Question:
I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap.
you may be honest but i dont think a 30 hcap. is considered average…certainly not where i’m from 
Response:
I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. you may be honest but i dont think a 30 hcap. is considered average…certainly not where i’m from
I’ve seen it in print many times, including here, that the "average golfer" rarely breaks 100, which would be pretty close to a 30 hdcp, no??? I guess it depends on the sample base. Dave Clary/Corpus Christi,TX http://www.geocities.com/~texasp38 RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/claryd.htm
Response:
Hi, I try hitting the ball at a target, after taking about 15 shots first which go every ways. Then I get in a groove and they go perfect. I think I somehow fail to remain loose, unless I am pumping out shots one after another. The problem starts again with the woods too. I do not think weather is a factor. Thanks for your reply to my posting. — Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Response:
Mulligan, You make good sense. I have some woods bought at Kmart, which I am not comfortable with. I am waiting for this friend at my golf club to sell me his Taylormade firesole woods (1,3,5,7), at the end of the season, which seem to have the right feel for me, as I have tried them on occasion. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The problem is not really you, it’s the clubs. The 2 and 3 iron are frankly for sub-10 handicap, or even better. I am a 17 handicap and I leave those clubs in the garage. They are fun to use on the range where you can hit 10 in a row and really get the feel. But in golf you only get one shot. Get a 5 wood, 7 wood and maybe even a 9 wood, you’ll have better results. One other place the 3 iron is useful is hitting out from under trees. If you have a course with lots of trees you have the golfing gods permission to carry a 3 iron just for that purpose. The issue with these clubs are: 1. Very little loft. This means you must hit them perfectly or you will get more side spin than back spin. Side spin is what causes hooks and slices. On lofted clubs, like a 7 iron, you get so much back spin it over- rides the side spin, so you don’t get much slice. 2. Very little mass under and behind the ball. In other words, there isn’t much club weight there to help you get the ball airborne. 3. Longer shafts magnify swing errors. 4. The small flat face induces all kinds of swing errors in 30 handicappers. You may be trying to scoop the ball in the air, by letting the clubhead get to the ball before you hands. Instead you want to hit down on the ball, by letting your hands pass by the ball slightly before the club head. Paradoxically, hitting down on the ball will cause it to pop up in the air. Mulligan The problem is not really you, it’s the clubs. The 2 and 3 iron are frankly for sub-10 handicap, or even better. I am a 17 handicap and I leave those clubs in the garage. They are fun to use on the range where you can hit 10 in a row and really get the feel. But in golf you only get one shot. Get a 5 wood, 7 wood and maybe even a 9 wood, you’ll have better results. One other place the 3 iron is useful is hitting out from under trees. If you have a course with lots of trees you have the golfing gods’ permission to carry a 3 iron just for that purpose. The issue with these clubs are: 1. Very little loft. This means you must hit them perfectly or you will get more side spin than back spin. Side spin is what causes hooks and slices. On lofted clubs, like a 7 iron, you get so much back spin it over- rides the side spin, so you don’t get much slice. 2. Very little mass under and behind the ball. In other words, there isn’t much club weight there to help you get the ball airborne. 3. Longer shafts magnify swing errors. 4. The small flat face induces all kinds of swing errors in 30 handicappers(and 17s). You may be trying to scoop the ball in the air, by letting the clubhead get to the ball before you hands. If so you are hitting the ball with the leading edge of the club, not the face, a "skulled shot". Instead you want to hit down on the ball, by letting your hands pass by the ball slightly before the club head. Paradoxically, hitting down on the ball will cause it to pop up in the air. The face imparts lots of backspin which gets the ball up into the air. Mulligan I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap. My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of the fairway with it. I also am sporadic with the other clubs (No consistency). I get no lift with the 2 and 3 irons. Maybe I tense up before shooting and that causes the problem. Has anybody else had the same problem and what did you do about it? Please don’t tell me you switched to tennis. — Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
– Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Response:
Have all of your clubs fitted. It makes a world of difference and puts consistency into your game. I couldn’t hit a 2,3 or 4 iron at all until I got fitted. Now they are long and straight. [most of the time] – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap. My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of the fairway with it. I also am sporadic with the other clubs (No consistency). I get no lift with the 2 and 3 irons. Maybe I tense up before shooting and that causes the problem. Has anybody else had the same problem and what did you do about it? Please don’t tell me you switched to tennis. — Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Before you buy.
