Golf Tips 
Instruction Iron Play: Lessons Master Your Iron Play
Instruction Iron Play: Lessons Master Your Iron Play
Master Your Iron PlayAugusta National places demands on the iron game more than any championship venue. Here’s what it takes from The Masters. |
|
|
| By Brady Riggs, PGA, with Mike Chwasky, Instruction Photography by Warren Keating | |
|
Page 1 of 4  We all watch The Masters on television every year and are all amazed at the conditioning and beauty of the course as well as the incredible difficulty of the greens. But for those of us, like myself, who have actually visited Augusta National, the most amazing thing about the course is the almost complete lack of flat lies or straightforward shots available to tournament competitors. Instead, Augusta is filled with sloping lies, tricky distances and false fronts, making it one of the most challenging tests of iron play in the world. To help improve your iron play as well as your enjoyment of this year’s tournament, I decided to go through some of Augusta National’s toughest iron shots and explain how to execute them. If your ballstriking is already Hoganesque, then you can simply use this information as a sort of course guide as you prepare to enjoy the Masters on TV. But if you’re like the vast majority of golfers, you probably struggle with one or more of the tricky shots players face at Augusta. If this is the case, read on—with practice you, too, might become an iron play master. Draw On #16 The 16th hole has often been a turning point at The Masters. Perhaps the most vivid memory we all have of the 16th is that of Nicklaus hitting a perfect iron shot that nearly dropped into the hole on his way to his sixth Masters victory in 1986. What makes his success on this hole so unusual is that the Sunday pin placement, deep and left, requires a shot that draws from right to left, which was never Nicklaus’ forte. However, like all the greats, he knew the technique and could produce a draw when he absolutely needed to. It’s interesting to note that while Nicklaus came through with birdies on 16 in ’75 and ’86 on his way to victory, others who struggled to hit a draw (see David Duval) lost their chance to win The Masters on this hole. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images 
Mastering the Draw: Since the overwhelming majority of amateurs struggle to control a slice, the prospect of hitting a draw probably seems nearly impossible. However, the fact is that only two simple elements must be present to create a right-to-left ballflight: the club must attack from a slightly inside-out path and the face must be free to rotate on plane through impact. A great way to visualize this track is to imagine the club striking the ball on the inside-back quadrant. This image will help the club stay behind your body longer during the downswing, facilitating the correct path into impact. Another good way to visualize the proper path is to imagine the club staying behind the hands while approaching impact. This helps temper the desire to over-accelerate the arms and club during the downswing and keeps the club swinging on the proper path. One last thing to remember is that it’s always easier to draw the ball off the tee than it is off the ground. Take Nicklaus’ advice and always put the ball on a tee whenever possible, even on par-3s. Downhill Lie #9 The second shot to the par-4 9th at Augusta National can be awkward due to a downhill lie and an elevated green. The cardinal sin at the 9th is to leave the ball short, particularly with the Sunday pin location, which is on the front left edge of the green. Norman’s ’96 Masters began to unravel here when he spun the ball off the front edge. |
