Golf Swing Basics: How to Hit Your Irons Better
- Short & Sweet. Your iron swing does not need to wrap around your neck – in fact, you can have great success with a short...
- Press Forward. A common mistake by amateur golfers is poor hand position in relation to the ball. You never want your...
- Down for Up. It may not be intuitive, but if you want to hit high and soft iron...
How to hit Irons correctly in 3 easy ways?
Jan 27, 2021 · First, make sure you know which irons are considered “long” and which are “short.” Your long irons (2, 3 and 4) have a lower loft and are designed for more distance. (1 irons if you have them) Short irons (8, 9 and pitching wedge) have a higher loft and help you pop the ball up in the air as you get closer to the green.
What is the correct golf swing for Irons?
Nov 19, 2021 · Golf Swing Basics: How to Hit Your Irons Better Short & Sweet. Your iron swing does not need to wrap around your neck – in fact, you can have great success with a short... Press Forward. A common mistake by amateur golfers is poor hand position in relation to the ball. You never want your... Down ...
How to hit irons for beginners?
Take it back low According to Geoff Ogilvy, to hit your longer irons at a solid rate, it is important to take the club back easy on your backswing. "A longer iron requires more of a sweeping motion...
How far should I hit my 7 iron?
Feb 13, 2020 · In this video PGA Golf Professional Rick Shiels shows you how you can hit your golf irons better than ever!Stop hitting the golf ball fat, stop hitting the g...
How to hit high iron shots?
It may not be intuitive, but if you want to hit high and soft iron shots, you need to hit down on the ball. Many players that struggle in the game of golf try to help the ball in to the air by hitting up on it – the only time this is a good idea is off the tee with your driver.
How to get power in an iron shot?
You actually get most of you power in an iron shot from trapping the ball against the ground, so it is critical that you make a divot when hitting an approach shot. Most of the time, you want to hit a larger divot with your shorter clubs. You can learn a lot from your divots.
When will golf swing basics be released?
Golf Swing Basics: How to Hit Your Irons Better. December 9, 2020. June 29, 2020 by Matt. If you are just getting started with the game of golf or a high handicapper that has been struggling to improve, your iron play is probably holding you back.
How to make a downward motion in golf?
This might feel strange at first but stick with it. The forward press will start your swing in a great impact position, so just take the club back and return it to the same spot. This will naturally create a downward motion towards the ball, and we will talk about the importance of that shortly.
Where do you want the most speed in your swing?
Where do you want the most speed in your swing? The correct answer is near impact, but many golfers actually have more speed during their backswing or during their transition “at the top”. Starting your swing low & slow will help with your rhythm and prevent you from getting in a bad position from the start.
Where do players typically mess up their swing?
It is quite possible that you get the club in a bad position in the first few inches of your backswing. Once you are in this position, it is hard to correct and hit a solid shot.
Do you have to wrap your neck for an iron swing?
Your iron swing does not need to wrap around your neck – in fact, you can have great success with a short backswing. If you are struggling to make consistent contact with your irons, simplification is the key.
How to hit longer irons?
According to Geoff Ogilvy, to hit your longer irons at a solid rate, it is important to take the club back easy on your backswing. "A longer iron requires more of a sweeping motion than other irons and a smoother swing. To achieve both, I try to take it back 'low and slow' for the first few feet and get the clubshaft pointing down my target line, with the toe up halfway back. This deliberate takeaway helps promote a smooth, shallow swing that's perfectly on plane." For more irons tips, check out The Butch Harmon Swing Clinic.
How to hit irons solid?
To hit your irons solid, Ryan Palmer advocates setting up closer to the ball and grip appropriately. "Take one more club than normal, grip down an inch, and stand closer to the ball, so the shaft is slightly more vertical . Standing closer helps trap the ball between the clubface and the turf, promoting solid contact.
How to hit an 8 iron?
