‘Follow my iron play keys for accurate approach shots’

There’s a direct correlation between how close you hit the ball to the flag on your approach shots on average and the overall scores you shoot. So if you can tighten up your iron play and hit some more accurate approach shots then you’re going to find you start making those lower scores you seek. These are the key areas I focus on in my swing and they can help you, too.

I Stay connected and build tension in a slow backswing

I’m never in a rush and I let the backswing develop. It’s like a spring. You’ve got all day to get the tension in it and it’s still going to uncoil with power, irrespective of how quickly you create that tension in the backswing. From here, the left arm stays pinned to the chest and it’s the big muscles that turn the club to the top of the backswing.

3 Hit a fade for more control and softer landing shots

To hit a baby fade, I put the ball further forward in my stance, which gives me more time to arc the club to the left. I also have the feeling of staying on my right side a bit longer in the downswing because the more I stay on my right side, the more I’m going to want to exit the club hard to the left.

2 Start the downswing from the ground up

The transition is the key – it’s the dierence between a good player and a great player. I tend to let my upper body slide a little bit too far ahead of it, which makes me back up through the ball and I get handsy. I’m working on getting everything moving from the ground up, so the hands are the last thing to be delivered through impact.

4 Hold a good finish position to trap a good swing

The finish position matters. When I have a controlled and balanced follow-through, I’m never going to hit a bad shot. I call it having good brakes because everything is much shorter when I have a good follow-through, more punch-like. When I have a bad follow-through, it’s much more thrown down the line and out of control.