On the Fairway » Solid Irons Video

In this lesson, we will discuss the key points for solid iron play. It begins at set up.

As I address the ball, I like to feel centered with the weight favoring the balls of my feet and my shaft in line with my sternum. Many players set up cockeyed with either too much weight on their front or back foot and their hands positioned too far forward. This set up delofts the club, which will make it a real challenge to get it airborne.

Your ball position is super important. So make sure that your ball is placed correctly. I have a 5 iron, so my ball is positioned ahead of center.

The critical component of solid iron play is understanding how the ball gets airborne. Good players understand that in order to get this puppy airborne, they need to hit down and through. When you hit down on the ball with your hands leading the way, you are compressing the ball against the club face – which sends it flying off the face at warp speed. And because you are hitting down and through, you are grabbing some grass along the way. The grass comes just after the ball as the clubhead is still, descending past the ball before it makes its way to your finish.

When your hands are leading the way, it’s referred to as a forward shaft lean. A forward shaft lean means the clubhead is behind your hands as it’s descending toward the ball.

Conversely, if you try and scoop the ball or pick it clean off the turf, the clu face will be ahead of your hands and ascending away from the ball. This will result in a thin or fat shot every time. Instead, we need to strike down and through with our hands leading the way for solid contact.

If you struggle with thin or fat shots with your irons, then check out the Bad Shot Fixes section and certainly work with your golf professional to improve your impact position. In fact, LPGA Pro Emma Leonardi shares a great drill to groove better impact. Look for her golf tip in the BAD SHOT FIXES section under poor impact.