Response:
Marty, I tried out my swing on the driving range yesterday and what you said was right. I also slowed up my swing and had better results. Not perfect, but much improved. Thanks for your tip. The advise you have been getting about using fairway woods instead of long irons is very good. However, if you must carry a 2 and 3 iron and you hit them well at the range, I bet you are making a full shoulder turn there and not on the course. Nine out of ten times people hit long irons well at the range because they turn behind the ball (which is essential to long iron play). On the course it seems this is lost and the arms go back ok but not the shoulder. Concentrate on getting that shoulder behind the ball while you play and see if you don’t do better. MARTY
– Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Response:
The advise you have been getting about using fairway woods instead of long irons is very good. However, if you must carry a 2 and 3 iron and you hit them well at the range, I bet you are making a full shoulder turn there and not on the course. Nine out of ten times people hit long irons well at the range because they turn behind the ball (which is essential to long iron play). On the course it seems this is lost and the arms go back ok but not the shoulder. Concentrate on getting that shoulder behind the ball while you play and see if you don’t do better. MARTY
Response:
I carry a 2 and 3 iron no 3 and 5 wood in my bag. I use to have the same prob so i changed two things 1 i started to wear my golf shoes on the range [ i figure thats what i;ll be wearing when i use the clubs ] and it made a big differance now for 2 at the top of my swing if my weight is at least 65 to 70% on my left side [ rh golfer ] I’ll hit the ball damm near perfect . my 2 iron goes 225-230 and before i was happy to get 200 ,,
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap. My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of the fairway with it. I also am sporadic with the other clubs (No consistency). I get no lift with the 2 and 3 irons. Maybe I tense up before shooting and that causes the problem. Has anybody else had the same problem and what did you do about it? Please don’t tell me you switched to tennis. — Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Response:
Have you ever tried to practice like a real round? After you’re warmed up, pretend you’re playing an actual course. Pick some part of the range and make it a target for your driver, then pick a random yardage and try to hit an approach shot, etc. The idea is not to hit the same club twice in a row. I think sometimes when you practice with one club for a long time, you stop thinking about your setup. But when you’re on the course, the setup just can’t be overlooked when you’re hitting different clubs all the time. With this practice, you’ll have to change your setup for drivers, long irons, short irons, etc. Hopefully this will help bring your range game to the course. Of course you can always play more courses. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of
Response:
I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap.
If you have a 30 I think you’d be better off forgetting the 2 and 3 iron for now, as others have said. Not very many people carry them anymore, and of those who carry them even fewer can hit them better than they could hit a 5 and 7 wood. Reading r.s.g you probably think a lot of people carry them, but I think the r.s.g posters are on the whole much better players than the average golfer — you have to be fairly serious about golf to take the time to read and post here regularly. The true test of whether a club is useful to you to carry on the course is whether it performs for you on the course. Until bringing the 2 and 3 iron along for a round will result in a score that is lower for you than it would be if you brought other clubs (or just carried fewer!) it isn’t worthwhile to do. If you are a 30 handicap, your problem is not that you need to have a club to enable you to hit the green from 200 or more yards away, you probably would do well to average hitting that green in two shots. Once you start hitting the green from 150-180 more than half the time, you can worry about increasing your odds from 200+. I carry all the way down to a 1 iron, and I’m _really_ good with the long irons (much better than fairway woods, which is why I don’t carry them) But despite that, if I’m standing 230-250 away from the green with my 1 iron, I figure at best it is about 1 in 6 that I’ll hit the green. I have a good enough short game that I know I have a pretty good chance at getting up and down from the nearby rough or bunkers. But despite that, the occasional wild one or mishit that ends up under a tree, or a bad bunker lie or whatever probably means I would on the whole average a lower score if I just hit a 5 iron short and left myself an easy pitch to the green. I suspect this is true for almost all golfers with handicaps of 5 or higher, whether you are talking about going for the green with a long iron or with a 3 wood. But most of us either aren’t honest about our chances of pulling off the shot, or (like me) find it is more fun to hit the green from further away than many people can hit a driver and make an eagle putt, even if it is unfortunately a fairly rare occurance, versus posting slightly lower scores and going from a 6 handicap to a 5 handicap. I would say though that it is certainly a good idea to keep practicing with those clubs on the range, if you don’t bring them to the course. Anyone can string together 10 solid 7 irons in a row, but if you do it with a 2 iron, you know have a pretty fundamentally sound swing, and can worry about other things like direction of those solid hits, short game, putting, etc. — Doug Siebert If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
Response:
Forget the 2 iron and only hit the 3 iron off a tee on long par threes for a good while. It’s always harder on the course – odds are you are not hitting "down" on the ball, but those are tough clubs for the average golfer to hit well. Another possibility would be to buy a 7 wood and take the 2 and 3 out of your bag .
