From a similar video of yours years ago I learned and incorporated delofting my irons to create more solid contact, which in turn increased my confidence immensely. Understanding concepts of club head in relation to ball is priceless when learning to hit irons. In just one year I felt comfortable swinging 3 to PW. And that's when golf became real fun. As a teacher myself, your ability to explain concepts like this in such a clear and accessible way is admirable.
Thankyou. I watched and absorbed a Greg Norman video many years ago. With his advice, I only carried irons in my bag and consistently outdrove fellow golfers, one of whom was a pro, with a 3 iron. Greg's advice which I frequently practiced, also gave my game a 'draw', much to my opponent's dismay. So I have only this to state: "It is only your mind which either holds you back .... or propels you forward".
Great video Adam, thank you! This helps explain for the first time why I get a lot of height but I am lacking distance on my irons. I will work on correcting this as soon as I can get back out to the range.
Best advice I’ve gotten on how to strike down on the iron.. too bad I had to watch 20 videos prior to this one. This allowed me to figure out what I have been doing wrong.
A common problem with amateur golfer is to get similar yardage with different irons, ie 7 and 5 irons, even woods give similar distance. Do you have a video that addresses that problem? Thanks.
Awesome lesson. Thanks Adam. What I find challenging (playing to about a 9 HCP), even when I was playing to a lower HCP, is always the iron strike as opposed to the driver. I am a very good driver of the ball. However, it just seems like the iron require a little less 'Guidance' if that's the right word. That's my weakness; I seem to want to straighten the club, and aim it into the ball on the downswing, instead of letting the release of the club happen naturally as it does on your swing. Your table example has made think of this. Thank you for posting. TU!
Great video. Can you explain a bit more about “this is the way the club is designed to work”? Nobody ever seems to get into detail about this. Why is it designed so that the shaft must lean forward / delofted? How do club designers know these things? I’m sorta fascinated by this.
Thanks Marcus. I have a number of videos at this RUclips channel that get into this. If interested, look for ones that deal with impact, compressing the ball, etc. At www.scratchgolfacademy.com I have full, sequential video courses. The 'Full swing' course and the 'irons' course have a lot of content & drills in this area, hope you'll consider it. All the best, Adam
Scratch Golf Academy Thanks Adam. I’ll take a look. My curiosity is about why golf club designers make clubs the way they do. Are they working in ways that they understand due to testing and observation that they keep secret?How did they come to the conclusion that the correct way to apply force to the ball is by leaning the shaft forward? It seems completely counterintuitive and feels like good golfers learn it almost by accident after thousands of shots. By the way, it’s great to see a teacher with such a good looking swing. Many coaches have pretty ordinary swings.
Adam another brilliant video. I will certainly practice it with the line up stick in the ground. I will also practice it with slow half swings ensuring a good weight shift to my front foot but insuring I take a divot in front of the ball by de-lofting the club.
It’s really weird, when I first started learning to play golf a few months ago, I started with a 7 Iron and I was ‘OK’ but I was REALLY struggling with my driver. Now I’m ‘OK’ with my driver (although I do slice it sometimes) I’m struggling at the moment with my Irons, I think my feet was too far apart (the driver stance) as when I moved my feet in level with my shoulders I could hit the ball more easily. My issue is when I bring the Iron down 8/10 I keep topping the ball, I need to bring the Iron down more hitting the ball from behind causing the divot in front of the ball. Keep practicing!!!
Hey Adam! When hitting the 8 iron when u did , is the ball position like a 5 iron from what i seen?? Is this to compensate for body movement and weight on your lead side when hitting threw the shot? Thx Steve
I think the right ball position is different (to a point) for different players. I likely have more weight shift and lag than most high handicappers, so I would play the ball farther forward. That said, I often play the ball farther forward than I intend... Hope this helps. Best, Adam
Hi Adam, Thanks for showing me to play the club the way it was designed. I don't think I can go wrong knowing that. Too cold here in Michigan, but warming up soon [early].
Hey, I'm a teenager who's just beginning golf. I've watched most of your videos and went golfing for the first time a few days ago. I was unable to hit the golf ball consistently no matter what. I go golfing with my dad, uncle, and cousin, and they all said that I was swinging way too fast and losing control, and when I do swing slower, I can hit a very straight and nice shot with solid contact, however I keep feeling like I should be hitting it much further. A 7 iron will go around 90-100 yards for me while swinging fairly slowly. Just curious as to if you have any tips at all! Thanks!
Ashu, Thanks, and glad you like the videos. Regards speed, it is critical to success in golf. That said, working on form, and solid contact, at less than full speed is a good idea too. I'd mix it up when practicing, some for form, then ramp up the speed for a few shots. I hope this helps. All the best to you, Adam
@@nusuxd8857 haha this was a while ago, doing quite a bit better now, 7 iron carries roughly 185-190, ended up improving much more when I started in person lessons!
Great video, got to tee it up yesterday in Minnesota would've been a great drill to work on... I think delofting the club aside from body rotation is one of my biggest issues. I tend to feel like I'm trapping myself at impact so instead of finishing with weight on lead foot (finishing through the ball), I'm almost leaning backwards at impact so it never feel comfortable leading to lower ball compression, slice issues, and loss of distance
Ive developed a 10 finger style (baseball) grip swing took 2 years it works great on every club from wedges to 6 iron and driver. BUT MY 4 IRON HATES IT. I noticed that the lie angle of my 4 iron is laid back having my hands down closer to my crotch and ground. If i miss hit it the divot is usually tow in ground. Im standing correct distance away from ball and my posture is upright not crouched over. Im thinking of getting lie angle changed on that club more upright. I watch closley my forearms at impact to make sure they are level and im not coming over ball or doublecross. Frustrating... any ideas. 4 iron seems to like standard grip more also pinky interlaced over hand etc.
