Long irons made easy

Don’t fret. Your long irons aren’t as difficult to hit as you think.

Being able to hit long irons is one of the most rewarding and gratifying feelings imaginable in the game of golf. However, the long irons are the most feared clubs to hit for the average golfer, and it really shouldn’t be. When done correctly, striking the ball is so effortless; it is as if you are not hitting the ball at all.

In order to accomplish hitting long iron shots, you must have an excellent grip to begin with, but most importantly, you must have good overall posture, keeping your knees slightly bent, with your upper body tilted forward, and your shoulders slightly leaning forward beyond your toes. If you don’t lean forward, you will not be able to transfer your weight properly, and you will not be able to maintain good balance.

Proper position and alignment are also important in order to accomplish the golf swing correctly. The upper and lower parts of the body must be aligned in the same direction. For all long iron shots, the ball position must be two to three inches inside your left heel. You also need to maintain a proper grip, as you will not be able to accomplish your swing without it. Then, you must ensure consistent posture before you proceed with your swing.

The key to the swing is the rotation of your shoulders at the correct angle at the ball. Once you start the rotation, the left shoulder rotates, which in turn rotates the right shoulder, which then starts the right hip and left hip turning, allowing the left heel to slightly lift off the ground. All of this allows the swing to make an inside-out swing path, without forcing or pushing the swing back, which gives you the excellent swing needed to strike the ball, and also gives you the necessary balance and follow-through.

There are a few things to be aware of when hitting long irons. Average golfers and good golfers alike make common mistakes, such as not aligning your shoulders with your feet. This is a common error when addressing the ball, because the ball is in a forward position, so we have a tendency to allow our shoulders to relax, or open up, or even turn toward the left, because it feels comfortable. Another common error is to place our head directly over the ball, which is wrong. Our head should be to the right of the ball, and we should be looking at the ball at an angle. This is very important to remember.

Once you have learned to master the correct position, just rotate your shoulders as explained above, and all of the parts of your body will fall into place, and work properly.