Crisp iron shots happen when you strike the ball first, then make contact with the turf. There are many ways to do this, but the best bet for weekend players is to let the lead arm straighten at the bottom of the arc. You start with a straight lead arm, right? The trick is to not overly force it.
Priority number one through impact is to continue rotating your lower body, getting your hips to open toward the target. This creates the room you need to let that lead arm get pulled straight, giving you flush contact time and again.
There are many golfers who keep their lead arm a little bent as they swing through the ball; Jordan Spieth and Lee Westwood come to mind. Among the amateur ranks, however, a bent arm is usually a sign that you’re not rotating properly.
Focus on turning and feeling the sensation of the club being pulled all the way to the ground. That’s a smash.
Trillium Rose is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher who teaches at Woodmont CC outside of Washington, D.C.