Crisper Irons

On Tour you'll see a wide variety of ironplay. Some players favour high flying irons, others prefer a lower and thus more penetrating ball flight. Divots can range from nothing more than a graze along the grass, to a doormat sized chunk.

But all top golfers have one thing in common - they catch the ball 'crisp' ie ball first, then the turf, with their irons.

The secret of crisp iron play is all in the ball position.

In the old days, players were taught that he ball should be moved gradually further back in the stance as the irons got shorter. That technique has been superceded by the more consistent ball position taught today, with the ball just inside the left heel for the woods, and a shade further back for all iron shots.

Our recommendation is somewhere in between, depending on the lie of the ball, the shot to be played, and the skill of the individual.

A good rule of thumb is to move the ball back a couple of inches from the inside of the left heel with a 5-iron (pic).

From this 'middle' position, a steep enough angle of attack is generated to catch the ball first, without decreasing the loft of the iron.

You can then vary it slighty as you change clubs, moving it a fraction back for shorter irons, and a fraction forward for longer ones. Experiment on the range until you get a regular strike down through the irons.

Summary: A varying ball position, always within a few inches, just inside the left heel, will ensure the correct angle of attack with the irons to produce a clean crisp strike.