Hitting The Ball Too Hight With Irons And How To Lower It

Hitting The Ball Too Hight With Irons And How To Lower It

Intro

There are few things more annoying in golf than hitting a great shot into the wind only to watch it stall and plummet to the ground well short of the target.

When you are hitting it too high it can seem that even the slightest breeze will ruin your game. It can happen to anyone.

This article is dedicated to those who balloon it up into the stratosphere and pray that no gusts disturb it. We will give you actionable tips to get that ball flight down and to get you confident on the windy days.

A Pros Experience With Hitting Irons Too High

Pro golfers are expected to be able to hit the ball high or low with a draw or fade on demand. However, and especially for tall golfers like me, sometimes we can hit the ball a bit high. High club head speeds can make the ball go a little higher and this can make windy days very tricky.

I used to hit the ball way too high. In the end I opted for the mechanical fix by getting extra-strong lofted clubs to help me launch it lower. However, windy days would be stall after stall and I wasn’t an effective wind player, a nightmare considering I’m from Scotland where it’s always windy.

What Causes This?

A number of factors can contribute to you hitting the ball too high. It can also be a combination of various factors rather than a single thing. To get to the bottom of the cause it is always good to see a pro but here are some of the main culprits.

Shaft

Modern shafts can really effect ball flight through launch and spin. If you have a high launch and/or high spin shaft, this is made to send the ball up in the air as easily as possible which can be a disaster if you don’t need that extra help.

Lofts

Whilst the lofts of irons these days is very strong compared to the clubs of the past, you may still have clubs that have too much loft. You may require a stronger loft to help you deliver a better dynamic loft at impact.

Wrong Type Of Irons

There are many irons on the market that are designed to help golfers get the ball into the air more easily. Weighting and centre go gravity are ways that manufacturers can alter launch characteristics and you can end up with the wrong club making you hit it too high.

Swing Flaws

If you watch the best golfers in the world, you will see that they compress the ball into the ground at impact, well that’s what it looks like. If you deliver a club with a high dynamic loft then you will send it up in the air quickly, this can cause you to hit it way too high.

Muscling It

One very common issue you see with golfers playing in the wind is that they lose their rhythm and actually start swinging it harder. This can cause you to have poorer contact, which is a disaster in the wind, but also hit it higher as you will spin the ball more.

How To Hit Your Irons Lower

Now that we know all of the possible issues, let’s have a look at the remedies so we can get you hitting the ball with a nice penetrating flight. Few things are better to watch than your ball scything the wind on a blustery day.

Compress Your Irons

Back to that point about the pros again. The way they hit down on their irons really sets the ball off with power and purpose. This video here will help you get into a better position at impact and setting the ball up to fly with strength.

Cover The Ball

Ever watch Tiger hit a stinger? Of course you have, you’re a golfer with a heartbeat. Here’s the thing though, one ket to that shot is getting the body over and ahead of the ball through impact. This ensures that the clubhead is delivered in a way that launches the ball low and keeps it there.

Club Up, Swing Slow 

When you’re playing into the wind, you are far better to take an extra club or two and slow your swing down. I mean right down. This will help you make better contact and reduce spin. By clubbing up you can correct for distance, this is the easiest tip to work on.

Does An Inside To Out Golf Swing Work Better In Wind?

An inside to out golf swing means that the hands come from closer to the body before impact then away from the body past the strike. See this video here for a full explanation. This swing tends to create more draw spin which can be a stronger ball flight, especially in wind.

A fading ball is more likely to run out of steam and stall in the air. It is a weaker flight which can be problematic in certain conditions. Also, an inside to out swing is easier to deliver less dynamic loft and so hit it lower. All in all, this type of swing can be better for hitting the ball lower.

Hitting Irons High And Short – How To Fix It

First things first, take more club. Most trouble lives short of the green and most amateurs tend to under club so take one more.

Another thing is to consider your divot patterns or lack thereof. Many hit it high because they flip their hands at impact rather than compressing the ball.

If you don’t take a divot then you need to consider a swing change to help you smother it. Finally, possibly counterintuitively, think about slowing down your swing. If you slow it down you can hit it more purely which will add control and distance to your shot.

Hitting Irons High And Right – How To Fix It

This one tends to be a symptom of swing path and club face angle at impact. If you are hitting it short and right that would suggest a problem with the strike which is creating somewhat of a “glancing blow”. This creates a weak flight that tends to end up missing the target to the right.

To fix this one, you need to look at your swing. You will be seeking that inside to out swing that we discussed earlier. This will help you deliver the club more square to the target and create a more solid strike. You should see distance gain quickly and things should be more on target.

Hitting The Ball High On The Club Face – How To Fix It

Sometimes you hit the ball and it just feels horrible, almost hollow. This can be because you’re hitting it too high on the face which will kill distance and can launch the ball high into the air. A giveaway of this is the weak impact, a big divot and coming up short frequently.

To remedy this, you should look at your height throughout your swing. This flaw is often caused by losing height on the downswing which can result in the low point of your swing being too low. This results in hitting the ball too high up the face. Keep your height and your strike will improve.

Will New Irons Help?

For some of these flaws, new irons are probably all you need. For others you may need to consider swing changes. The best way to workout what is best it to see a coach and have them assess your swing and clubs. They will tell you what’s best for you.