What iron play fundamental tends to separate amateurs from pros? You may be surprised by the answer: it’s eye contact. Many players take their eyes off of the ball too soon—they look up at the target just before striking the ball. It’s a costly mistake that’ll continue to hinder the integrity of your iron shots.
Improve Ball Contact
Golf is truly a hand-eye coordination sport. If you remove your focus from the ball, you’ll end up hitting the ball fat or thin. Pure iron hits start with solid ball contact. Learn how to get flush contact with the ball from these pro tips.
Pro Tip #1: Find a focal point.
Simply looking at the ball is not enough. You have to focus your eyes on a particular point on the ball. By concentrating on the striking point, rather than the front or top, you’ll visualize exactly where the club face needs to hit.
Pro Tip #2: Pinch the Ball
To have a solid strike for an iron shot, you’ve got to compress the ball between the club face and the ground. Your goal is to have a descending, ball-first contact that leaves a divot in front of the ball. The contact point should be on the back quarter of the ball near the grass.
Pro Tip #3: Focus on the ball through the entire swing
The longer you focus on the back of the ball, the better contact you’ll get. If you look up too soon, your body will follow your gaze and result in a topped shot. By watching the ball through the entire swing, your head stays down and prevents an early golf swing release.
Hit Pure Iron Shots
With practice you can consistently find the ideal impact zone on your ball. Once you’ve identified that spot, practice the shot over and over again. You’ll develop the muscle memory needed to consistently hit pure iron shots and increase the accuracy of your game.
For more golf tips to amp up your game, visit our Golf Pro’s Corner!