Some golfers have no issue with the driver, they step up to the tee and pipe it down there 250-300 yards.
They think they are in great shape, until they either hit their iron shot fat, thin, too short or too far or with way too much curve.
They leave the green frustrated with their bogey due to a poor iron shot.
Sound familiar?
We have all been there and want to help!
In the most recent golf season, I experienced my highest shots gained in the category of approach shots! This means I was hitting my irons pure and consistent.
I want to help you get better with your irons and have you experience success and turn approach shots and iron shots into a strength!
Golf is a game of precision and skill, and mastering your iron shots is crucial for success on the course. While many golfers focus on hitting long drives (which is perfectly fine), it’s the accuracy and control of iron shots that can make or break your game.
In this comprehensive overview, we will explore the techniques and strategies to help you hit your irons consistently and improve your overall golf swing.
Quality approach shots lead to more birdie opportunities. Also, it can help produce many stress feel pars, where you aren’t constantly trying to save par by hitting a quality chip and then pouring in a 6 footer.
Let’s break it down and start to hit pure and consistent iron shots!
Why Iron Shots Matter
Iron shots are an essential part of the game because they are used for approach shots to the green. These shots require precision and accuracy to get the ball close to the pin. While hitting long drives off the tee is exciting, it’s the iron shots that ultimately determine your score. By improving your iron play, you can lower your scores and become a more consistent golfer.
One of my favorite Jack Nicklaus stories is one time his son came in and said he was going to practice putting and Jack told him, just hit the ball closer to the hole.
If you want to be a great putter, become a great iron player. It is much easier to make 10 foot putts than 20 foot putts. Better iron shots also helps with 3 putt avoidance.
Why Do I Struggle With My Irons
Typically, the golfer is going to struggle with irons because of poor technique, wrong intention, lack of practice or the wrong irons. Golfers will want to control their low point and compress the ball to get the best results.
Too many golfers try to scoop or pick the ball, resulting in poor contact or a loss of distance from failure to compress the ball.
Issue #1: Poor Low Point Control
Golfer needs to be able to control the low point in the golf swing. This is most frequently defined as where the golf club interacts with the ground on your iron shots.
An inch or two before the ball equals disaster (fat shot)
An inch or two too high also equals disaster (thin shot)
An inch or two just past contact equals pure (well struck shot)
Several tips/drills to help you:
- The golf club will often hit the ground based on where your weight is at impact. Too far back and you could hit it fat or thin (overcompensate). Too far forward and you could be too steep into the ball. But if you get the weight onto the front foot at impact, you increase your chances of a quality low point. So if you are struggling, go ahead and hit shot three quarter shots with 60 percent of your weight on your front leg. Feel the compression and the proper low point.
- Low Point Control Drill: Go ahead and use some yard paint in your yard and pain a line about 1-2 yards long. Place a wiffle ball on that line and see where your club first contacts the ball. Hit the ground behind the line, you are in trouble. Hit the ground on the target side of the line, you have increased your chances of a solid strike.
10 Tips to Improve Your Approach Shots
Issue #2: Poor Swing Path
A path that is too far inside or too far over the top creates too much side spin on the golf ball or a push or pull too far away from the target. We want a swing path is several degrees from the inside or several degrees from right to left. If you get too extreme your contact will struggle as well as your accuracy.
Issue #3: Lack of Swing Speed
If you lack swing speed you are going to struggle to hit the mid to long irons. A lack of swing speed makes golf difficult. Many golfers turn to hybrids when they lack swing speed due to the design of the hybrids. It is something worth considering if you continue to struggle with your irons. Or you can complete speed training through a system like SuperSpeed Golf.
Recommendation: Need more distance in your game, check out this post!
The Golf Mavericks Experience: Through speed training my 8 iron now is my 160 club when it used to be my 152 club. The increase is speed is experienced through the golf bag with all clubs.
Resource: How to hit your driver better!
Issue #4: Poor Club Selection
Way too often golfers do not take enough club for their iron shots into greens. As a result they come up short way too often. Or they overswing because realistically, deep down, they know they don’t have enough club.
The Golf Mavericks Experience: Alfred, the senior golfer in our foursome, has replaced his 3 thru 7 irons with various hybrids. The extra launch and distance has been helpful. Make sure you consider all of your options when it comes to golf clubs.
