Hitting Irons-Ball Contact

I am a weak iron player, but have my moments. I am trying to visualize what makes a good shot when one contacts the ball with the face, are you sliding the iron under the ball, and are you trying to square the face so as to get a center stryke? Do some of you try to hit a certain groove on the face of the iron?

Personally, I try and make a divot after the ball for great contact. Couple practice swings next the ball while making sure my divots come 1/2" to 1" after the ball.

Edit: Also make sure the divot itself is square to my target line (face control).

Best!

- KC

I am a weak iron player, but have my moments. I am trying to visualize what makes a good shot when one contacts the ball with the face, are you sliding the iron under the ball, and are you trying to square the face so as to get a center stryke? Do some of you try to hit a certain groove on the face of the iron?

I think the "sliding under" image is a poor one for all but a few specialized short-game shots. A couple of elements that I think are positive:

Clubhead path should be slightly descending, so the club hits the ball first, and the turf a fraction of an inch later.

Clubface should be pretty square to the path, resulting in a fairly straight ball flight. A little draw or fade is fine, but I don't like lots of curve.

Clubhead, grip (or hands, same thing), and shoulder should form a straight line at impact. Many weaker player flip at the ball, getting the clubhead ahead of the hands (and grip).

No. Working away from target line using rotation AND keeping club inside hands at the same time is compression.

I am a weak iron player, but have my moments. I am trying to visualize what makes a good shot when one contacts the ball with the face, are you sliding the iron under the ball, and are you trying to square the face so as to get a center stryke? Do some of you try to hit a certain groove on the face of the iron?

The tricky part about your question is you're talking about two different things...what is the feel and what are you actually trying to do. The feel part can vary wildly from person to person.

You will find very few good iron players who "feel" or accomplish "sliding the iron under the ball" (I would argue you will find none). That's not how an iron strike works and trying to feel like you're doing that won't work for most people.

What you're trying to accomplish is a slightly downward strike with forward shaft lean.The more you lean the shaft and the shallower your angle of attack, the more compression you get.

The problem with the "shallow angle of attack" part is many people do that by dumping angle, which decreases shaft lean, which throws loft at the ball, which reduces what you're trying to accomplish. The problem with "shaft lean" is many people drag the handle to try to create shaft lean, which makes them steep, which increases downward angle of attack, which defeats the benefit of the shaft lean because you're still creating separation between the angle into the ball and the delofted face. In both cases you get poor dynamic loft and weak impact.

What helps those two conditions is different for everyone. When I'm working on iron impact I try to feel like I'm hammering a nail that is stuck in the back of the ball. My feel is that i'm trying to hit the ball at ground height with absolutely no attempt to make the ball go up. It will go up, I'm just not trying to make it go up. To drive the "nail" into the ball I need to get the lofted face as delofted as possible and the angle of attack needs to be as level as possible with only a slight amount of "down". The "down" is already built into the swing because that's the direction the clubhead is moving due to the inclined plane. Some people need to feel more down, some need to feel like they're not hitting down at all.

Here is what works for me.... no grooves, no sliding the club under the ball, etc.

iʻm trying to “cover” the ball with the palm of my right hand ( itʻs maintained the wrist angle ) this produces a small thin divot in front of the ball. This takes care of the ball, compression, and weight shift. NO swing thoughts, just visualizing the “window” the ball is taking on itʻs way to the green. This happens in a few seconds, pre-shot to finish.

The picture you have of the golf swing in your mind has a great impact on the way you actual swing. There is no mental picture quite as destructive as the picture of the club slipping under the ball through impact. To hit the irons well the club head must hit down onto the ball and must be delofted at impact. In no other way can you achieve a maximum transfer of energy from club head to ball, ball first contact and consistent spin. There are a number of mental images that will promote that kind of impact, but slipping the club under the ball is not one of them. I personally favor swinging the whole club, not just the club head, in a continuous motion through impact, brushing the turf on the target side of the ball. That image by itself gets me into a lot of the positions others work very hard to achieve.

