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Been pretty happy with my progress as of late but I seem to have a problem with my shorter clubs. Every thing is fine down to my seven iron which flys about 130. I know not very long but well lofted and reliable.

Problem is from there in with my 8, 9 and PW. I keep catching the top half of the ball giving it a lower trajectory and flying it the same distance as my 7 iron. I have tried changing ball position and getting a little closer to it in my stance but things have not changed so far. Am I missing a easy answer to this?

Needles to say the short game is now the emphasis. How in the world I can get 40 yards from the pin on a par five in two strokes and then take 4 strokes from there to get it in the hole is beyond me.

Make sure that your hands are staying ahead of the ball when using shorter clubs , in you set-up have your hands well ahead of the ball and keep more of a stiff follow thru. this is especially true if you are pitching up to the green, the short game is were it counts the most.

there's a few keys to the shortgame
to list a few , hand forward of the ball , ball back in your stance , less wrist action
the slower swing will give you better control and consistancy
keep it simple , get the ball rolling on the green asaPractical
control your backswing
think POSITIVE

your 7iron + sounds like you might have the ball a little far forward in your stance
and hit down and thru the ball ....ball first !

on par 5's ...if your 40yrd out in 2 and telling us you dont hit the ball terribly far
you shouldnt be trying to get that close to the green in 2
youve just played 2 great shots to get there .......risked losing control of the ball , which is a no no
and gained what ? put yourself in a spot thats exposed a weakness

take 3 wood or an iron off the tee , play a 5 iron or maybe less for your 2nd shot ....
your second club choice should be such that if you misshit it WONT go far enuff to put you in trouble yet at the same time leave you a nice shot into the green
3 wood - 7iron - 7 iron .......

eliminating risk is the key to consistancy

rawhiti....totally agree....I've given up trying to smash the ball for distance on long par 4's and 5's.
Instead, I play with my comfortable club for my second shot which happens to be my R5 5 wood...then I can hit any short iron or wedge in and hopefully on the green.
I agree that the short irons and wedges are the key (putting goes w/o saying).

What I try to think of on the short irons (and all my shots really now) is tempo tempo tempo. A few nice easy swings, and letting the clubhead do the work - more "feel" to try to gain accuracy.
Is your 7I swing different from your short irons? ...because they should be for the most part the same except for maybe a slight change in ball position...

I could not agree more with you guys on the short game aspect, this is something I have said for long time it is much better to play for position than to smash a 300 yard drive out of bounds.

Hopefully didn't come off as a braggart getting within 40 yards in two on the par fives. The course we play was built in 1964 and plays a lot shorter than the modern courses and we also play off the senior tees until we progress a bit more, so coming close in two on the par fives is not that big an accomplishment.

Short game was still killing me this weekend though. I was green hopping bad with my wedges and pulling my 8 and 9 iron left. Of course as soon as I attempted to compensate by aiming right of the pin...... well you know what happens then.

Not at all you are going about playing the right why, I see a lot of golfers that try to play of the back tees and are just not accomplished enough to do so. I say rally in every small triump that you have it makes the game that much more enjoyable my
off to you great game

A few things to work on or check:

1. You must understand that you do not think lift or scoop (If you catch the ball on the way up trying to lift it you will put top spin on the ball and it will go low.

Think of catching the ball first as the club is going down to the grass, the ball will then climb up the clubface (backspin).

Your hands do nothing to lift the ball during the swing just swing to touch the grass through impact and the loft of the clup will do the rest.

2. If you under stand # 1 then make sure hands are leading the clubhead at impact.

3. Check that you are bent from the hips and knees bent. Your hands should be set at address

4. If you are over 5' 9" your arm length and or leg length may make it important for you to have longer short irons. This alone may be what you need.

While I agree with the general rule that putting the ball farther back in your stance promotes a higher trajectory, how is it that you can get a very nice, high trajectory with your driver, which is usually placed on your front heel?

I think it is also a matter of what you said in #2 and #3, and making sure you follow through.

This is a long story so I will try to make it short:

In the beginning golf was not an as athletic as today and there was little lower body. Men played in suit like closes and women played in dresses. Because of this it was taught to play the 9iron off the back foot and each club moved forward till you got to the front foot where the driver is played. closer to the back foot is where the down swing takes place and this created higher loft (backspin with the shorter irons).

Today, the swing is more atheletic ( more lower body) and the dress became move conducive to movement so we had to move the ball forward to catch the ball as we made a more agressive move toward the target with the lower body.

So ball placement changed for many (for right handed players the ball off the left foot means loft and ball off the back foot means roll), if you are on flat ground. As a teacher I see both styles and must teach to both methods.

The Driver has less loft with exception of the putter and so you put it forward teed up so you catch it on the up swing. Also because it is the longest club (not including the long putters) It takes more time for it to get through so you need to put the ball forward to allow for the length.

These different methods leave many confused, so if you take any club, keeping your hands in one place, start with the club in the center and then place the head back of center you will see the club deloft, when you place the club forward of center you will see the club gain loft. This is where the moder swing has gone

You explained it well. Right on.

I would have to add you may need to get longer clubs. Depends on how tall you are and how long the clubs are... but i'd start comparing and experimenting or going through a fitting process. Sometimes it's not the indian, but indeed a crooked arrow.

Or, for that analogy, bow.