Issue #5: The Wrong Intention
The weakest golfers try to scoop the ball with their irons or try to hit way too much down. You want to just brush the ground at the low point with slightly descending blow. The intention of helping the golf ball in the air can lead to disaster as the low point control struggles or the golf early extends and tops the ball.
A great video is shared below that can give you the right intention and concept for hitting pure irons. Also, check out our 5 steps below.
Resource: How long does it take to get good at golf?
5 Tips For Hitting Your Irons Pure
#1 Low Point Control Drill
Go ahead and check out a video of a professional golfer striking an iron. It is pure and crisp with amazing low point control. They can hit the same spot over and over again. Take a high handicap player and they might miss their low point as often as 75% of the time. The key here is to train your low point control by hitting thousands or golf balls or use the drill detailed above for low point control.
Helpful Resource: Make more putts by improving your putting
#2 Develop A Stock Shot
A key to quality irons shots is having a predictable curve. You want your golf ball playing “offense,” which means it is curving towards the hole as it nears the green. The best golfers play a slight draw or a slight fade and develop a stock shot they can rely on over time. The uncertainty of what direction a ball might curve leads to doubt and poor outcomes.
The Golf Mavericks Experience: Once I saw the stock shot mindset and drill as presented by Kyle Morris, it just made sense and helped me take my game to a new level with a stock draw with the irons and a stock fade with the driver.
#3 Train for Speed
The more speed, the easier it is to hit quality irons. I would highly recommend training for speed to take your game to the next level. Additional swing speed will help you hit your driver further, leaving you a shorter distance.
If your 130 club was once an 8 iron and now you can hit a pitching wedge, you have an advantage. All of the golf analytics points to the many benefits of extra swing speed. Plus the systems are out there and don’t require you to go to the gym to squat or do lifts you might not be comfortable performing.
Helpful Resource: 11 Tips To Improve Your Chipping
#4 Pick the Proper Aim Points
The other major benefit we have from analytics is clarity on the best aim points for shots of different distances. I would highly recommend checking out Decade Golf if you want to take your game to another level. We don’t need to aim at every flag during a round of golf. Playing the percentages saves your fraction of shots time and time again.
Resource: 10 Reasons Golfers Do Not Get Better at Golf
#5 Change Your Intentions
If you scoop or dig, stop! Instead, pick a target out in the distance, get your weight slightly forward and go ahead and strike the ball vs scooping or digging. The interaction with the ground is a slight strike, almost like lighting a match. I would recommend the video below to help you make clean, crisp contact the Shawn Clement way!
Resource: How To Hit Your Wedges Better
Mastering Your Iron Shots: Techniques and Strategies
Now that we’ve identified common mistakes, let’s dive into the techniques and strategies that will help you master your iron shots and improve your overall golf swing.
Resource: 5 Step Process on How To Get Better At Golf!
#1 Setup and Alignment
A solid setup is the foundation for a successful iron shot. Pay attention to your stance, ball position, and alignment to ensure a proper setup.
Related: How to improve your approach shots – 10 Tips
Stance
Start by establishing a solid and stable stance. Position your feet shoulder-width apart and distribute your weight evenly between both feet. This balanced stance will provide a stable base for your swing and allow for proper weight transfer.
Ball Position
The position of the ball in your stance will vary depending on the club you’re using. As a general rule, for short irons, place the ball in the middle of your stance. For mid-irons, position the ball slightly ahead of the center, and for long irons, move the ball forward in your stance. Experiment with different ball positions to find what works best for you.
Alignment
Proper alignment is crucial for accurate iron shots. Align your feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to the target line. Use a target or an intermediate target to help guide your alignment. This will ensure that your swing is on the correct path and increase your chances of hitting your intended target.
#2 Backswing and Downswing
The backswing and downswing are critical components of the golf swing. Focus on these areas to improve your iron shots.
Backswing
During the backswing, focus on maintaining a smooth and controlled motion. Keep your wrists firm and your arms connected to your body. Avoid excessive movement or lifting of the arms. Instead, focus on turning your shoulders and coiling your body for power.
Downswing
The downswing is where the magic happens. Start the downswing by shifting your weight onto your front foot and initiating the movement with your lower body. This will create a powerful and controlled transition from backswing to impact. Focus on maintaining a smooth and gradual acceleration through the ball, rather than trying to swing too hard or force the shot.