This is excellent advice. I use a 2 iron at the range sometimes because it takes a perfect stroke to hit it…its good practice but I would never try to use it on the course. I used to only use the 3 iron off the tee but since I replaced my 3 iron with a 7 wood (which is much easier to hit) I have something that is much more reliable from both the tee and the fairway. If fact I found that my 7 wood and 5 wood were close enough in distance that I have dropped the 5 wood in favor of another wedge.
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I have the same problem. Its mental with me. No pressure on the range. Josh
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Does your driving range have turf mats and grass tees or just the mats? My practice became a lot more effective once I started practicing off grass tees instead of mats – the mats will forgive you a lot more than the ground if you hit just a little fat. If you have the option, try practicing on grass tees. Not sure what the ranges are like wherever you might be though. HTH, Rich Terrell.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap. My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of the fairway with it. I also am sporadic with the other clubs (No consistency). I get no lift with the 2 and 3 irons. Maybe I tense up before shooting and that causes the problem. Has anybody else had the same problem and what did you do about it? Please don’t tell me you switched to tennis. — Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Response:
Just take it easy. I always try to force my swing on the course because I don’t want to look like a fool, but I always end up screwing up. Just try to relax and let the club do the work. Take couple practice swings, making sure to concentrate on not forcing the club head down. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap. My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of the fairway with it. I also am sporadic with the other clubs (No consistency). I get no lift with the 2 and 3 irons. Maybe I tense up before shooting and that causes the problem. Has anybody else had the same problem and what did you do about it? Please don’t tell me you switched to tennis. — Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Response:
Roger, When you’re at the range, do you aim at anything? I’m asking because I think most people don’t. They stand in the stall and try to put a good swing on the ball and it flys. There’s really no pressure because if they screwup – they just tee up another ball. There are no consequences for hitting a crummy shot like there are on the course. When I’m at the range (not that I’m really good enough to give anyone advice anyway), I hit a few balls just to warm up but after that, every swing I make, I’m aiming at one of the flags or signs on the range. I’m trying to get that same feeling of trying to put the ball on the green. Maybe that will work for you. Kenny – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap. My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of the fairway with it. I also am sporadic with the other clubs (No consistency). I get no lift with the 2 and 3 irons. Maybe I tense up before shooting and that causes the problem. Has anybody else had the same problem and what did you do about it? Please don’t tell me you switched to tennis. — Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Kenny Stultz RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/stultzk.htm
Response:
Forget the 2 iron and only hit the 3 iron off a tee on long par threes for a good while. It’s always harder on the course – odds are you are not hitting "down" on the ball, but those are tough clubs for the average golfer to hit well. Another possibility would be to buy a 7 wood and take the 2 and 3 out of your bag .