It sounds as if the 4 iron is not a good fit for you, especially since you are doing well with the other clubs. Perhaps you might consider a hybrid? A good club fitter can steer you in the right direction, or at least give you some options to try. Hope this helps. Best, Adam
Hey, Adam, I watch a lot of your videos. My swing is getting better. One thing I don't understand is the thing you do with the towel? The whipping of the club? Seems to me to be more focused on the arms and wrists. Maybe you could do a video on that??
Frederick, Thanks, glad you like the videos. In the towel whipping, the hand (holding the towel) represents the pelvis, or core. I hope this helps. Best, Adam
Because of your teachings I have learned to hit my irons, driver, wedge so much better. I went from a +30 golfer to a +10/+15 golfer in 3 months. Now if I can only get my putts to go in. Lol Thank you so much and keep up the great work.
Thanks for this Adam - makes perfect sense! Can the type of ball help with the compression(should higher handicappers check this- what would you recommend)? I kinda see why manufactures are using less loft on SGI irons - less loft presented by default ?🤔 😵😖 👍
Thanks. Regards which type of ball, not much difference between the top ones. Manufacturers have de-lofted clubs to give people the perception they are hitting the ball farther. All the best, Adam
John, I wouldn't try and do that. However, if your hip motion is powerful enough it may just happen a bit, without you thinking about it. Hope this helps. Best, Adam
Adam, Should the hands be in front of the club head (shaft lean) on drivers as well? I will be checking out more of your driver videos. Thank you for helping me and all of us in the comments.
DJ, Due mostly to set up cadges the hands will not be 'in front' of the ball with a driver, but the shaft should be more or less in line with the lead arm, if you can picture that. Best, Adam
Perry, Hard to say without seeing you swing. I've got a couple of videos at the channel on fading the ball, I'd work on that. Hope it helps. Best, Adam
Thanks very much. I just mean get enough steepness from one source (weight & hands forward), and balance it with enough shallowness (swing plane). Best, Adam
Coach, Another excellent video. My natural swing is using mainly my lower body (hips) to generate my swing. It wasn't until watching various iron videos explaining keeping you hands ahead at impact that I increased my distance and also my actual hitting accuracy. How I was able to get my hands ahead at impact was by focusing on using my upper body. Unfortunately when I do that I can't tell whether I am starting my swing with the hips or my shoulders. It concerns me that if I focus on using my upper body my whole swing will get messed up. Tell me/us if I'm on the correct path before I build a nasty habit. Thanks
Adam, Although you made a solid point regarding having the shaft ahead of the ball through impact, you did not mention that a golfer also has to accelerate release of the forearms & wrists to impact the ball square to target. To put most players into position with some shaft lead without speeding up the release generally results with a strike of the ball with the heel of the club well head of the toe, that's a hard push with leaving the face so open at impact. I urge a folow up presentation to cover how to speed up the release in order to strike the ball to square the club face through the impact zone for gaining more accurate yardage gain. Props for your pace of explanation. Made digesting your methodology easier.
Thanks Jeff. Unfortunately the 'viewer patience' on RUclips is low, it's not typical for viewers to finish a video. If too many variables are addressed, and the video drags on people just stop watching. I do have several videos at the channel about squaring the face. I appreciate the comment just the same. Best, Adam
Hi, I used to hit hit my irons long, but now it is going up in the sky and the distance is still ok. But the wind is affecting the high flight. Any way to control the flight??
Great video but I feel like a segment on setup should precede this video. In fact, perhaps this would be a third segment as grip and takeaway should come first.
One thing I’ve been struggling with my iron swing is catching it thin while still taking a small divot maybe 2-3 inches ahead of the ball. Any tips how to fix this?
Caleb, Hard to say without seeing you swing. Grab an 8 iron and hit a few hip high to hip high swings, vary the downward hit etc, see if you can find a feel that works. Hope this helps. Best, Adam
Just a tip that MIGHT help... Mess with your ball position. Try moving it back in your stance a ball or two. You might be striking the ball before the club has begun to shallow out, which could explain your delayed divot and hitting it thin.. that I’m guessing is from blading it (catching it off the bottom of the club face). Moving the ball back will also encourage hitting down on it and give the feeling of leaning into your iron shots like he shows Tiger and Davis doing early in the video.. start with an 8iron and work your way down.
One thing you were consistently doing well that is most important but you didn’t mention was after your weight shift to left you pushed your left leg straight back. That is what creates the forward shaft lean.
I bought a package of very small silver stickers. I stick one high on the club face to remind me to hit high on the face. This makes me de-loft the club.
4:30 sure but on a real golf course the ball rarely rests on a hard surface. And if it was you would not want the club to go below the bottom of the ball. Or it will bounce off the hard surface and ruin the strike. So in reality we play off a surface with at least some give and as such the ball centerline is closer to the surface than it would be on a hard surface. The question then is how hard is the surface and how deep is the ball. If you close the face too much at impact the club will hit fat. If you don't close it enough the club will bounce and there is a good chance of blading the ball. Liikewise if the surface is soft or hard. So part of hitting a good iron shot is figuring out how low the club can go...has to go...to make good contact with the ball...and what loft is required to get the ball up out of the underlying surface. And how far you can reasonably expect the ball to go and how much the club will open before striking the ball. When playing off the fairway this completely depends on how soft the fairway is. Out of the rough it depends on how deep the ball is in the grass. Often it is easier to hit balls out of short rough than the fairway as the fairway roots are so tangled and twisted it is like hitting off mud. If you take any real divot the ball will go short and to the outside just as hitting a ball down deep in deep rough or sand. It is always better if the ball is sitting up high on a soft surface. Then even an open club will easily get under the ball and divot without bouncing.
