During my first-ever golf lesson last month, I was working with a GOLF Top 100 Teacher who had me whip out my 7-iron to get loose, telling me that it’s the ideal warm-up club. Initially, I had my doubts, since it’s not really a club that I struggle with.
Like many amateurs, I assumed my time hitting balls on the range would best be served using clubs that I needed the most practice on. For me, that means trying to get comfortable with my driver and working out slices with my fairway woods.
But this Top 100 Teacher doubled down on his recommendation to warm up with the 7-iron, explaining why the club is the best way to gain confidence prior to stepping on the first tee.
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He had me taking half-swings to get a feel for my swing transition and tempo, and had me aiming at different range targets to get a feel for my ball-striking. It all allowed me to stay on plane, which helped keep the clubface square through impact — producing fantastic results.
So is the 7-iron really the best club to warm up with? In my experience, I haven’t looked back, and now use it for 15-20 minutes prior to a round.
To help provide more insight, GOLF Top 100 Teacher John Dunigan shares his thoughts, and gives a warm-up drill that could be beneficial for you before teeing off. Take a look below at what Dunigan says.
Why the 7-iron is the ideal warm-up club
“When I look down the range, I’m often stunned that so many golfers begin their so-called warm-up by hitting drivers first,” says Dunigan. “Not only is that a potentially dangerous practice, but you’ll also struggle to hit the ball straight enough to play, thereby lowering your confidence as you make your way to the first tee.”
Rather than immediately grabbing your driver to practice pre-round, Dunigan suggests trying a 7-iron instead. This will allow you to calibrate your shots, helping you hit all your shots more effectively.
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“Grab your 7-iron and make a few baseball swings, both lefty and righty,” he says. “Then start hitting your ball at 70 percent effort, using full swing shots to feel out the bottom of the swing arc (low point), and making sure that you strike the ground just after ball contact.”
The slower swings will help you feel the clubhead in your hands, allowing you to warm up your full range of motion. When doing this, always remember to brush the grass, focusing on turf interaction with each swing.
“Once you have a feel for the low point, it’s time to add in some clubface calibration to get your shots towards the target,” Dunigan adds. “Without changing setup, work your clubface control to hit shots left of target, right of target, and right on line.
“Clubface control can be simplified down to twisting the grip of the club with your hands either on the backswing or early downswing. After this process, you’ll be ready to speed up.”
Once you’ve established a comfortable feel with your 7-iron, Dunigan says it’s okay to take out the driver and give it a go before making your way to the first tee box.
“Finally, you may want to hit a few drives using a similar process. If you warm up this way, you’re likely to get off to a better start than normal, and continue to use that form throughout the round.”
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