Paths To Perfection

Understanding how different irons affect your golf swing.

In a perfect world, every shot in golf would be the same distance, and we’d only have to use one club the whole round. Instead, we have 14 clubs to choose from, mostly made up of irons of different lengths and lofts. Some instructors say that you should make the same swing with every iron, play the ball in the same spot and, lastly, expect the same results with each club. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s not necessarily the case.

Heads Up!

If you’ve been told the key to better ballstriking is to keep your head down, odds are you’re a golfer who puts a slice on the ball. Also, you’re a victim of bad advice, since keeping your head down can cause a variety of swing (and back) problems. Keeping your head down on your backswing actually will cause your head to get in the way and restrict your body turn. This means your arms and upper body will lift upward instead of around, and you’ll swing with an upright, outside-in swing path.

Sweetspot: Luke Donald

Get your irons in check by observing one of the best ballstrikers in golf

Since his early days playing_Ê for England on two Walker Cup teams and making noise as an NCAA star at Northwestern, Luke Donald has had PGA Tour success in his sights. Having already cracked the top-60 in career earnings with more than $12 million to his credit, you’d have to say he’s right on track.

Pro Contact

Learn how to hit your irons like a pro

There’s nothing in golf quite like making pure contact. If you’ve never felt an absolutely pure golf shot, then you must keep reading, because I’ve got a method that will allow you to achieve this magical feeling! If you have experienced this sensation, then chances are it’s the main reason that you’re hooked on this great game. And if you love golf, I’m sure you’d like to learn to make that pure contact more consistently.

Rotate Efficiently

If you want to increase your ballstriking ability, you need to understand how to rotate your hips properly in the golf swing. Most amateur golfers rotate their hips too far during the backswing, which makes it difficult for them to get their hips to open up to the target at impact, a key component of a successful swing.

Stay In Your K

Even good golfers with sound, grooved swings come untracked now and then, especially if they lose the flex in the back leg trying for distance. If you stiffen your back leg during the backswing, your body will likely tilt out of balance, making it tough to re-flex the knee just the right amount in time for impact. If you can play some great golf, but consistency is your problem, it might be that you need a dose of Special K. Here’s how it works.

Hinge For Power

Amateurs have problems hitting crisp iron shots due to two fatal flaws.

First, the takeaway tends to be too low to the ground, which delays the

proper hinging of the wrists until too late in the backswing. Second,

in a misguided effort to create power, the arms tend to swing too far

in the backswing. This causes a breakdown in posture and usually leads

to a reverse pivot. These flaws cause mis-hits and a lack of distance

and control.

Five Fundamentals Of Iron Play

Improve Your With The Must-Know Components Of The Iron Swing

What’s a 300-yard drive if you can’t hit the green on your second shot? Worthless! That’s why our five fundamentals of iron play are so vital to learn, practice and master.

Red-Letter Days

Use the alphabet to groove a solid, power-rich, accurate swing

Good days and not-so-good days on the course are part of golf, creating the personal challenge avid players crave. For most golfers, good rounds are those defined by solid ballstriking with ideal direction, distance and trajectory. It’s these special red-letter days–the days when golf seems effortless–that every golfer wants more often.

Bermuda Blues

If you’re planning a golf vacation this winter, be prepared to face a course element common to most tracks in Hawaii, Arizona and Florida: Bermuda grass. If you’re not accustomed to playing on this type of turf, you may be surprised at how it can affect your game, both on the fairway and the putting surface.