Hitting Irons Too High (Why It Happens and How to Fix It)

Hitting an iron shot too high likely means you lost out on distance and control.

While it’s great to get the ball off the ground and get your iron shots within those perfect peak height numbers, too much height can work against you. 

If you struggle to get that penetrating ball flight you need to maximize distance and improve your control on the course, here are some drills and actionable tips to help you get your iron ball flight where it needs to be. 

Key Takeaways

If you don’t have time to read our entire article on hitting irons too high, here are some of the most important takeaways. 

• Hitting irons too high usually means you’re adding dynamic loft this is often caused by poor ball position, flipping the wrists, or an open clubface at impact.
• Ball position and wrist angles are critical, try moving the ball slightly back and training lead wrist flexion to help lower your launch and increase compression.
• Too much spin can balloon your shots, especially from low face strikes or steep angles of attack. Work on shallower swings and center contact.
• Drills like the Motorcycle Drill, Line Drill, and P5 Punch help train a more controlled, penetrating ball flight by promoting proper shaft lean and clubface control.

Why Do I Hit My Irons Too High?

Excessively high iron shots generally come from adding too much dynamic loft at impact and/or imparting too much spin on the golf ball.

Let’s take a look at why that is happening and some specific ways to fix it. 

Ball Position Too Far Forward

Placing the golf ball too far forward (closer to your lead foot) promotes hitting up on the ball.

This effectively adds loft and can increase spin, especially if your hands and shaft aren’t leaning forward at impact.

You probably notice that you consistently make contact with the golf ball as part of the upswing.

If you even take a divot, it may be behind the ball, and you may even feel like you are scooping at impact. 

Quick Fix

Flipping at Impact

In a good impact position, the hands lead the clubhead, creating forward shaft lean and de-lofting the club.

If you flip or “throw” your wrists early, the clubhead passes your hands, and the clubface adds extra loft. The result is usually a shot that goes too high. 

Flipping is often a last ditch effort to save a clubface that is too open at impact.

If you watch a video of your golf swing in slow motion, you may see a scooping action. In addition, your HackMotion may show extension in the lead wrist added just before impact. 

In the drill you need to feel the back of your lead hand rotating down toward the ground in the downswing, preventing that early release.

Open Clubface Adding Dynamic Loft

An open face at any point in the downswing requires you to flip or add loft at the last second just to get the ball on line.

An open face (pointing skyward) in early transition typically leads to ballooning ball flights.

If this is the issue you struggle with you may also notice pushes or slices. 

From the top, feel the lead wrist move more toward flexion (bowing) rather than extension (cupping). Get the clubface square sooner, and you can also add more speed through impact. 

Lack of Forward Shaft Lean

Shaft lean at impact helps you compress the ball. If you do not have a forward shaft lean you are adding loft and potentially raising spin rates where the ball may balloon and stall out mid air.

Your shots can feel thin or high on the face, and you may never feel like you really make clean contact. 

Using an impact bag can help you feel this position!  

Excessive Spin from Poor Contact

Hitting your irons too high can also be a result of excessive spin.

Striking the ball low on the face (where groove friction and spin can spike) or with an overly steep angle of attack can cause a high-spinning “ballooning” shot.

Any side spin from an open face can become exaggerated, too.

These are typically shots that climb rapidly, and then they often drop quickly without much roll. Divots may be very deep, or your contact may even feel low on the face. 

Quick Fix

There are two great ways to fix this:

• Shallow out your swing a bit – try feeling like you are sweeping the turf, or swinging through it as opposed to hitting down on the ball. 
• Look for center face contact – you can use impact tape to check the strike location. A more centered hit will help to reduce these high spin spikes.

Here’s what a solid iron shot looks like. Watch the video, pause it at each part of the swing, and compare it to your own.

Additional Drills to Stop Hitting Irons Too High

Here are a few great drills to help you control the loft of your irons, get your wrist angles dialed in, and start maximizing your distance and hitting a more penetrating golf ball flight. 

Motorcycle Drill 

This drill is located in the HackMotion app, so you can practice it in real time but the concept can be practiced with or without HackMotion.

The goal of the motorcycle drill is to teach you to square or slightly close the clubface a bit earlier in the downswing.

The result should be less flipping and better overall contact. 

The Line Drill for Low-Point Control

If your contact is not as crisp as you would prefer it to be the Line Drill is another great one to try.

You can easily set this up on the driving range or even at home if you want to work on your low point control from home. 

P5 Punch Drill

The P5 Punch Drill is a great one to work on if you want to ensure you have forward shaft lean and compress the golf ball.

The P5 Punch Drill promotes forward shaft lean, a shorter and more compact backswing, and correct wrist angles into impact. 

• Video timestamp – 7:26 – 12:09

No-Wrist Takeaway for Better Clubface Control

Hinging the wrist in the golf swing can be a tricky thing.

Proper wrist hinge can add power, but if you do it incorrectly you will be more likely to fan the club open. One of the top mistakes that golfers make is hinging too early in the takeaway. 

This “No-Wrist” takeaway will help give you more control over the clubface. 

• Video timestamp – 1:45 – 2:45

Is There an Ideal Height for an Iron Shot?

While “ideal height” depends on your swing speed and the iron in hand, most solid iron shots have a penetrating, controlled apex rather than a towering, ballooning trajectory.

Here are a few general guidelines:

• Standard 7-Iron Apex – Many golfers see a peak height between 70 and 90 feet (roughly 21 and 27 meters).
  
• Consistent Gapping – You want a consistent descent angle and rollout, so each iron has predictable carry and total distance. Shots that climb too high often create yardage gaps that are tough to manage.

Final Thoughts 

Hitting irons too high is usually a sign that you’re unintentionally adding loft through ball position errors, open clubfaces, or flipping the wrists at impact.

By training your wrist action (especially lead wrist flexion and forward shaft lean), you can achieve a more piercing iron flight.

Use HackMotion to help measure your wrist motion and work on squaring the clubface in real time.