3 easy drills to hit crisp and powerful iron shots

Lots of recreational golfers have the right instinct about what’s wrong with their swing. But issues arise when they apply a superficial “solution” that doesn’t address the actual issues in their swings.

​The best example? Tons of amateurs “scoop” the clubhead as they make impact with the ball. It translates into weak contact with too much loft and (usually) an open clubface. It only takes a few of those shots before you start trying to do something to address it.

Usually, that means shoving the handle toward the target in an effort to remove the scooping motion. You might be able to get away with that on a short pitch or chip, but when you add length and speed to the swing, that handle shove actually makes you scoop it more because your body responds by backing out of the shot. This will have you dumping the clubhead just to avoid hitting the ground six inches behind the ball. 

​In reality, the root cause of scooping at impact often has nothing to do with your hands or your release. It happens because you aren’t rotating in a way that moves the low point in front of the ball, which promotes proper compression of the ball at impact.

​Working with my teaching partner Morgan Hale, we addressed this exact problem in the video below. The student was stalling his rotation, standing up out of his posture and using his hands to try to create more speed through impact — but that doesn’t work!

To help fix the issue, we gave him three easy drills to improve his rotation, create a real pivot and get his low point more in front of the ball. If you struggle with scooping your irons at impact, they may help you, too.

3 drills for better compression

1. Stretch and turn

Pull an exercise band against your chest by extending your arms completely, then make slow backswings and through-swings as you keep the band fully stretched. If you stop rotating or make an over-the-top move, you’ll instantly lose the stretch on the band. 

2. Push with precision

Lots of people do a good job pushing with their trail foot during the downswing, but when they do it, they slide everything toward the target. Pushing is good, but you need to add in the feel of pushing your lead hip back to get the proper turn through the ball. 

To teach yourself this feel, have a friend stand to the side and hold an alignment stick in front of your lead hip. As you make practice swings with no club, make sure you’re turning through in a way that doesn’t bump your lead hip into the club.

3. Lawn mower stretch

Another way to feel that is to have somebody stand in front of you holding the resistance band on the ground with their foot where the ball would be. Hold the other end of the band in your lead hand, and when you make your downswing, pull the band tight post-impact, like you’re starting a lawn mower. The effort it takes to create the tension will encourage you to rotate and push that lead hip back instead of sliding it toward the target. 

​Doing these drills for even 10 minutes each time you practice will make an immediate change to the way your clubhead moves through impact. You’ll make better contact with less loft while also producing more height thanks to the increased clubhead speed you’re generating. 

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