Fair enough. These videos are not designed to get into the endless possible variables, more to give an overview. That said, if the ball is sitting in a slightly fluffy lie it is still recommended to have forward shaft lean at impact. Tis can still be done and not go too deeply into the grass. Thanks, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy but they don't need to match up with "endless" possible scenarios. They don't even need to match up with the realistic general scenarios. The thing is, they are just videos. My golf-ball doesn't care what you show or don't show in your videos. It doesn't even care if I hit it into the woods. But *I* care. And if I' am going to try to use a technique that will both make my shot unreliable and hit the ball farther when it does work, I definitely want to know the details of the technique that I need to make it reliable. So, restricting this to irons off the tee and fairway and driver off the tee, what do you think are the keys to getting the face-to-path angle correct at impact?
Without seeing you swing, and listening to the sound your shots make, it's hard to comment. I can tell you from experience a coach could describe ideal impact to 5 different players, then get 5 different results/interpretations. Hogan said "you have to dig the answers out of the dirt" and I think there is some truth to that. Best, Adam
My game is strange. My irons are quite long (180 7i, 190 6i, 200 5i), but my modern drivers only carry around 225. I have no idea why. Always been that way. I hit a nice high push draw with every club, but the driver (many of them) is just dead. I’d rather just crunch a 3i out there. Even in the simulators. 200 yard 5i, and 220 driver. WTF?????
Joe, You definitely sound like a candidate to see a quality club fitter. With a launch monitor you can not only dial in the all important fit of the driver, but you can see whether your impact tendencies are well suited for a driver, or if swing adjustments must be made. I hope this helps. Best, Adam
Nigel, According to Google farther is for physical distances, further for figurative distances. Either way, hope you enjoyed the video. All the best, Adam
well the reason we are all doing it wrong is because we are told over and over,(DON't slide, well watching your hips, and all the other video you showed the center and your hips are all ahead of the ball when you make connect.) That is the reason and we all have to learn all over again. I have a lot of work to do before the season starts again. NOW, who is right and who is wrong???????????
What is crazy is ive always shot about 90. I found some spalding irons maybe 15 years old and shot 75 twice with them. Ive had 1000 dollar clubs and these 50 dollar looking clubs are so much lighter then any iron ever and maybe its the hozel angle and toe shape n material but these clubs are 80 percent better so consistent line and any iron goes exactly how far and line i want it to with like zero effort. It is truly bizarre. I really thinknit because of how much lighter they are. Idk but i immediately noticed how deadly they were chipping 6 7 8 9 around yard and played with them twice and shot 15 strokes better the 1st 2 times then all the times i ever went. If u dont think finding the right weight clubs type shaft and hozel angle and material matter then your truly missin out. Price is no importance. These spaldings were prolly 50 dollars 15 years ago and its stupid how much easier and deadly these things are then my 1000 dollar titlests. I found a cheapsuper lightweight driver amd hit it perfect almost everytime compared to my 400 dollar taylor made that always in the woods. Before any instruction find clubs that chip exact line and distances it feels it should with like 6 thru P just chipping with them make sure there sweetspot line is perfect and distance is exactly how it feels before u even do a full swing. Then get those clubs and worry about instruction. Ive watched instruction 10 years and couldnt break 90. Found light clubs that fit me and instantly shot 75 twice in a row. Find the right clubs ladies and gents. Find them by chippping 20 percent power and make sure go exact distance and line naturally with no effort. Then buy those. Price is no importance what so ever
@@Scratchgolfacademy i really thinknits the weight and off set hosel and super light weight. Its amazing how pure u can hit with just 20 percent swings. I thinknits very important to he able to find the sweet spot with short 20 percent swings and build up from there. Crawl walk run u know. I was chipping with those spaldings the 6 7 8 iron and there so perfect line and trajectory and go exact distance i feel it should im gonna hit 10 to 80 yard approach shots with those instead of P S wedges. Whats bizarre to me is if input the ball at back of stance and chopp straight down on the ball like driving it into the ground how low and far they go on exact line. Its hard to wrap my mind around how much better 50 dollar clubs are for me the 1000 dollar titlest. And i got a cheap super light driver and hit it way better then my 400 dollar Taylor made. I think. I only swing about 85 mph. Maybe thats why such lightweight clubs do so much better for me. I was thinkin bout get set of callaway war birds for 100 dollars at pawnshop just ro see the difference vs the spaldings. Usually shoot 90 95 at this course im going wed and last rime shot 65 there. I found a super light weight old hickory shaft putter and like the irons when i put it goes exact right distance. Line is in consistent but distance is more important then line to not 3 putt. Injust found it yesterday. Maybe ill break 70bwithbit cus i ad 50 putts when i shot 75. If this putter is like those irons i may break 70. Who wudda thot the weight of clubs would matter. I always thought shaft mattered most. Fixing my grip in combo with the light driver and irons changed my game completely. Hopefully this putter does the trick as well. Keepm coming. I love listening to fold instruction when im falln asllep.maybe im getting osmosis
Neil, According to Google farther is for physical distances, further for figurative distances. Either way, hope you enjoyed the video. All the best, Adam
Justin, You are the first person I've ever heard accuse the pure swinging Rosie of being off plane. That's OK, you are entitled to your opinion. Best, Adam.