A mistake that players often make, according to Butch Harmon, is that they try to help the ball up into the air, which often results in a short, fading shot. To fix this, Harmon says, "Keep everything moving forward through impact -- your weight, your hands and arms, the grip end of the club; hit with the back of your left hand facing the target. Feel as if you're backhanding the ball at impact. You'll deliver the club with the correct loft, so an 8-iron behaves like an 8-iron, and you'll hit more greens."More: Add Zip To Iron Shots, by Butch Harmon
How to divot a golf ball?
That sets up a shallower angle into the ball and a long, thin divot. It also helps if you turn the knuckles of your top hand to the ground through impact. This is a clear sign that you're compressing the ball, trapping it between the clubface and the turf, which will result in a divot on the forward side of the ball."More: Tiger Tip: Compress The Ball, by Tiger Woods
What is a three quarter swing?
A three-quarter swing can help you stay in control. And that's not just your body, but the ball, too."More: Tim Clark's Keys To Better Irons, by Tim Clark. Golfers who don't make a full backswing on their iron shots tend to swing the club too steeply into the ball, according to Butch Harmon.
Why use an 8 iron instead of a 9?
The reason you use an 8-iron instead of a 9 is to help lower the ball flight, and you grip down to make sure you don't hit the shot too long. ". Play with more consistency today! Start now →. Photo By: Matt York/AP.
What is the problem with irons?
According to Tim Clark, a large problem that golfers face with their irons is that they never take enough club in regards to distance. Rather, take an extra club, and swing with a bit less power and a shorter finish. "I always make sure I have enough.
How to improve iron play in golf?
It is great to hit a pretty drive right down the middle of the fairway, but it doesn’t do you a lot of good if you can’t capitalize on it with a solid iron shot. Placing the ball close to the hole on a regular basis is the only way to really improve your scores. Better iron play is within the reach of every golfer, as long as they use solid technique and spend enough time practicing.
How to swing irons?
It is important to understand that your iron swing should be more ‘upright’ than your driver swing – that is, your arms should swing higher up into the air on your backswing, rather than around you. To facilitate that upright swing, you want to take a stance that is slightly closer to the golf ball and has your back in a relatively upright position. If you find that you are hunched over your iron shots too much, try taking a small step closer to the ball and adding some flex in your knees. Those two slight adjustments should be all it takes to put you in a better golf stance for irons.
How to shape a shot in golf?
The first thing that you need to understand about shot shaping is that the ball is going to head in the direction that the club face is pointing. Many of the golf tips irons players use fail to point out the importance of the position of the clubface at impact. When you are thinking about controlling the club face to generate a certain ball flight, remember that everything is in reference to the path that the club is swinging on. So, to make the ball draw to the left (again, for RH golfer), you will need to swing through impact with the club face pointing to the left as compared to the swing path. If the face is pointing to the right at impact, a fade or slice is the likely result. If you hope to gain control over your ball flights with your iron game, controlling the club face is your first job.
What is the difference between a driver and an iron?
For example, the golf stance for irons is slightly different than it is for a driver – in fact, the overall golf setup irons require is unique and must be done correctly before you can make a quality, repeatable swing. Rather than taking the easy way out and just making the same exact swing with all of your clubs, take the time to learn why golf iron shots require a slightly different technique and you should be rewarded with better play almost immediately.
Why is it important to have your eyes on the ball when hitting an iron?
Of all the great golf tips irons can use, this one is vital because it will help you to make good contact time after time.
How much power do you need to hit a tee shot?
While it makes sense to drive your tee shot with 100 percent of your power, trying to hit it as far down the fairway as possible, that’s not normally the objective with your fairway irons. You should swing comfortably and smoothly at around 75 percent power. Your main objective should be to maintain distance control.
How to hit iron shots?
First, understand that when you reach impact, you need to have your hands in front of the ball (closer to the target). This provides you with the ability to make downward impact, which is key to hitting solid shots and getting some backspin on the ball. With that in mind, make sure your hands at address are slightly ahead of the ball – just like you want them to be at impact. By setting up this way before you ever start your swing, you will stand a much better chance of returning to this position later on.
What is the best skill to have when hitting a golf ball high?
Hitting a golf ball high with your irons is a great skill that gives you an edge on the green. More height can send the ball further and help you get over hills and traps on the course.
How to get more height in golf swing?
