more like an iron but the performance that is similar to a hybrid.

Is a hybrid better than a long iron?

There is no question that beginners should be using hybrids as opposed to long irons. For a beginner, the hybrid is clearly the better choice because of its forgiveness and ease of launch. It is nearly impossible for a beginner to hit the ball with as much loft or control with a long iron than with a hybrid.

Is it easier to hit a hybrid or long iron?

Fairway. From the fairway, you will find that the hybrid is generally a little bit easier to hit than the long irons. If you get a great lie in the fairway, the long irons are still going to be relatively easy to hit. The real issues happen when the lie is sloped, or you end up in a divot.

How to hit a ball solid with long irons?

If you’re struggling to hit the ball solid with your long irons, then by all means, play the ball in the middle of your stance or a ball or two forward of center, like you would an 8-iron. This will help you to compress it better and launch the ball high with enough spin to carry it the appropriate distance.

What happens if you hit a couple of flush 5 irons in warm ups?

If you hit a couple of flush 5-irons in warm-ups, it will remove that apprehension you may be experiencing on the course. Here are a few other keys to help you become more efficient at hitting the longer irons.

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Set Composition

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A typical, off-the-shelf set of irons will include a 3-iron through pitching wedge (advertised as "3-PW"), 8 clubs total. The clubs are identified by a number (3, 4, 5, etc.) on the sole of each club, except for the pitching wedge which will have a "PW" or "P." Other irons may be available for purchase separately, including a 2-iron an…
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Loft, Length, and Distance

  • As you go through the set, from the 3-iron to the pitching wedge, each iron has a little more loft than the previous, and a little shorter shaft length than the previous, so each club (going from 3-iron to PW) hits the golf ball a little less distance than the previous. That is, a 5-iron has more loft, a shorter shaft, and produces shorter shots than the 4-iron; the 4-iron has more loft, a shorter sh…
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Long, Mid-, and Short Irons

  • Irons are generally categorized as long irons, mid-irons , and short irons. Long irons are the 2-, 3- ,and 4-irons; mid-irons, the 5-, 6-, and 7-irons; short irons, the 8- and 9-irons and pitching wedge. (Two-irons are becoming obsolete and are exceedingly rare for recreational golfers. Because of this, some sources now count the 5-iron as one of t...
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Distances

  • Learning your distances—how far you hit each club—is much more important than trying to hit each club to some predetermined "correct" yardage. There is no "right" distance for each club, there is only your distance. That said, a typical male recreational golfer might hit a 4-, 5-, or 6- iron from 150 yards, while a typical female might use a 3-wood, 5-wood, or 3-iron from that distance. …
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Hitting

  • Irons can be played from the teeing ground, using a golf tee, and it is often appropriate to do so. On a par-3 hole, for example, you will probably use an iron on your tee shot. Or you might use an iron off any (or even every) tee in order to have better control over the shot. But most of your iron shots will come from the fairway. Irons are designed with divots in mind. That's why they have a …
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