Justin, No hard feelings, and maybe Sean didn't like the way he was swinging that day. All I was referring to is a generalization, I think (in general) he has a beautiful swing plane. All the best, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy I think he's amazing... The purest iron player outside tiger imo bit they were trying to work on getting steep and exciting left for an upcoming event
Don, The golf world, with millions of shots of Trackman data, would disagree with you. Certainly speed, centered hit are also very relevant. That said, Tour players de-loft a great deal more that the average golfer. No worries. Best, Adam
Great video Adam..very good inpack drill..you have alot of great video..thanks
Thanks very much Edward.
Best, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy koi Mike laage
From a similar video of yours years ago I learned and incorporated delofting my irons to create more solid contact, which in turn increased my confidence immensely. Understanding concepts of club head in relation to ball is priceless when learning to hit irons. In just one year I felt comfortable swinging 3 to PW. And that's when golf became real fun. As a teacher myself, your ability to explain concepts like this in such a clear and accessible way is admirable.
Thanks very much for the kind comment.
All the best, Adam
Really liked your comments that drills meant for the right feeling, not for perfect shots. Knowing this helps me a lot.
Xun,
Thanks, glad the video was helpful.
All the best, Adam
Thankyou.
I watched and absorbed a Greg Norman video many years ago.
With his advice, I only carried irons in my bag and consistently outdrove fellow golfers, one of whom was a pro, with a 3 iron.
Greg's advice which I frequently practiced, also gave my game a 'draw', much to my opponent's dismay.
So I have only this to state: "It is only your mind which either holds you back .... or propels you forward".
Thanks for the comment!
All the best, Adam
Thank you!!! Will try handle forward on the range and see if there is added yards.
Hope you have success Alexander
Best, Adam
Thank you for sharing. I keep practice swinging . I looping everytime I hit golf ball
Thanks Eliza, hope you make good progress
Best, Adam
Nice idea showing the club and ball on a table; it makes it very clear.
Thanks John.
Best, Adam
Great video Adam, thank you! This helps explain for the first time why I get a lot of height but I am lacking distance on my irons. I will work on correcting this as soon as I can get back out to the range.
Thanks for the comment, and best of luck.
Adam
Well done. This a great drill for the beginning of the season. It has been a long wet winter. Thank you Adam.
Glad you liked the video Bud.
All the best, Adam
Love this guy. Keeps his instruction very simple
Thanks for the comment Mark.
Best, Adam
Best advice I’ve gotten on how to strike down on the iron.. too bad I had to watch 20 videos prior to this one. This allowed me to figure out what I have been doing wrong.
Thanks for the comment Garfield, and hope you make good progress.
All the best, Adam
Once again Adam you know how to dial me in i went from 88's to 79 - 80 just being in position more. Been a viewer since you had 500!
Very kind of you!
All the best, Adam
I love your swing at 8:21. I've played it in RUclips speed .25 and it looks great.
Thanks very much!
Best, Adam
Can you just explain what you mean by 'willy nilly of good contact' at 7:52? I think the advice at this part of the video is extremely helpful.
A common problem with amateur golfer is to get similar yardage with different irons, ie 7 and 5 irons, even woods give similar distance. Do you have a video that addresses that problem? Thanks.
JW,
Not sure I have one that addresses that, but I'll give it some thought.
Thanks, Adam
Thank you. The swing plane part was especially helpful.
Thanks for the positive comment.
Best, Adam
I think I found it. This explanation is perfect. I’m going to play today and try it.
Oh, just saw this. Hope you make good progress
Best, Adam
Excellent explanation
Thanks for the comment Andrew.
Best, Adam
Your a very good instructor Adam!!!
Thanks very much Steve.
All the best, Adam
Awesome lesson. Thanks Adam. What I find challenging (playing to about a 9 HCP), even when I was playing to a lower HCP, is always the iron strike as opposed to the driver. I am a very good driver of the ball. However, it just seems like the iron require a little less 'Guidance' if that's the right word. That's my weakness; I seem to want to straighten the club, and aim it into the ball on the downswing, instead of letting the release of the club happen naturally as it does on your swing. Your table example has made think of this. Thank you for posting. TU!
Thanks, and glad you liked the video.
Best of luck with your iron game.
Adam
Great video. Can you explain a bit more about “this is the way the club is designed to work”? Nobody ever seems to get into detail about this. Why is it designed so that the shaft must lean forward / delofted? How do club designers know these things? I’m sorta fascinated by this.
Thanks Marcus. I have a number of videos at this RUclips channel that get into this. If interested, look for ones that deal with impact, compressing the ball, etc. At www.scratchgolfacademy.com I have full, sequential video courses. The 'Full swing' course and the 'irons' course have a lot of content & drills in this area, hope you'll consider it.
All the best, Adam
Scratch Golf Academy Thanks Adam. I’ll take a look. My curiosity is about why golf club designers make clubs the way they do. Are they working in ways that they understand due to testing and observation that they keep secret?How did they come to the conclusion that the correct way to apply force to the ball is by leaning the shaft forward? It seems completely counterintuitive and feels like good golfers learn it almost by accident after thousands of shots.
By the way, it’s great to see a teacher with such a good looking swing. Many coaches have pretty ordinary swings.
So Objective, so clear! thank you
Thanks Luis, glad you liked the video.
Best, Adam
Adam another brilliant video. I will certainly practice it with the line up stick in the ground. I will also practice it with slow half swings ensuring a good weight shift to my front foot but insuring I take a divot in front of the ball by de-lofting the club.