It’s harder to get under the ball if you’re stiff, so don’t squeeze the handle. Position your hands slightly ahead of the ball on impact to gain more height.
How to keep your golf club straight?
Bring your hands up behind your head on the backswing. This high backswing helps you keep the club straight and maintain a vertical swing. If your hands are lower, like around your shoulders, you probably won’t get a high shot.
How to stay behind the ball in golf?
Shift 60% of your weight to your rear leg before your backswing. Get set up and stand with roughly 60% of your weight on your rear foot and 40% on your front foot. This helps you stay behind the ball throughout your swing and lift it higher.
How to hit a golf ball with a left handed club?
This gives you more lift and height at impact. If you're right-handed, open the clubface by aiming slightly to the right of your target. If you're left-handed, aim to the left instead.
How to get more lift in tennis?
Raise your front shoulder a bit higher than your back shoulder. Tilt your front shoulder up a bit to move your head and center of gravity back. This keeps you behind the ball and gives you more lift.
How to get under the ball in golf?
Standing straight up makes it harder to get under the ball for a high shot. Bend your knees slightly before you start your backswing. This way, you’ll get under the ball for a higher trajectory. You might have to adjust your ball position again after you bend your knees, since your club might scrape the ground.
Why do golfers struggle with irons?
Most golfers struggle with how to hit irons solid because they make 3 critical mistakes in their golf swing. If you are one of these golfers that's struggling it’s highly likely you are making at least one of these 3 mistakes.
What happens if you don't hit your irons correctly?
If you’re not set up correctly it forces your body to make compensations throughout the golf swing which results in more problems in your golf game.
How to hit irons flush?
If you want to know how to hit irons consistently and flush, this is super important. When you address the golf ball, your left shoulder will be in front of the golf closer to the target. The only way to make consistent, solid contact with the golf ball is to ensure your left shoulder returns to this same position or even a little bit closer to the target.
How important is weight shift in golf swing?
Learning to implement the correct golf weight shift is another important part of the golf swing that has a big impact on your ability to hit your irons pure. A poor weight shift in the golf swing makes it nearly impossible to become a consistent ball striker round after round.
What is the danger of having too much secondary axis tilt?
The danger of too much secondary axis tilt. Another important part of the golf swing that destroys your chances of hitting your irons solid is having too much secondary axis tilt. This is when the right shoulder tilts back excessively from the target in the downswing.
What happens when your hands move closer to the ground?
What happens is your hands move closer to the ground and get forced to release early resulting in loss of lag and the ability to hit the irons flush. It’s not so much of an issue with the driver as you are hitting more up on the golf ball but for your irons, it’s a death move.
How to make consistent contact with golf ball?
The only way to make consistent, solid contact with the golf ball is to ensure your left shoulder returns to this same position or even a little bit closer to the target. When you do this move the golf club has a much easier job of returning to impact in a descending action which is perfect to hit flush iron shots.
What does it mean when you hit a fat iron?
If you hit a lot of fat iron shots, chances are you're not shifting to your front foot in the downswing. Even hitting thin shots usually means your weight is back —instead of crashing into the turf, the club misses the ground and catches the ball when it starts swinging upward.
How to hit a three quarter shot?
Grab a short iron, take your setup, then angle your back knee inward so your back foot is up on its toes ( above ). That will push the majority of your weight to your front side. From this setup, hit some half and three-quarter shots. You'll make ball-first contact with your weight forward at impact and feel a nice push off your back foot as you go through.
How to play the ball in line with the logo on your shirt?
Let's look. First, play the ball in line with the logo on your shirt, on the left side of your chest. It's hard to hit down on the ball if it's way up in your stance, but moving it way back is no good, either. With the ball back, you're less likely to make a good shift to your front side on the downswing—and that forward shift is ...
How many lessons are there in Golf Digest?
Check out Golf Digest All Access to get over 150 lessons on any of your devices, at any time.
What is the most important move into impact?
With the ball back, you're less likely to make a good shift to your front side on the downswing—and that forward shift is the most important move into impact. The second position is staying in your posture as you swing down and through.
