We’ve all heard this advice at one time or another: Hit down on your irons. Hitting down compresses the ball against the ground for a purer, sweeter strike that throws the ball skyward. But if you take too steep an angle of approach, it creates a problem, causing you to hit it fat or thin.
Here are 5 keys to hitting clean, crisp irons:
1. Don’t try to guide club
2. Shift your weight to your front side
3. Take a shallower path to the ball
4. Allow club to follow through
5. Focus on the front of the ball
To make crisp, clean contact, loose the idea that you have to swing down hard on the ball with your irons. Replace this idea with the idea that you can take a shallower path to the ball and still hit it solidly.
To do this, setup to the ball as you normally would. Now shift your weight to your front foot and come down into the ball, allowing your swing to take its natural path to the ball. Let your clubhead and upper body follow suit.
To insure that you take a divot after impact, focus on a point just in front of the ball as you come down in to it. Focusing on this point helps you create a shallower path to the ball naturally.
A good exercise to help you create a shallower swingpath is to imagine an airplane com-ing for its final descent and touching down after impact. Follow that swing path with your clubhead.
If you’re hitting your irons fat or thin, you may be coming into the ball on too steep an angle. Try a shallower swingpath. It can lead to purer, sweet strikes and crisper, more ac-curate approach shots.
