Use this nifty 9-iron shot to get up and down around greens
GOLF Teacher to Watch Adam Smith shows how rethinking your 9-iron can lead to more successful scrambling in your short game.
Adam Smith
Look, I know I’m not the voice for every amateur golfer out there, but in my opinion, the most-feared shot on the golf course is anything within 30 yards of the putting surface — and I’ll tell you why.
First, there’s so much that goes into hitting a great shot from this type of yardage. Not only do you need to choose the right club, but you have to be nearly perfect while hitting it, making sure you dial in your distance control to leave it as close to the pin as possible.
Along those lines, there’s so much bad that can happen in the short game that it can get into your head, which, in effect, ruins any confidence and chance of success. I’m not sure about you, but I can’t help but let negative thoughts creep in, imagining the worst outcome possible — like a chunk or skulled chip shot.
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Finally, even when you have the right club, the ideal setup and perfect contact still doesn’t guarantee success, as the type of shot you hit dictates the final result. Hit it too high, and the ball might just stick on the green. Hit it low with too much speed, and the ball can catch the wrong slope and roll more than you think, leaving you with a long putt.
So, yeah, if you can’t tell, I’ve sort of lost confidence in my short game at the moment.
But GOLF Teacher to Watch Adam Smith offers up some help for players like me and provides an alternative short-game shot that can grow your confidence and leave you in better spots to get up and down. Check out his tips below.
How to execute the 9-iron scooter shot
“Many golfers get frustrated when they chunk or blade a shot near the green, with those small mistakes really adding strokes to the scorecard and, potentially, destroying a player’s psyche,” Smith says.
But to help instill confidence and see more success getting up and down, Smith suggests trying a “scooter shot” with your 9-iron, which he says can become your go-to shot in these types of situations.
“Basically, you’re going to hit a chip shot using your 9-iron, since this club’s loft is stronger than any of your other wedges,” Smith says. “Also, the visual profile of your 9-iron can help make you think of sweeping the ball off the grass instead of digging into the turf, which might happen when you look down at a wedge with more loft on it. By using this stronger loft on the 9-iron, it’ll help you roll the ball to the hole, too.”
So how can you hit this scooter shot? Smith explains below, and includes photos to execute it to perfection.
“Simply use your putting stroke with the 9-iron, and feel as if you’re putting the ball off the turf with a soft, sweeping stroke,” he says. “Make sure to use soft grip pressure, too, just like you do while putting.”
To really get this 9-iron shot scooting toward the target, here’s how to set up:
Naturally, this type of shot takes some adjusting and practice to master. But Smith says that the most important thing in order to execute it properly is to dial in the motion of your stroke, which needs to mimic what you use with your putter. He offers some tips to do so.
“Position the 9-iron with the clubface square to your target, and keep the clubhead low to the ground while going back and while coming through impact,” he says. “Avoid any wrist movement — which can cause chunking or blading shots — and simply swing your shoulders, arms, and the club together like a pendulum.
“This shot should feel like you’re sweeping leaves off the front porch with a broom, so just let the clubhead sweep the grass underneath the ball.”
By incorporating this 9-iron scooter shot into your repertoire around the green, you can save strokes, build up your confidence, and shoot lower scores. So give it a try to see better results in no time.
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