Golf Tips – “Hit Down on the Ball” with Irons and Fairway Woods
Posted in Golf News
My favorite part of golf is hitting irons. There’s no better feeling than hitting that pured iron shot. I can spend all day at the range without hitting a wood and be perfectly content. Irons are the surgical instruments of golf. In the right hands, they can place a ball within 10 feet of a hole from 2 football fields away. If you think about it, that’s pretty amazing. The U.S. military would love to have a weapon that accurate!
But mastering the irons is much easier said than done. To understand the concept of hitting irons properly, you must throw logic out of the window. Like most things in golf, your common sense will lead you down the wrong path. Most people look at a pitching wedge and assume that to get the ball in the air one must somehow get the club under the ball and hit it with an upward blow. In other words, people see the clubface and assume that the club must impact the ball perpendicular to its the loft. This is incorrect and the reason that most people have difficulty with irons.
In reality, an iron launches the ball into the air because it imparts massive amounts of backspin. This backspin combined with the dimples on the golf ball creates lift, known as the Magnus force. As a result, the spin rate directly influences how high the ball flies.
To impart this necessary backspin, the clubhead must impact the ball with a descending blow. The swing advice, “hit down on the ball” is meant to convey this concept concisely. However, I find that this term can be somewhat misleading because it implies that the clubhead should impact the ball on a very steep angle. Better ball-striking will result from a shallow or slightly downward approach into the ball. Once I understood this concept, it truly was a golf epiphany. The key is to re-wire your brain.
It helps to see the physics in slow motion. Below is an impact sequence from the SwingVision of Tiger Woods hitting an iron off a tee. A red dot marks the same point on the ferrule. Some important things to notice:
- The club strikes the ball on a slightly descending angle of attack
- At impact the ball compresses and then leaves the clubface with backspin
- The club strikes the ball first and then takes a divot out of the turf
But remember, “hitting down on the ball” only applies to irons, hybrids and fairway woods. For a teed driver, you should “hit up on the ball” to maximize your distance. Are you confused yet?
P.S. Here’s a great drill using a towel to help you “hit down on the ball”.
Credits: Grouchy Golf Blog
Anonymous | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
WOW!!! i've never been able to get good consistent contact with my irons……until i read this post and tried it out at the range….made all the difference in the world. What i focused on was hitting down on the ball, like i was trying to hit the ball with the back of my left hand/wrist, i also made sure that my wrist was slightly supinated at impact….brilliant results!!!!
This simple tip produced better results than tens of lessons would have.
I also applied the same technique to my fairway woods, with the same results. Prior to this I always tried to hit my fairway woods with a sweeping upward swing (similar to my driver). Once i started hitting like my irons, and hitting down on it, it made an amazing difference.
Much Thanks!
Matthew | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
I have found that to get good supination, my grip is a huge key. I am a righty, and when I hold my irons very loosely with my right hand fingertips and cross my right thumb across the club (rather than down the shaft, which is how I use to hold the club), it helps with rotation through impact – I have been getting outstanding ball flight and distance when doing doing this (160 yds+ on my eight irin, which I use to only hit 145).
Anonymous | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
This maybe the secret. Wemnt to the range with a ” land ( on left side and rotate ( supinate ) and I am hitting great shots. You are the friggin’ man. