When you are using an iron there are different considerations based on how you need to hit the ball. There are three irons you should understand which include the short iron, mid-iron, and the long iron. When you use a short iron the ball will be in the middle of the stance and the club will be slightly behind it. The right ball position is smack dab in the middle of your stance. The apex of your swing should be a couple balls forward. This means that you will hit the ball at a steep angle, producing a big divot. Your feet will be closer to the ball than they will be when you use a long iron. The mid sized iron is used slightly different. The ball will not be right in the middle of your stance but it will be slightly forward. The longer the iron is the more forward the ball will need to be. You will still hit the ball with a hard blow but not as steep as you need with the short iron. The divot will also not be as deep either. When you use a long iron the ball will be furthest from you. You want to hit the ball in a sweeping motion rather than hitting down on the ball. The best way to hit the ball is right at the apex of your swing arc. There is not need to force the ball up by hitting the ball on the upswing. The ball will automatically become airborne because of the angle of the attack of the way you hit the golf ball.
You will also need to learn HOW to focus and build a mental routines to play your best golf.
I call that putting your golf swing on automatic and it all starts with the practical application out on the range.
Concentrate. Focus and most of all positive Words that are very easily and often spoken have a bigger impact on your golf swing than the mechanical parts.
Is your focus on what you are looking at or what you are thinking about as you swing?
Anxiety kills performance. You must understand that random thoughts in your golf routine will critically impacts your ability to play good golf consistently.
You will need to learn how to develop simple and repeatable pre-shot routine which can be used for every golf shot on the course. being able to Switch your Focus On and Off from the first tee to the last putting green.
The simplicity of putting your golf swing on automatic will give you the confidence to perform at new levels.
When you are playing on the course you need to be target focused, ( no technical swing thoughts).
So how do you put your golf swing on automatic?
a good pre-shot routines must be trained on the range in addition to your technical skills.
A pre-shot routine is personal and different in all golfers, some golfers are fast players and some are slow players but all good player have a pre-shot routine.
My pre-shot routine is the same with every club in my bag and never changes even with the putter. I have a five foot circle around the golf ball that is my automatic area, outside the circle I can do and think what ever, but once I step into the circle I start humming the same old song to take my mine off the technical part of the golf swing and slow my tempo down.
I look at the target as I approach the back of the golf ball. I place the club behind the ball take my alignment, stance, I take one look at the target waggle the golf club once, twice, place the club back behind the golf ball, look once, twice at the target and pull the trigger.
your pro-shot routine must be practiced on the driving range in addition to and independent of your technical skills.
Assuming you have a good lay in the sand, always take your sand wedge when your in a green side bunker with its heavy soul, your objective through impact is for the club head to cut through the sand and throw the sand and ball onto the green.
The key is to keep the clubface open throughout the swing and to do that, is the way you grip the golf club. Remember, always open the clubface a few degrees and then take your grip. Gripping normally and simply turning the clubface into an open position just does not work.
So With that in mind, get into the practice bunker and follow these rules, set your body approximately 30° degrees open in relation to the target line with your weight evenly distributed then position the ball forward in your stance. Now flex your knees and dig your feet into the sand for a firm footing.
Focus on a spot two or 3 inches behind the ball that’s where you want the leading edge of the club to enter the sand. Swing the club smoothly back along the line of your toes line and let your wrist hinge naturally in response to the weight of the clubhead.
As you start the downswing reroute the club along the target line so that you encourage a shallow angle of attack. it will feel like you’re swing has a slight loop in it as you change direction from backswing to downswing.
Accelerate the clubhead through the sand towards the target and don’t quit on it, blasting the sand and ball out of the bunker and onto the green.
Practice this move without a ball at first, and listen to the sound the club make as it go through the sand, you can actually hear a good bunker shot.
You can also practice the bunker shot with a golf tie placed about half way in the sand and the ball just on top. Now try hitting the tie out from under the golf ball taking a little sand with out hitting the ball.