Thanks Charles, and best of luck!
Adam
It’s really weird, when I first started learning to play golf a few months ago, I started with a 7 Iron and I was ‘OK’ but I was REALLY struggling with my driver. Now I’m ‘OK’ with my driver (although I do slice it sometimes) I’m struggling at the moment with my Irons, I think my feet was too far apart (the driver stance) as when I moved my feet in level with my shoulders I could hit the ball more easily. My issue is when I bring the Iron down 8/10 I keep topping the ball, I need to bring the Iron down more hitting the ball from behind causing the divot in front of the ball. Keep practicing!!!
Hang in there James, some struggle is normal.
All the best, Adam
Wish I can get a lesson from you if you are close by. Your lesson always works on me.
thank you.
Thanks Brian, hope you can make it to Naples sometime.
All the best, Adam
Hey Adam! When hitting the 8 iron when u did , is the ball position like a 5 iron from what i seen?? Is this to compensate for body movement and weight on your lead side when hitting threw the shot? Thx Steve
I think the right ball position is different (to a point) for different players. I likely have more weight shift and lag than most high handicappers, so I would play the ball farther forward. That said, I often play the ball farther forward than I intend...
Hope this helps.
Best, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy Spot On! Thank U
Thanks Adam, great video.
Glad you liked it Simon.
Best, Adam
Great teaching Adam! You’re my golf Pro!
Thanks very much Patrick.
All the best, Adam
Very very helpful! Thanks
Thanks, and glad to hear it UJ.
Best, Adam
Really enjoy your videos Adam 👍🏌️♀️
Thanks very much Russell
Best, Adam
Wish I could send my swing to you , got early extension
Great video Adam !!!! I like your instruction how to hit the irons farther !!!! Stephen. California
Thanks very much Stephen.
All the best, Adam
thanks Adam....great video
Thanks, glad you liked it Dale
Best, Adam
I like the way you explain things in such a simple and concise way, I only wished you were in or near London :-)
Thanks very much Robert (I now live and work in Naples, Florida)
All the best, Adam
Very easy to understand
Thanks Christopher.
Best, Adam
Hello Adam, does it sounds differently when the ball is hit, regarding positive vs dynamic loft?
I'd say that would be pretty subtle, but you might hear the difference.
All the best, Adam
Great lesson cheers
Thanks William!
Hi Adam, Thanks for showing me to play the club the way it was designed. I don't think I can go wrong knowing that.
Too cold here in Michigan, but warming up soon [early].
Thanks Roger, hopefully good weather coming soon.
Best, Adam
Awesome training
Thanks Villarreal.
All the best, Adam
Adam I feel that from my 8 iron to my 4 iron I tend to strike the ground before the ball ... will this drill help that problem
Cory,
Yes, I think this drill will help as it gets the hips going.
Best, Adam
Greta video Adam gonna try this I do not get enough distance with my irons 6/7 nearly the same
Best of luck with it David.
Thanks, Adam
thanks a lot for all these videos and thank you for the golf lesson last month omar , france
Thanks, and nice to hear from you again!
All the best, Adam
Really easy to understand and very clear. Can't wait to get to the range and practice this! Thanks!
Thanks very much.
All the best, Adam
Thanks Adam. That was very helpful!
Glad you liked it.
Best, Adam
Hey, I'm a teenager who's just beginning golf. I've watched most of your videos and went golfing for the first time a few days ago. I was unable to hit the golf ball consistently no matter what. I go golfing with my dad, uncle, and cousin, and they all said that I was swinging way too fast and losing control, and when I do swing slower, I can hit a very straight and nice shot with solid contact, however I keep feeling like I should be hitting it much further. A 7 iron will go around 90-100 yards for me while swinging fairly slowly. Just curious as to if you have any tips at all! Thanks!
Ashu,
Thanks, and glad you like the videos. Regards speed, it is critical to success in golf. That said, working on form, and solid contact, at less than full speed is a good idea too. I'd mix it up when practicing, some for form, then ramp up the speed for a few shots.
I hope this helps.
All the best to you, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy Thank you so much for the reply! I'll keep trying my best!
@@shucodes How’s it going nowadays?
@@nusuxd8857 haha this was a while ago, doing quite a bit better now, 7 iron carries roughly 185-190, ended up improving much more when I started in person lessons!
pretty good explanation
Thanks Saika.
Best, Adam
Great video, got to tee it up yesterday in Minnesota would've been a great drill to work on... I think delofting the club aside from body rotation is one of my biggest issues. I tend to feel like I'm trapping myself at impact so instead of finishing with weight on lead foot (finishing through the ball), I'm almost leaning backwards at impact so it never feel comfortable leading to lower ball compression, slice issues, and loss of distance
Thanks Justin. Best of luck with your game this spring.
All the best, Adam
Ive developed a 10 finger style (baseball) grip swing took 2 years it works great on every club from wedges to 6 iron and driver. BUT MY 4 IRON HATES IT. I noticed that the lie angle of my 4 iron is laid back having my hands down closer to my crotch and ground. If i miss hit it the divot is usually tow in ground. Im standing correct distance away from ball and my posture is upright not crouched over. Im thinking of getting lie angle changed on that club more upright. I watch closley my forearms at impact to make sure they are level and im not coming over ball or doublecross. Frustrating... any ideas. 4 iron seems to like standard grip more also pinky interlaced over hand etc.
It sounds as if the 4 iron is not a good fit for you, especially since you are doing well with the other clubs. Perhaps you might consider a hybrid? A good club fitter can steer you in the right direction, or at least give you some options to try.
