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. |
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| By Brady Riggs, PGA, with Mike Chwasky, Instruction Photography by Warren Keating | |
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Long High Iron #13The 13th hole is a classic risk-reward par-5 and a big part of what makes The Masters so great. Not only is an accurate, drawing tee shot mandatory, but the approach—normally hit from well over 200 yards—must come in high and soft in order to hold the putting surface. What makes the approach shot even harder to control is it must be played from a downhill/sidehill lie. Only the likes of Nicklaus, Weiskopf, Norman and Ballesteros were able to hit the shot on a consistent basis prior to the emergence of Tiger Woods, supercharged equipment and the modern power game. Mastering the Long, High Iron: If there’s one shot that has been more affected by technology than any other, it’s the high, soft shot from over 200 yards. Thanks to hybrid clubs, the once nearly impossible long, high iron shot is now a realistic option for all players. Creating a long, high shot that lands softly isn’t as easy as getting out the hybrid and giving it a rip, but it’s not far off. To execute this shot, assume a setup position with a slightly wider stance and the ball forward, which will help start the ball on a higher trajectory than normal. During the downswing, your focus should be on getting the club to work up and over your left shoulder and into a nice high finish. From the target-line view, the club should exit the body through the left shoulder or higher to encourage the desired trajectory. A common mistake here is to scoop under the ball while trying to get it up in the air. This usually has the opposite effect as the club swings up during impact, making it easy to hit the ball thin or even top it. The simple changes in setup combined with the image of swinging the club up and over the left shoulder are enough to create the desired ballflight without any added manipulation. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images Though a sidehill lie with the ball below the feet helps lefties like Steve Flesch on the 13th fairway, the biggest assist in producing a high, long approach is a hybrid club. PGA professional Brady Riggs is a Golf Tips senior instruction editor who currently works with numerous top junior, college and professional players. Riggs utilizes state-of-the-art video technology while teaching students at Woodley Lakes GC in Van Nuys, Calif. |
