Why am I blocking my irons?
James Craig
Published Jan 10, 2026
As I already explained, a blocked or pushed golf shot happens when you come too much from inside to out with a square clubface. Often the position of the ball in your golf setup contributes to whether you hit a blocked golf shot to the right.
How do I stop blocking in golf?
The simplest way to fix blocked shots – in theory – is to fix the path the club will travel on. Indeed because blocking shots are caused by an inside-out club path, the solution will be to replace this club path with the inside-square-inside club path.
Why are all my iron shots going right?
Ball Position
This is normally the main cause behind pushed iron shots. What you often see with 'pushers' is the ball too far back in the stance. The problem here is that the club strikes the ball too early on its arc. The club will naturally be pointing a little right in this scenario.
Why can't I hit my irons further?
One reason you might not be hitting the ball very far is that you have too high of a spin rate with your driver and irons. An easy way to spot this is watching how high your shots go in the air. Golf shots that get hit with high back spin rates tend to climb higher into the air.
Can you hit irons but not Woods?
If you are struggling to hit your driver but not your irons, the issue could be a lack of clubhead speed. If your driver is slowing down as it makes its way into the impact position, you will lose both distance and accuracy. A lack of clubhead speed is a problem throughout the entire game, not just the driver.
31 related questions foundWhy is hitting a golf ball so difficult?
A golf ball isn't difficult to hit, it's just difficult to hit well. A golf ball is difficult to hit well because you're attempting to hit a small object, with a small club face at speed in a specific direction to a point a set distance away.
Why am I blocking my golf shots right?
Blocks occur when you slide too hard with your lower body on the downswing (above). The club drops behind you and swings too much from the inside. You have too much lateral motion and not enough turn through the shot.
How do you fix an iron shot right?
The shot (for right-handers) typically goes right because the face off the club is open, resulting in a push-slice. Some players manage to flip their wrists at contact, resulting in a big hook. Getting stuck can be prevented by eliminating a couple of excess movements in your swing.
How can I improve my iron shots?
How to Hit Better Irons Shots
- Don't be afraid of divots. Yes, it's a pain to find and replace the wayward hunk of turf. ...
- Avoid the tendency to swing for distance. ...
- Know your typical yardage with each iron. ...
- Become familiar with the sound of a good iron shot. ...
- Know where the sweet spot is on your club face.
What causes a block slice?
A slice is a result of a swing path through impact that is moving from outside to in, or from right to left as viewed from behind the golfer. This action of the club 'cutting across' the ball imparts a left to right spin on the ball, which quickly causes the ball to turn to the right when it gets up into the air.
What causes me to push my golf shots?
Another reason behind pushed shot may lie simply in balls that are placed too far back in your stance at address. What is this? Such a ball placement can produce pushes because it combines the two elements required for such a shot; clubface pointing right of the target at impact and an inside-out club path.
Why do my golf balls always go right?
The key is to identify why your clubface is open (or wide open) at impact. The main reason the club is open at impact is that you come into the ball with an over the top swing motion. Since you are coming over the top it will usually start left and slice back to the right.
What part of golf is the hardest?
The 10 hardest shots in golf
- The 40-yard bunker shot.
- The flop shot from a bare lie.
- The long iron shot into the wind.
- The pitch from thick rough to a downward sloping green.
- The four-foot putt to make the buffer zone.
- The next iron shot after a shank.
- The carry over trouble.
- Second go at chipping/pitching over a water hazard.
Do you have to swing hard to hit a golf ball far?
Playing consistently good golf requires building a swing that delivers both power and accuracy. Not being able to hit the ball very far makes every course longer and puts more pressure on your short game. If you can't reach par 4's in two, your wedge shots have to make up for this lack of distance.
Why is golf so addicting?
Simply the process of going to the golf club, assembling equipment, teeing off at a set time and completing 18 holes is repetitive and can be comforting. As we seek ways to assuage anxiety, the repetitive nature of golf makes it addictive. “Anything repetitive tends to calm us down,” says Morris.
Why can I hit my irons and not my driver?
No, you do not hit your driver the same as your irons. The lengthier construction of a driver leads to a different posture, swing plane and positioning of the ball in your stance. With a driver, you hit the ball on the up. Whereas with golf irons, you strike the ball at the bottom of your downswing.
Why do I hit my 3 iron as far as my driver?
Players who hit their 3- or 5-wood as far or longer than their driver are typically using too little loft with the driver for their clubhead speed. You know, it's a funny thing with the driver and its loft compared to the other clubs in the bag.
Why can you hit a 7 iron without a 5 iron?
Each club is about three or four degrees less loft than the club before them. This means that your seven iron is going to have considerably less loft than your four iron. The longer a golf club is and the more loft that it has, the more difficult it is to hit.
Why am I pull hooking my irons?
If it's a pull, there are two likely reasons why the ball is starting left: 1) your body and clubface are aimed left of the target at address, which promotes an out-to-in path; or 2) you're aiming properly but the clubface is closed too much at the point of contact.
Why do I keep pulling my golf shots left?
Pulling your shots is typically caused by hitting the ball over the top or shutting your clubface early during your swing. If this is the case, you are no doubt frustrated by your shots landing in water, the bunkers, and other hazards.
How do you hit an iron off the tee?
How do you hit long irons off the tee?
- Widen your stance. The longer the club, the wider your stance should be to allow a full shoulder turn.
- Place the ball toward the front center of your stance.
- Don't go crazy on the backswing. Focus on making solid contact and let the iron do the work.
How do you fix a push golf shot?
The best way to fix a push is to make the opposite move: Don't use your lower body as much, and swing your arms past your chest through impact (above, right). First, set up in a closed stance, which makes it harder for your lower body to rotate open. Then, focus on letting your arms extend and release past you.
Can standing too close to the golf ball cause a slice?
Standing too close to the ball causes a loss of posture, reduction in arm extension, loss of balance, loss of speed, toe hits, slices, low hooks and a change in swing path. Always check you setup first when you start hitting errant shots.