How to hit pure iron shots

Practice to ensure your hips rotate and not sway – it’s vital for a crisp strike

A powerful and effective iron strike is when you squeezes down slightly on the ball. This downward strike applies maximum pressure into the ball, giving your iron shots power and penetration.

Many club golfers grasp this, but do not realise their attempts to hit down are often foiled by their hip action. A hip sway, as opposed to a hip turn, is ruinous for iron shots as it moves your chest – and the swing’s low point – behind the ball. once that happens, you can only hit weakly up on the ball.

So make a more rotational hip motion that helps you find that compressing strike.

1. No chance to compress

Some golfers sway because they feel they need to get behind the ball to hit it up, while others do so simply because they’ve been told to shift their weight. Neither is useful for iron shots.

2. Upper body behind ball

The low point of the swing falls pretty much under your left chest. To squeeze down on the ball, your left chest needs to be hole-side of the ball – ahead of it – at impact. That swaying hip motion compromises that by dragging your upper body behind the ball.

3. Use a cane to practice

Stick a cane into the ground just outside your trailing foot, angled to mimic your right leg angle at set-up. Any sway and your right hip will brush the shaft. Instead, a good backswing sees your hips rotate inside the cane, your right leg angle preserved. This keeps your left chest over the ball and puts you in great shape for a descending strike.

4. Buttons in front of ball

from that more centred position at the top, your natural downswing shift and rotation into your left or lead side puts your upper body – and the swing’s low point – comfortably ahead of the ball at impact. when your chest is ahead of the ball, the club meets the ball with the hand leading the head, a forward shaft lean that delofts the face and applies more pressure onto the ball.