#3 Impact and Follow-through
The impact and follow-through are crucial for solid iron shots. Pay attention to these elements to achieve consistent and accurate results.
Impact
At impact, focus on striking the ball with a downward strike (but not digging). This will create the necessary compression and spin for a controlled shot. Maintain a firm and solid impact position, with your hands slightly ahead of the ball. This will ensure a clean strike and maximize the distance and accuracy of your iron shots.
Follow-through
The follow-through is the continuation of your swing after impact. Maintain your balance and allow your body to rotate naturally. A full and balanced finish will indicate a well-executed shot. Avoid decelerating or stopping your swing prematurely. Instead, let your swing flow and maintain a smooth and controlled motion until the end.
#4 Practice and Improvement
Consistent practice is essential for improving your iron shots. Here are some tips to help you practice effectively and make progress.
Range Sessions
Dedicate regular practice sessions to your iron play. Focus on specific drills and exercises that target your weaknesses. Work on your technique, alignment, and consistency. Use alignment aids, swing aids, or training devices to help you develop proper muscle memory and improve your swing mechanics.
On-course Practice
Take your practice to the course and simulate real-game situations. Practice different distances, lies, and shot trajectories. Play practice rounds where you focus solely on your iron shots. This will help you become more comfortable and confident in executing iron shots under pressure.
Seek Professional Guidance
Consider working with a golf instructor or coach to receive personalized guidance and feedback. A professional can help identify and correct any swing flaws, provide tailored drills, and offer valuable insights into improving your iron play.
Resource: How To Hit Your Wedges Better!
How To Hit Your Irons Further – 4 Tips
To hit your irons further you will want to increase your swing speed, improve your contact, use the right clubs, find the proper launch angle and find a quality spin rate. Here are some further details on dialing in these keys.
#1 Improve Swing Speed
Utilize a system like SuperSpeed Golf or The Stack System and add 20-30 yards with the driver and improve by a club or two. If your 7 iron is your 150 club, after training you might be able to hit a 9 iron 150. This will help you hold more greens and improve your accuracy.
#2 Improve Contact
If I could gift a beginner golfer a gift, it would be to have quality contact through better low point control. We need to strike it solid to maximize our distance. Fat and thin shots destroy our distances.
#3 Get The Right Golf Clubs
If you are a beginner or mid to high handicap golfer, use the player improvement clubs that have low center of gravity and help the golfer launch the golf ball higher and further. Stop trying to play the elite level player club, thinking it will help your game. Also, if your golf clubs are more than 10 years old, you are missing out a improvement in irons to help you play better.
#4 Proper Launch Angle
There is an ideal launch angle for every swing speed. Too low or too high will result in a loss of distance and difficulty in certain conditions (wet, windy, firm, etc.)
#5 Proper Spin Rate
If you spin the ball at too high or a rate you will lose distance. If you spin the ball at a lower rate, you can gain distance, but might have trouble controlling your shots and distance control.
Spin Rate Matters – Check out this post for an overview on spin rate
Control Your Distances – Chart Your Distance
Do you have a shot chart for how far you hit each iron?
Dialing in your distance is an essential part to becoming a better iron player. Our recommendation is to use a launch monitor device and track your average for each club over 10 shots. This means during a practice session you would record your distance with each club in your bag. The chart might look something like the the one below.
I use my Skytrak Launch Monitor and Arccos Smart Sensors to dial in my distance on my simulator and on the golf course. I have become more precise. Other technology that you could use on the golf course include a range finder and a GPS based golf watch.
| Club | Carry Distance (100%) | 90% | 80% |
| 2 Utility Iron | 230 | ||
| 4 iron | 200 | ||
| 5 iron | 190 | ||
| 6 iron | 180 | ||
| 7 iron | 170 | ||
| 8 iron | 160 | ||
| 9 iron | 150 | ||
| P Club | 140 | 130 | 120 |
| Pitching Wedge | 130 | 120 | 110 |
| SW Club | 117 | 107 | 97 |
| LW Club | 100 | 90 | 80 |
Conclusion
Mastering your iron shots is essential for success in golf. By focusing on technique, practicing consistently, and implementing the strategies outlined in this overview, you can improve your iron play and become a more consistent and accurate golfer.
Remember to be patient, stay committed to practice, and enjoy the process of honing your skills. With dedication and effort, you’ll see significant improvements in your iron shots and overall golf game. Happy golfing!