Hope this helps.
Best, Adam
Yes thanks love your vids god bless ill try it.
Always good info, and presentation
Thanks very much Henry.
Best, Adam
Hey, Adam, I watch a lot of your videos. My swing is getting better. One thing I don't understand is the thing you do with the towel? The whipping of the club? Seems to me to be more focused on the arms and wrists. Maybe you could do a video on that??
Frederick,
Thanks, glad you like the videos. In the towel whipping, the hand (holding the towel) represents the pelvis, or core.
I hope this helps.
Best, Adam
Great video. Awesome explanation
Thanks very much Mike.
All the best, Adam
Fantastic video , got me back on track with these tips . And I’m really compressing and hitting much better shots 👍🏌🏻
Glad to hear it.
All the best, Adam
Because of your teachings I have learned to hit my irons, driver, wedge so much better. I went from a +30 golfer to a +10/+15 golfer in 3 months. Now if I can only get my putts to go in. Lol Thank you so much and keep up the great work.
Thanks for the update, and very glad to hear you've done well with your golf.
Best, Adam
Thank you for the wonderful golf tip.
thanks, glad you liked the video.
All the best, Adam
Thanks for this Adam - makes perfect sense! Can the type of ball help with the compression(should higher handicappers check this- what would you recommend)? I kinda see why manufactures are using less loft on SGI irons - less loft presented by default ?🤔 😵😖 👍
Thanks. Regards which type of ball, not much difference between the top ones.
Manufacturers have de-lofted clubs to give people the perception they are hitting the ball farther.
All the best, Adam
Adam, Justin seems to start turning the front foot before contact. Is that advisable for long irons for amateurs, for all clubs?
John,
I wouldn't try and do that. However, if your hip motion is powerful enough it may just happen a bit, without you thinking about it.
Hope this helps.
Best, Adam
Adam,
Should the hands be in front of the club head (shaft lean) on drivers as well? I will be checking out more of your driver videos. Thank you for helping me and all of us in the comments.
DJ,
Due mostly to set up cadges the hands will not be 'in front' of the ball with a driver, but the shaft should be more or less in line with the lead arm, if you can picture that.
Best, Adam
I hook just about everything. I feel like I’m picking my left shoulder up too quick(rt handed). Any drills to help me get rid of the hook?
Perry,
Hard to say without seeing you swing. I've got a couple of videos at the channel on fading the ball, I'd work on that. Hope it helps.
Best, Adam
Thank you for sharing great videos. 👍
Glad you like them!
All the best, Adam
Possibly the best in the biz at dumbing down technical advice. Enjoy your teaching 🍻
Thanks very much for the comment.
All the best, Adam
And I say “dumbing down” respectfully, appreciate the reply.
It happens suit me.😂
Thanks Adam, great video as always. I have a question: what do you mean exactly about "balancing the books"? Sorry, I missed that point. Cheers.
Thanks very much. I just mean get enough steepness from one source (weight & hands forward), and balance it with enough shallowness (swing plane).
Best, Adam
Wow Adam tilt the loft foward makes such common sense, thanks 👍🏼 👍🏼 👍🏼
Glad you found that helpful Neal.
Best, Adam
Very good tks.
Thanks Henry.
Best, Adam
Thanks for the tips my friend
Glad you liked the video Sean.
Best, Adam
Can you do a video on hitting 3woods
Anthony,
I have one or two videos at the channel on fairway woods. I hope you'll find them helpful.
Best, Adam
That a good tip brother
Mallu,
Thanks, and glad you found it helpful.
All the best, Adam
Hey Adam. I keep slicing the ball on my drive. No matter what I do. Any tips?
Kolby,
I'd focus on your grip, and getting the clubface to close earlier in your downswing
Best, Adam
Coach, Another excellent video. My natural swing is using mainly my lower body (hips) to generate my swing. It wasn't until watching various iron videos explaining keeping you hands ahead at impact that I increased my distance and also my actual hitting accuracy. How I was able to get my hands ahead at impact was by focusing on using my upper body. Unfortunately when I do that I can't tell whether I am starting my swing with the hips or my shoulders. It concerns me that if I focus on using my upper body my whole swing will get messed up. Tell me/us if I'm on the correct path before I build a nasty habit. Thanks
Stan,
Thanks. As a guess from reading your note I'd say you start with your lower body, even if you are not thinking about it.
All the best, Adam
At 5:20 you said "my wrist is going to feel a bit more like that." Can you explain what you mean?
Back of left hand more bowed and tilted toward ground
Thanks, Adam
Adam, Although you made a solid point regarding having the shaft ahead of the ball through impact, you did not mention that a golfer also has to accelerate release of the forearms & wrists to impact the ball square to target. To put most players into position with some shaft lead without speeding up the release generally results with a strike of the ball with the heel of the club well head of the toe, that's a hard push with leaving the face so open at impact. I urge a folow up presentation to cover how to speed up the release in order to strike the ball to square the club face through the impact zone for gaining more accurate yardage gain. Props for your pace of explanation. Made digesting your methodology easier.
Thanks Jeff.
Unfortunately the 'viewer patience' on RUclips is low, it's not typical for viewers to finish a video. If too many variables are addressed, and the video drags on people just stop watching. I do have several videos at the channel about squaring the face.
I appreciate the comment just the same.
Best, Adam
Hi, I used to hit hit my irons long, but now it is going up in the sky and the distance is still ok. But the wind is affecting the high flight. Any way to control the flight??
Saad,
I can't see you swing, but you cannot be de-lofting the club enough through impact for that to happen.
Hope this helps/
Best, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy thank you sir.
