Lineup is Key for Controlled Iron Shots

Two of the recent blogs by Danny Maude reminded me why if is so difficult to control the direction and distance for every iron shot. Slope of the ground (side to side or back to front) your weight shift and your swing arc can change your impact point with every different length of iron. You need to adjust your stance, grip and lineup to execute perfect shots up your target line.

Inconsistencies are exactly the reason why mid-handicap golfers need to take a full practice swing before each hit. You need to pay attention to the direction of the club face and the point of impact with respect to the ball position. You have to visualize where your club face will RELEASE your ball. Of course, it’s so much easier to understand your errors when you see the divot after you hit each shot.

Eliminating Angles for Your Irons in Your Setup
Your iron shaft should be setup perpendicular from where your ball is resting. DON’T SETUP WITH A FORWARD SHAFT LEAN. Your wedge shots should be lined up in the center of your stance so your shaft should be pointing at your belt buckle. The ball position for your 6-iron is forward of the center of your stance so the shaft of your club should still be square to the ground but pointing slightly forward of your belt buckle (as below).

Irons should be pointing perpendicular from the ground. This 6 -iron shaft is pointing just forward of the belt buckle. [Golf Digest Middle East]

Setup with the Face Square
You can add draw or fade with the direction of you swing. You can also add hook or slice with a closed or open face, respectively, so setup with the face of your club square to your target line to understand the impact of a square setup. Every iron is swung in an arc so you need to focus on creating a consistent impact with your club face square and also keeping the impact point of your swing path in line with your target line. Making a complete swing allows you to return your club to square at the bottom of your swing.

Make a Practice Swing Before Every Shot
I rarely see a mid-handicap golfer take a practice swing that duplicates the swing speed and tempo of their actual shot. Each club length will change the outcome of your shots. Inconsistencies in your swing will show up during your practice swing. Just do it!

Learn from Your Ball Flight
Great golfers learn from their mistakes so that they can improve their next shot. Ground slope, ball position (forward or back), club face open or closed and swing direction (over the top or inside to out) will all change the direction of your shot. Diagnose the flight of every shot that you make. If you don’t understand why your shots are not hitting their mark, take some lessons with a professional.

Ultimately you need a “feel” for your swing and the shot that you are trying to make. Make a practice swing and then execute that exact shot. Once you understand what causes your ball flight, focus on your setup and practice with GOLFSTR+ to eliminate elbow and wrist bending which are adding dangerous angles to every swing. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com

Thought for the Day: No matter how badly you are playing, it’s always possible to get worse.