Steve

Can’t think slip under.

Think of driving a nail through a single dimple on the back of the ball. The angle you want to drive it is about 40 degrees down into the ground.

If my contact gets off. I like to practice 6 iron or so from sand. Or another poor lie. Hit a bunch of balls like that and you’re forced to hit them thin or perfect. Then go back to grass and see the difference. But that’s me. And I’m odd.

Take a pw, try to hit 30ish yards with a smallish swing, ball first. Go throughnyour routine and really focus on what younare feeling on each, and what feels on consitent on the good shots. Do this for 40 balls. Then rotate clubs for the next 15 shots. Driver, iron, 30 yard pw. Focusing on what you felt in your long swing

Cant think slip under.

 

Think of driving a nail through a single dimple on the back of the ball. The angle you want to drive it is about 40 degrees down into the ground.

 

If my contact gets off. I like to practice 6 iron or so from sand. Or another poor lie. Hit a bunch of balls like that and youre forced to hit them thin or perfect. Then go back to grass and see the difference. But thats me. And Im odd.

Ballesteros used to practice perfect contact by hitting balls off wet sand.

BT

Can’t think slip under.

 

Think of driving a nail through a single dimple on the back of the ball. The angle you want to drive it is about 40 degrees down into the ground.

 

If my contact gets off. I like to practice 6 iron or so from sand. Or another poor lie. Hit a bunch of balls like that and you’re forced to hit them thin or perfect. Then go back to grass and see the difference. But that’s me. And I’m odd.

Ballesteros used to practice perfect contact by hitting balls off wet sand.

 

BT

It works. You’ll soon figure out how to hit the ball. Nothing like necessity to create a solution.

> @DFinch said:

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> The tricky part about your question is you're talking about two different things...what is the feel and what are you actually trying to do. The feel part can vary wildly from person to person.

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> You will find very few good iron players who "feel" or accomplish "sliding the iron under the ball" (I would argue you will find none). That's not how an iron strike works and trying to feel like you're doing that won't work for most people.

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> What you're trying to accomplish is a slightly downward strike with forward shaft lean.The more you lean the shaft and the shallower your angle of attack, the more compression you get.

>

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> The problem with the "shallow angle of attack" part is many people do that by dumping angle, which decreases shaft lean, which throws loft at the ball, which reduces what you're trying to accomplish. The problem with "shaft lean" is many people drag the handle to try to create shaft lean, which makes them steep, which increases downward angle of attack, which defeats the benefit of the shaft lean because you're still creating separation between the angle into the ball and the delofted face. In both cases you get poor dynamic loft and weak impact.

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> What helps those two conditions is different for everyone. When I'm working on iron impact I try to feel like I'm hammering a nail that is stuck in the back of the ball. My feel is that i'm trying to hit the ball at ground height with absolutely no attempt to make the ball go up. It will go up, I'm just not trying to make it go up. To drive the "nail" into the ball I need to get the lofted face as delofted as possible and the angle of attack needs to be as level as possible with only a slight amount of "down". The "down" is already built into the swing because that's the direction the clubhead is moving due to the inclined plane. Some people need to feel more down, some need to feel like they're not hitting down at all.

I was working on your shaft lean comment , and all of a sudden I started to get those crisp sounding chips, just amazing. At first i wasn't grasping what you meant, but when I tried it, things started happening. I was leaving the hands back and blading the hell out of it, really pissing me off. Now I am hitting it like a pro(a stretch, I know,) and getting those perfect shots. Now I can get frustrated in another area of my game, thank you sir for your advice.

> @juststeve said:

> The picture you have of the golf swing in your mind has a great impact on the way you actual swing. There is no mental picture quite as destructive as the picture of the club slipping under the ball through impact. To hit the irons well the club head must hit down onto the ball and must be delofted at impact. In no other way can you achieve a maximum transfer of energy from club head to ball, ball first contact and consistent spin. There are a number of mental images that will promote that kind of impact, but slipping the club under the ball is not one of them. I personally favor swinging the whole club, not just the club head, in a continuous motion through impact, brushing the turf on the target side of the ball. That image by itself gets me into a lot of the positions others work very hard to achieve.