Thanks
Glad you liked the video Richard.
Best, Adam
Fantastic video and explanation, Adam! Thank you!! 👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks very much.
All the best, Adam
Great video but I feel like a segment on setup should precede this video. In fact, perhaps this would be a third segment as grip and takeaway should come first.
Thanks. I'm afraid when videos go more than a few minutes people stop watching, so we have to tackle one subject at a time.
Best, Adam
Thank You!
Glad you liked the video Fred.
All the best, Adam
Keep it on the side for awhile, nice I know this is a problem for me. thanks
Thanks for the comment
All the best, Adam
One thing I’ve been struggling with my iron swing is catching it thin while still taking a small divot maybe 2-3 inches ahead of the ball. Any tips how to fix this?
Caleb,
Hard to say without seeing you swing. Grab an 8 iron and hit a few hip high to hip high swings, vary the downward hit etc, see if you can find a feel that works.
Hope this helps.
Best, Adam
Just a tip that MIGHT help... Mess with your ball position. Try moving it back in your stance a ball or two. You might be striking the ball before the club has begun to shallow out, which could explain your delayed divot and hitting it thin.. that I’m guessing is from blading it (catching it off the bottom of the club face).
Moving the ball back will also encourage hitting down on it and give the feeling of leaning into your iron shots like he shows Tiger and Davis doing early in the video.. start with an 8iron and work your way down.
One thing you were consistently doing well that is most important but you didn’t mention was after your weight shift to left you pushed your left leg straight back. That is what creates the forward shaft lean.
Thanks Travis.
I agree that pushing up with the hips (which helps straighten the left leg) is an important part of a dynamic swing.
All the best, Adam
I bought a package of very small silver stickers. I stick one high on the club face to remind me to hit high on the face. This makes me de-loft the club.
That's a nice idea Glenn.
All the best, Adam
How do people hit the 8 iron 170s 180s? I'm only 26 and hardly hitting the 8 iron 150-155
Your yardage is decent Corek. The ultra elite PGA Tour players do things out of the reach of 99% of golfers.,
Best, Adam
Gooooooooooood.....
Thanks very much!
Best, Adam
4:30 sure but on a real golf course the ball rarely rests on a hard surface. And if it was you would not want the club to go below the bottom of the ball. Or it will bounce off the hard surface and ruin the strike.
So in reality we play off a surface with at least some give and as such the ball centerline is closer to the surface than it would be on a hard surface. The question then is how hard is the surface and how deep is the ball. If you close the face too much at impact the club will hit fat. If you don't close it enough the club will bounce and there is a good chance of blading the ball. Liikewise if the surface is soft or hard. So part of hitting a good iron shot is figuring out how low the club can go...has to go...to make good contact with the ball...and what loft is required to get the ball up out of the underlying surface. And how far you can reasonably expect the ball to go and how much the club will open before striking the ball. When playing off the fairway this completely depends on how soft the fairway is. Out of the rough it depends on how deep the ball is in the grass. Often it is easier to hit balls out of short rough than the fairway as the fairway roots are so tangled and twisted it is like hitting off mud. If you take any real divot the ball will go short and to the outside just as hitting a ball down deep in deep rough or sand. It is always better if the ball is sitting up high on a soft surface. Then even an open club will easily get under the ball and divot without bouncing.
Fair enough. These videos are not designed to get into the endless possible variables, more to give an overview. That said, if the ball is sitting in a slightly fluffy lie it is still recommended to have forward shaft lean at impact. Tis can still be done and not go too deeply into the grass.
Thanks, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy but they don't need to match up with "endless" possible scenarios. They don't even need to match up with the realistic general scenarios.
The thing is, they are just videos.
My golf-ball doesn't care what you show or don't show in your videos. It doesn't even care if I hit it into the woods. But *I* care.
And if I' am going to try to use a technique that will both make my shot unreliable and hit the ball farther when it does work, I definitely want to know the details of the technique that I need to make it reliable.
So, restricting this to irons off the tee and fairway and driver off the tee, what do you think are the keys to getting the face-to-path angle correct at impact?
Without seeing you swing, and listening to the sound your shots make, it's hard to comment. I can tell you from experience a coach could describe ideal impact to 5 different players, then get 5 different results/interpretations.
Hogan said "you have to dig the answers out of the dirt" and I think there is some truth to that.
Best, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy yes I agree that ultimately the answer is revealed by the quality of your shots :)
Oooh weee, 5:23...that’s the good stuff
Thanks Mike, glad you liked the video.
All the best, Adam
Every time I keep my right elbow bent at impact the way I’m supposed to my right shoulder dips I need a video on how to stop that
It should be a little lower, but I'll try to get to that subject.
Thanks, Adam
That would be awesome
lol....I would come over the top and send that alignment rod downrange.
Hopefully not Bobby.
All the best, Adam
You and me Bobby...we outa play a few holes sounds like we have similar games...lol...
My game is strange. My irons are quite long (180 7i, 190 6i, 200 5i), but my modern drivers only carry around 225. I have no idea why. Always been that way. I hit a nice high push draw with every club, but the driver (many of them) is just dead. I’d rather just crunch a 3i out there. Even in the simulators. 200 yard 5i, and 220 driver. WTF?????
Joe,
You definitely sound like a candidate to see a quality club fitter. With a launch monitor you can not only dial in the all important fit of the driver, but you can see whether your impact tendencies are well suited for a driver, or if swing adjustments must be made.
I hope this helps.
