Hitting greens in regulation is among the keys to breaking 80. But many golfers have trouble hitting shots that hold the green. That’s especially true when it comes to long irons or hybrids. These clubs aren’t easy to hit high, so shots with them often come in low. If the ball comes in too low, it will ricochet off. But hitting high, soft irons that hold the green may be as easy as looking up.
Below are five keys to hitting high, soft long irons:
- Take your normal setup
- Position the ball forward slightly
- Pick out a target in the sky
- Look down but hold that position
- Take a normal swing
Not everyone can hit, high soft long irons like Tiger Woods. Even his fellow players marvel at how high he hits them. For some, hitting high soft shots with hybrids are just as difficult—even though they are shorter than long irons. Here’s how to hit high soft shots with these clubs:
Take your normal stance and setup. Position the ball slightly more forward than you would normally do. Now, look up. Pick out a high target in the sky, like a cloud or a plane flying by, and focus on that. If you can’t find anything in the sky, use something else. Just make sure it’s high.
When you pick out that high target, your front shoulder tilts upward and your back shoulder drops down a bit. This is the perfect position from which to hit high shots with long irons. Focusing on the high target sets your shoulders and spine at just the right angle for hitting high shots.
Now switch your eyes to the ball. But don’t change the position of your shoulders or your lower body. Keep them the way they were when you looked up. Now swing away.
Concentrating on a high target sets your shoulders, upper body, and spine at the perfect angle for hitting high irons. Master the art of hitting high soft irons and you’ll hit more greens in regulation and, in time, break 80.
