If you want to make more birdies you’re going to need to hit some quality iron shots. Sure, you might be able to pour in a long putt or two every once in a while, but that’s not a recipe for consistently making birdies. To do that, you have to give yourself consistently makable looks.
The only way you’re going to succeed in this endeavor is to become a crisp ball striker with your scoring clubs. If you can generate crisp contact with your short irons, you’ll give yourself more birdie opportunities and lower your scores.
A good place to start on this quest is making sure you’re changing directions in your swing properly. When you get to the top of the swing, you need to transition in the correct way to have any hope of hitting a solid shot. The transition — when done properly — can not only help you hit the ball more solidly, but also add power to your swing.
For help with this transition, we turn to the expertise of GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood. He recently posted a video that illustrates an easy drill that will have you hitting your irons crisply in no time.
“Most amateurs go to the top, they kind of hang around, have a cup of tea, and then everything starts down together,” he says. “Really good players, their lower body starts down as the player is going back.”
Essentially, Yarwood is explaining that a proper shift in transition happens before the backswing is even complete. To get the proper swing feeling of this move, Yarwood recommends starting your swing back and then stepping out with your lead foot to start the downswing.
“You do that, you’re going to change direction sooner, you’re going to change direction quicker and you’re going to really tighten up the chain inside your body,” he says. “You’re going to hit it much crisper and much further.”
Try the drill out next time you’re on the range and you’ll feel more solid contact and watch as your ball flies further than ever before. You might even make more birdies as well, but the rest is up to your putter.
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