Control Your Iron Trajectory

 BY HANK HANEY 26-01-2010

Hank Haney Change it with speed not ball position.

More related Articles

+ Putting: Reading the greens

+ Play it more up than you think

+ Practice Chipping Extremes

>

One of the first things you learn about trajectory – once you’ve become a reasonably good ball-striker – is that moving the ball back in your stance will make the shot fly lower.

That’s true, but it’s also crude. Play the ball back, and you hit it earlier in your downswing arc, which can hurt your accuracy.

A more sophisticated way to control height is to adjust your swing speed. You can make a shot fly lower by slowing down, either by shortening the swing or choking down on the club.
Swinging faster creates more
backspin and more height.

Another way to do it is to
vary your release. The more
you extend your arms through
the shot, the lower it will go.
Letting the club come up more
in the follow-through produces
more height. Whichever way
you choose, control your
trajectory, and you’ll hit it
pin-high much more often.


Have you joined the Golf Digest SA Facebook group? Click here.



Comment on this story
  (0)






Article tools

Share & Save





 



Butch Harmon
Ranked No 1 in GD's 50 Greatest Teachers.

David Leadbetter
Operates 28 golf academies.

Tom Watson
Winner of 8 major championships.

Ernie Els
Writes instruction for GD.

Annika Sorenstam
Writes instruction for GD.

Jim Flick
Ranked No 5 in GD's 50 Greatest Teachers.

Hank Haney
Ranked No 3 in GD's 50 Greatest Teachers.

Rick Smith
Ranked No 8 in GD's 50 Greatest Teachers.

Lorena Ochoa
Women's current world number one.


Golf Digest helps you take your game to the next level with the best teachers in golf. Choose your scoring goals and overcome the barriers.

100   /   90   /   80   /   70