Okay, so today I decided to really tackle that 5 iron. It’s been a bit of a tricky club for me lately, you know? Sometimes it flies great, other times… well, not so much.
Heading Out to the Range
Grabbed my bag, made sure I had plenty of balls, and headed over to the driving range. The weather was decent, not too windy, which is always good when you’re trying to figure things out. Didn’t want the wind messing with my head about where the ball was really going.
Got my spot, laid out a towel, the usual setup. I always like to stretch a bit first. Getting old means you gotta warm up properly, right? Loosened up the back and shoulders. Don’t want to pull anything just hitting some balls.
Starting Slow
Didn’t jump straight to the 5 iron. Nah, gotta ease into it. Started with the pitching wedge, just some easy half swings. Then moved to a 9 iron, then a 7 iron. Just trying to get a feel for contact, find the middle of the clubface. You know, the basics.
- Easy swings, focus on rhythm.
- Trying to make clean contact with the mat.
- Not worrying too much about distance yet.
The Main Event: The 5 Iron
Alright, time for the beast itself. Pulled out the 5 iron. First few swings felt a bit stiff. You know that feeling? Like you’re trying too hard. Balls were going a bit low, maybe a little thin. Okay, deep breath.
My main focus today was just solid contact. Forget distance, forget direction for a minute. Just hit the damn ball cleanly. I started thinking about keeping my head steady through the shot. That seems to help me sometimes.
So, I put down about 10 balls in a row. Took my stance, focused on a spot just in front of the ball, and tried to swing smooth. Some were better than others. Had a couple that felt really pure – that nice ‘click’ sound and the ball just took off with a good flight. Then, of course, I hit one fat. Dug into the mat a bit. That’s golf, I guess.
I kept going, maybe hit about 30 or 40 shots just with the 5 iron. Really tried to groove a consistent swing. Not a fast swing, just a smooth, balanced one. Found that when I didn’t try to kill it, the contact was way better. Funny how that works.
What I Noticed
The 5 iron really punishes you if your tempo is off. Rush the swing, and you’ll probably hit it thin or fat. Stay smooth, and it rewards you. It’s not as forgiving as the shorter irons, that’s for sure. Less loft means less room for error on the strike.
By the end of the session, I was feeling a bit better about it. Still not perfect, obviously, but I hit more solid shots towards the end than when I started. Felt like I made a tiny bit of progress, just getting more comfortable with the swing needed for that club.
Packed up my stuff, feeling that satisfying tiredness in my hands and back. It wasn’t a magic fix, but it was a good session of just grinding it out with one specific club. Need to do this more often with the longer irons. That’s the plan anyway!
