72 golfdigest.com | may 2019
2 hit down on it▶ The most common issue with
poor iron play is trying to hit up
on the ball. If it’s resting on a
tee, a cushy fairway lie or even a
range mat, you can get away with
an iron swing that’s ascending
as it strikes the ball, but you’ll
never control distance or
trajectory this way. You want to
hit down on the ball, taking
a divot only after impact.
A great drill to help you do
that is to place a second ball next
to the far side of the one you’re
about to hit (below, left). After
you hit the shot, note where
your divot mark is in relation
to the ball that’s still sitting there
(below, right). It should be closer
to the target. If the mark
starts behind the ball, you’re
still probably trying to scoop it
off the turf. You’re not hitting
down on the ball.
The typical reason is that
you’re not shifting your weight
to the front leg (left for righties)
as you swing down. You should
feel like all your weight is being
supported by the left leg, and▶ We first have to get you in the
habit of making solid contact
virtually every time you hit an
iron shot. That’s going to make
your distance control a lot more
reliable. An abbreviated swing,
three-quarter length on both
sides of the ball, will help do that.
Jack Nicklaus almost never had
a full follow-through with his
middle-to-short irons, because
a shorter swing makes it easier
to hit it out of the center of the
clubface. It also gets you to drive
through the ball, compressing it
off the turf (more on that later).
Practice this body-controlled
swing by hitting half shots
(photos, above). Take the club
back with good coil in your torso,
but only to the point where your
lead arm (left for righties) is
parallel to the ground. Then stop
your swing after impact when
your trail arm is close to parallel
to the ground. You might be
pleasantly surprised to realize
how good your ball-striking
becomes despite making such a
truncated swing.1 trim your swing