Practice this lesson often and you will make the sand trap your friend and not your enemy.
To eliminate pulls and slices you must learn to swing the club on a more in-to-out path and also square the club face at impact. Most all slices and pulls start at the top of your golf swing on the downswing trying to hit at the ball and not swing the club on plan.
Here are some drills / pointers that will fix your golf swing you may need to use a combination but believe me the fix is here, somewhere.
1. Try a more close stance to the target, move your right foot back two or three inches, turn your shoulders and hips to the right of the target and move the ball back in your stance. swing the club from inside the target line to out side the target line.
2. Strengthen your grip by moving both hands to the right on the grip until you see three knuckles on the back of your left hand. keeping the Vs’ on both hands parallel.
3.Practice hitting balls by placing a 2×4 board long ways about three inches away from the golf ball and parallel to the target line, slowly at first you will feel a different swing path because your body will not let you hit that board. This will promote a more in-to-out swing path. (PS you do not want to hit the 2×4 board).
Or you may just want to practice hitting ball from a side hill lie, with the ball several inches above the level of your feet. this will also promote a more in-to-out swing path.
As you move the golf club back low and slow from the golf ball, it has to continue on the arc until you reach the top of your backswing. There are a number of moving parts that must take place. First the right shoulder must continue to turn.
The right shoulder can not stop or change directions. If the right shoulder stops or tilts up, the golf club will swing up too much. If the right shoulder turns too flat the golf club will not go up.
As the right shoulder continues to turn in the backswing, The right hip has to resist turning so you can develop resistance. If you develop resistance in the backswing with the bottom half of your body, you will build up tension and that is where the ability to develop clubhead speed comes from.
As the right shoulder continues to turn level to the ground, the left knee will continue to turn more towards the golf ball. You have to make sure you do not allow the right knee to pass the golf ball.
As the right shoulder continues to turn, the left shoulder will move from the address position towards the golf ball. As the right shoulder continues to turn, your head will move slightly to the right (away from the golf ball). Your head will move a couple of inches as a result of the right shoulder turning out of the way. The head does not slide back and away from the golf ball with the lower body.
During this process the right knee or leg never moves.
During the entire backswing, the left arm has remained long, but not rigid. The right arm will begin to fold after the golf club leaves the ball on the start of the back swing.
The reason the left arm remains long is to provide you with plenty of width in the backswing. Width in the backswing is the reason you can develop clubhead speed.
If the left arm remains long you can swing the clubhead on the arc, and by swinging it on the arc you will be able to build clubhead speed in the downswing.
When the golf club arrives at the top of the backswing there are four parts that have to be in the correct place.
Your feet must be parallel to the target line.
Extremely important for the head of the golf club to be pointing towards the target.
It is very important to Stops at the top of your backswing.
Getting to the top of the backswing is no easy feat. Just make sure all of the moving parts are in the correct place. Your checklist should start at the bottom of your feet and go all the way to the top of your head.
At the address position the weight is evenly distributed between both feet.
The arms and hands start the golf club back in a one-piece-take-away which includes the right shoulder turning. the right shoulder continues to turn, the left knee will turn slightly towards the center of your body. Don’t forget, the right knee never leaves its original position.
As the top half of your body is turning, the right knee must remain in the exact same position.
When you are addressing the golf ball, the right knee has a slight flex. During the back swing, the right knee can not slide backwards nor can it straighten out and it can not flex more.
The right knee is the foundation of the back swing, it takes on all of the force of the right shoulder turning and the hips resisting from turning. The right knee has to maintain this rock solid foundation so you can continue to turn the top half of your body against the bottom half.
When the golf club has reached the top of the back swing, the right knee will be there to support the upper golf club, arms, hands and upper body. If there is one part of the body that has to be in the correct position at the top of the back swing, it is the right knee. The function of the right knee is the foundation of the back swing.
Which Iron to Use
