HITTING YOUR IRONS FAT

One of the most common golfing sins, heavy iron strikes are also one of the easiest to correct. All you have to do is grasp the concept of ‘low point’ – where the club bottoms out on its circular journey. The low point always falls opposite the lead chest, so the quickest route to a du is to allow your lead chest to fall behind the ball. Here are two drills that will help you guard against it ...

DRILL 1 TRAIL SIDE CONTAINER

The most common reason for your lead chest falling behind the ball is a simple lateral sway.

Slide show

In the classic sway, your trail hip doesn’t so much rotate as slide; it simply drifts away from the target, your weight shifting to the outside of the foot. Your upper body shifts with it, placing the lead chest behind the ball. This is the classic duff move.

Trail side guide

To check if you are swaying, position an obstacle close to the outside of your trail leg. Ideally you will use an alignment stick, angled parallel to the leg as shown, but a golf bag can work too. Make sure there is a small gap between your trail hip and the obstacle.

Hip works back

To check you are not falling into this trap, and to train a better backswing move, practise preserving or even increasing the gap between your trail hip and the stick as you swing back. There are two key feelings to look for ...

1. Your trail-hip pocket works behind you.

2. Your weight gathers on the inside of the trail foot, favouring the heel.

Let that stick contain your lateral motion and you will hold a much more effective lead-chest position, over the ball. This will help you achieve a clean, compressing strike.

DRILL 2 LEAD-SIDE TRAINER

You can also tackle the problem of falling behind the ball by focusing on your lead side. Try this ...

Get on the front foot

Take a mid-iron. Address the ball opposite your lead toe cap. Withdraw your trail foot so you are balanced on your lead foot and trail toe. This gives you a lead-side orientated set-up, the lead chest level with the ball.

Centre stage

Make a half-backswing. Without your trail leg there to permit and support any lateral swaying, you are forced to stay centred and stacked if you want to stay balanced. At first, use half swings to feel this. Gradually build to a fuller motion as your ability to stabilise yourself improves.

Balance challenge

After hitting a series of shots from just a half-backswing, build up to a fuller, faster action. By challenging your balance and forcing you to play off your lead foot, this drill forces your upper body to adopt good form. As soon as your chest drifts behind the ball, you will quite simply lose stability and fall backwards.

Look for these signs of progress...

Forward shaft lean (handle leads head) at impact. Some ground interaction – a bruising or shallow divot – after the ball and not before it. A lower, more driven strike.

Once you start to feel these on a regular basis, take your regular two-footed stance; but aim to repeat that same centred, stacked feeling throughout your backswing.