The most common miss recreational golfers suffer with their irons is falling short of their intended target. This is in part caused by overestimating their distances and, therefore, not taking near enough club.
But there’s another reason: They don’t hit the ball solidly with consistency. Tops and thins are a common miss. A drill I use with my students who struggle with this is to place a tee low in the ground about one inch in front of the ball. The goal is simple: Hit both the ball and the tee. This will bring down your angle of attack, which will ensure ball-first contact with a descending blow. The reward? A crisp downward strike that generates Tour-level compression, distance and backspin.
Try it next time you’re struggling to make solid contact with your irons. You’ll be amazed how much better your strike becomes.
Claude Harmon III is the host of GOLF.com’s “Off Course” podcast, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and the director of instruction at the Butch Harmon Floridian in Palm City, Fla.