Best, Adam
Scratch Golf Academy thanks. With a swing speed of 110+, you’d think the driver wouldn’t be a problem lol
Further
Nigel,
According to Google farther is for physical distances, further for figurative distances. Either way, hope you enjoyed the video.
All the best, Adam
well the reason we are all doing it wrong is because we are told over and over,(DON't slide, well watching your hips, and all the other video you showed the center and your hips are all ahead of the ball when you make connect.) That is the reason and we all have to learn all over again. I have a lot of work to do before the season starts again. NOW, who is right and who is wrong???????????
Delmar,
Thanks for watching the video. All great players, to one degree or another drive their hips toward the target.
Hope this helps.
Best, Adam
Until now, I thought hitting down on the ball required a steep downward swing.
Glad you found the video helpful.
All the best, Adam
What is crazy is ive always shot about 90. I found some spalding irons maybe 15 years old and shot 75 twice with them. Ive had 1000 dollar clubs and these 50 dollar looking clubs are so much lighter then any iron ever and maybe its the hozel angle and toe shape n material but these clubs are 80 percent better so consistent line and any iron goes exactly how far and line i want it to with like zero effort. It is truly bizarre. I really thinknit because of how much lighter they are. Idk but i immediately noticed how deadly they were chipping 6 7 8 9 around yard and played with them twice and shot 15 strokes better the 1st 2 times then all the times i ever went. If u dont think finding the right weight clubs type shaft and hozel angle and material matter then your truly missin out. Price is no importance. These spaldings were prolly 50 dollars 15 years ago and its stupid how much easier and deadly these things are then my 1000 dollar titlests. I found a cheapsuper lightweight driver amd hit it perfect almost everytime compared to my 400 dollar taylor made that always in the woods. Before any instruction find clubs that chip exact line and distances it feels it should with like 6 thru P just chipping with them make sure there sweetspot line is perfect and distance is exactly how it feels before u even do a full swing. Then get those clubs and worry about instruction. Ive watched instruction 10 years and couldnt break 90. Found light clubs that fit me and instantly shot 75 twice in a row. Find the right clubs ladies and gents. Find them by chippping 20 percent power and make sure go exact distance and line naturally with no effort. Then buy those. Price is no importance what so ever
Thanks for the comment, and glad you are doing better with your golf.
All the best, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy i really thinknits the weight and off set hosel and super light weight. Its amazing how pure u can hit with just 20 percent swings. I thinknits very important to he able to find the sweet spot with short 20 percent swings and build up from there. Crawl walk run u know. I was chipping with those spaldings the 6 7 8 iron and there so perfect line and trajectory and go exact distance i feel it should im gonna hit 10 to 80 yard approach shots with those instead of P S wedges. Whats bizarre to me is if input the ball at back of stance and chopp straight down on the ball like driving it into the ground how low and far they go on exact line. Its hard to wrap my mind around how much better 50 dollar clubs are for me the 1000 dollar titlest. And i got a cheap super light driver and hit it way better then my 400 dollar Taylor made. I think. I only swing about 85 mph. Maybe thats why such lightweight clubs do so much better for me. I was thinkin bout get set of callaway war birds for 100 dollars at pawnshop just ro see the difference vs the spaldings. Usually shoot 90 95 at this course im going wed and last rime shot 65 there. I found a super light weight old hickory shaft putter and like the irons when i put it goes exact right distance. Line is in consistent but distance is more important then line to not 3 putt. Injust found it yesterday. Maybe ill break 70bwithbit cus i ad 50 putts when i shot 75. If this putter is like those irons i may break 70. Who wudda thot the weight of clubs would matter. I always thought shaft mattered most. Fixing my grip in combo with the light driver and irons changed my game completely. Hopefully this putter does the trick as well. Keepm coming. I love listening to fold instruction when im falln asllep.maybe im getting osmosis
Looking not too complicated
Narong,
I hope the video was helpful.
Best, Adam
It’s further, not farther.....
Neil,
According to Google farther is for physical distances, further for figurative distances. Either way, hope you enjoyed the video.
All the best, Adam
Adam looks like someone took 2000's Bill Clinton and moved the 'face detail' slider from 20 to 95.
Rosie is steep so he exits left to counteract that
Justin,
You are the first person I've ever heard accuse the pure swinging Rosie of being off plane. That's OK, you are entitled to your opinion.
Best, Adam.
Scratch Golf Academy I didn’t I just watched him with Sean foley on track man and I just repeated what foley said
As long as face to path matches what your plane is doing it will be pure
Justin,
No hard feelings, and maybe Sean didn't like the way he was swinging that day. All I was referring to is a generalization, I think (in general) he has a beautiful swing plane.
All the best, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy I think he's amazing... The purest iron player outside tiger imo bit they were trying to work on getting steep and exciting left for an upcoming event
Anyone could hit a shot off that grass.......
It’s definitely nice at Mediterra in Naples, Florida
Tiger a driver, that’s a very narrow stance. Boy he has a very shiny driver shaped like an iron.
I said the 'IF' he was hitting a driver he'd be more behind the ball
1wooiiiq
Thanks for watching the video Linda.
All the best, Adam
More or less a random word generator. Delofting? There is a secret to hitting Irons farther but this is not it.
Don,
The golf world, with millions of shots of Trackman data, would disagree with you. Certainly speed, centered hit are also very relevant. That said, Tour players de-loft a great deal more that the average golfer.
No worries.
Best, Adam
@@Scratchgolfacademy Personally and thanks to coaches such as yourself I am horrified at how poorly pro golfers hit their irons.
Don,
We'll have to agree to disagree.
All the best, Adam
Thanks
You're welcome Nordan.
Best, Adam