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap. My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of the fairway with it. I also am sporadic with the other clubs (No consistency). I get no lift with the 2 and 3 irons. Maybe I tense up before shooting and that causes the problem. Has anybody else had the same problem and what did you do about it? Please don’t tell me you switched to tennis. — Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Response:
I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap. My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of the fairway with it. I also am sporadic with the other clubs (No consistency). I get no lift with the 2 and 3 irons. Maybe I tense up before shooting and that causes the problem. Has anybody else had the same problem and what did you do about it? Please don’t tell me you switched to tennis. — Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Response:
The problem is not really you, it’s the clubs. The 2 and 3 iron are frankly for sub-10 handicap, or even better. I am a 17 handicap and I leave those clubs in the garage. They are fun to use on the range where you can hit 10 in a row and really get the feel. But in golf you only get one shot. Get a 5 wood, 7 wood and maybe even a 9 wood, you’ll have better results. One other place the 3 iron is useful is hitting out from under trees. If you have a course with lots of trees you have the golfing gods permission to carry a 3 iron just for that purpose. The issue with these clubs are: 1. Very little loft. This means you must hit them perfectly or you will get more side spin than back spin. Side spin is what causes hooks and slices. On lofted clubs, like a 7 iron, you get so much back spin it over-rides the side spin, so you don’t get much slice. 2. Very little mass under and behind the ball. In other words, there isn’t much club weight there to help you get the ball airborne. 3. Longer shafts magnify swing errors. 4. The small flat face induces all kinds of swing errors in 30 handicappers. You may be trying to scoop the ball in the air, by letting the clubhead get to the ball before you hands. Instead you want to hit down on the ball, by letting your hands pass by the ball slightly before the club head. Paradoxically, hitting down on the ball will cause it to pop up in the air. Mulligan The problem is not really you, it’s the clubs. The 2 and 3 iron are frankly for sub-10 handicap, or even better. I am a 17 handicap and I leave those clubs in the garage. They are fun to use on the range where you can hit 10 in a row and really get the feel. But in golf you only get one shot. Get a 5 wood, 7 wood and maybe even a 9 wood, you’ll have better results. One other place the 3 iron is useful is hitting out from under trees. If you have a course with lots of trees you have the golfing gods’ permission to carry a 3 iron just for that purpose. The issue with these clubs are: 1. Very little loft. This means you must hit them perfectly or you will get more side spin than back spin. Side spin is what causes hooks and slices. On lofted clubs, like a 7 iron, you get so much back spin it over-rides the side spin, so you don’t get much slice. 2. Very little mass under and behind the ball. In other words, there isn’t much club weight there to help you get the ball airborne. 3. Longer shafts magnify swing errors. 4. The small flat face induces all kinds of swing errors in 30 handicappers(and 17s). You may be trying to scoop the ball in the air, by letting the clubhead get to the ball before you hands. If so you are hitting the ball with the leading edge of the club, not the face, a "skulled shot". Instead you want to hit down on the ball, by letting your hands pass by the ball slightly before the club head. Paradoxically, hitting down on the ball will cause it to pop up in the air. The face imparts lots of backspin which gets the ball up into the air. Mulligan
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap. My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of the fairway with it. I also am sporadic with the other clubs (No consistency). I get no lift with the 2 and 3 irons. Maybe I tense up before shooting and that causes the problem. Has anybody else had the same problem and what did you do about it? Please don’t tell me you switched to tennis. — Roger — Do not take as the absolute truth anything you read on the net, regarding products or advice. Always seek a consensus of opinions. Before you buy.
Response:
If things are as you say they are, you’re not hitting the ball the same way on the golf course that you are on the range. So … spend your range time practicing hitting the ball the way you do on the golf course, or hit the ball on the course the way you do on the range. WHY are you performing differently on the golf course? I don’t know. YOU TELL ME. It’s your brain! "When I drive around the cones in the parking lot I am perfect every time. But when I drive my car around town, I’m always running over trash cans and pets. Why is that?" Think about it. I don’t know the answer. YOU MIGHT. -joseph – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think I am a honest and average golfer with a 30 handicap. You see me on the driving range and then you think this guy (Me) must have a 10 handicap. My problem is my game is left on the driving range. I hit the two and three irons perfectly there and every other club too. Once I leave the driving range and get down to business I hit with the two or three irons and my ball goes about 50 yards along the ground, taking part of the fairway with it. I also am sporadic with the other clubs (No consistency). I get no lift with the 2 and 3 irons. Maybe I tense up before shooting and that causes the problem. Has anybody else had the same problem and what did you do about it? Please don’t tell me you switched to tennis.