Avoid placing the ball any further forward than your front armpit or any further back than the center of your body. [2] X Research source Starting with the ball a little more forward will prevent you from having to chop down at it, which usually just results in short, sloppy fading shots.
It can help to imagine your chest “hovering” over the ball up until the moment of impact. [5] X Research source Irons tend to be shorter than woods. For this reason, it’s important to keep your chest and shoulders low throughout your swing, even more so than when blasting a drive.
Get in the habit of double-checking your body space as part of your setup. You want to keep a consistent amount of space on every shot, regardless of the iron you’re playing with.
Remember to keep your wrists locked until you enter the apex of your swing, just like with any other shot. [8] X Research source A more subtle swing trajectory will also guarantee that you’re sending the ball forward as opposed to upwards.
Try to let your body take on a loose curve, from the top of your head to the foot of your back leg. If you’re a right-handed golfer, make sure your left shoulder stays slightly higher than your right. If you’re left-handed, keep your right shoulder higher. [11] X Research source
If you’re facing a slight bank on your lefthand side, shaping your club to the left a small amount can help you compensate for the roll caused by the incline and place the ball closer to the hole. Shaping is an advanced technique and requires a lot of practice to get right. It may take dozens or even hundreds of swings before you get to the point where you can deliver the ball exactly where you want it to go. [13] X Research source
Resist the urge the stand up or raise your chest and shoulders prematurely. This won’t help you get more lift—in fact, it does the exact opposite, as it causes the head of your club to strike higher up on the ball. [16] X Research source Train yourself to freeze for 1-2 full seconds after your follow-through to avoid developing the bad habit of coming out of position early.
To get the hang of hitting in a forward direction, take a few half-speed swings using a putter, then switch to your iron of choice and replicate the same motion.
There’s a big difference between ending a shot with a nice, clean divot and simply digging up chunks of the green. You’ll know it when you feel it. With a textbook divot, the head of your club should contact the ball first, then the ground. This means that the divot itself will be in front of the ball, not behind it. [19] X Research source
The number stamped on an iron corresponds to the amount of loft produced by the head. The higher the number, the steeper the angle and the greater the loft. [21] X Research source If you find yourself stuck in a deep bunker, you also have the option of grabbing a wedge. Wedges are a special subset of irons with short shafts, high lofts, and heavy heads. They’re used mostly for making short-distance “lob” shots.
