Beginner Basics: How to hit crispy iron shots
Now that we’ve got you off the tee with your driver, it’s time to learn how to hit an iron shot. You’ll use your irons to hit approach shots into the green. Controlling the distance and direction are the main priorities, and the best way to do both is to strike the ball first and then the ground. I’ll show you how. — Anders Mattson, one of Golf Digest’s Best Teachers in New York
- Start with your feet together.
- Widen your stance by taking small steps with each foot.
- The ball should be just forward of the middle of your stance.
- Your stance with an iron should be narrow.
- Keep your feet a shoulder width apart.
- Narrower stance helps you make ball-first contact.
- Weight should be about 50-50 on each leg or slightly favoring your lead leg (left leg if you're a righty).
- Strike the ball and then the ground.
- Never hit the ground before the ball with an iron.
- Take a small divot after hitting the ball.
- Move your weight forward in the downswing.
- Weight forward = ball-first contact.
- All your weight should be on your lead leg (left leg if you're a righty) in the finish.
- Hold your finish to stay in balance.