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> Steve

I understand, but when I am in a bunker, and the sand is a brick, I have to use this image, sorry.

When I used the shaft lean, I did it using my hands to keep moving forward, and keep the shaft lean to the upright position as you suggested. The using the hands to trap the ball going forward was just amazing! Sorry it took so long for it to sink in. This has changed everything now.

Worked on the shaft lean and my irons really improved. I really need to take this to the range and get it squared away. Chipping was much improved today after utilizing the shaft lean.

I try to focus on the lowest, slightly right dimple that I can see when looking at the ball and visualize hitting that before touching the ground. That has helped me a lot. When I'm hitting good I don't tend to do this, but as soon as I can feel myself scooping a little bit and getting some fat shots, I choke up slightly and really focus on clipping the ball first.

I don't aim for the ball, I aim for the ground exactly under the ball. That thought has served me well.

The last thing you should see before your right shoulder hits your chin and forces you to raise your head is a divot that starts where your ball left off.

Contact with the ground and ball should occur nearly simultaneously along with a square face.

> @"Strömsborg" said:

> I don't aim for the ball, I aim for the ground exactly under the ball. That thought has served me well.

> The last thing you should see before your right shoulder hits your chin and forces you to raise your head is a divot that starts where your ball left off.

I think its a bad idea to aim for the ball, or anywhere else other than the target. If you swing the club on a consistent arc, around a stationary swing center, your club will bottom out in the same place every time. Unless you are faced with a very unusual lie, aiming is not required and aiming at anything other than the target is counter productive.

Steve

I like his idea of using the ball as a focal point. It's a start. I am now just focusing on the swing as well, and using my hands to make it happen. I trap the ball with the hands, and keep the hands moving, works great.

If mental imagery helps, visualize a line up of 2/3 extra virtual balls ( in front adn towards the target). try to strike all at impact.

Each golfer has a specific image which works for them. I've heard say that Gary Player likened hitting the ball to striking a match along the ground.

I am trying to minimize my biggest flaw and for me keeping the hands moving is the key. My instinct is to think of the ball as the target and to slow down or stop my swing when the club head "gets there". On the odd occasion I DO manage to keep swinging I don't hit the ball fat. I may rotate too soon and come out of my posture, but at least I don't become infuriated and want to slam the club into the ground (or mat).

> @platgof said:

> I am a weak iron player, but have my moments. I am trying to visualize what makes a good shot when one contacts the ball with the face, are you sliding the iron under the ball, and are you trying to square the face so as to get a center stryke? Do some of you try to hit a certain groove on the face of the iron?

NO sliding - hittting down on the ball

square sometimes - matters if you want a curved flight or not. I'll set up square and change club head path for a draw or cut

Yes you're definitely trying to hit a certain groove - a groove low and you can feel its a little thin or too high up on face aint solid

> @mikpga said:

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Easy, right?

Lol, probably would have taken the line out with the 7th swing :smiley:

I tried extending my arms at impact, and ball contact has improved.

> @KC13 said:

> Personally, I try and make a divot after the ball for great contact. Couple practice swings next the ball while making sure my divots come 1/2" to 1" after the ball.

>

>

>

> Edit: Also make sure the divot itself is square to my target line (face control).

>

>

>

> Best!

>

>

>

> - KC

Agree! This can be practiced on the range by putting a tee in the ground in front of your ball. Try to concentrate on hitting the tee rather than the ball.

> @platgof said:

> I tried extending my arms at impact, and ball contact has improved.

This is probably the only real "swing thought" I have - basically borrowing the line "ABC - Always Be Closing" from Glengarry Glen Ross into "ABE - Always Be Extending".

I think age has something to do with it, getting stiffer. The colder weather will not help either. This will be my primary focus tomorrow, besides keeping my hands moving with the swing. I have noticed that my scores are dropping slowly with better ball contact, but the toe shot still shows up now and then.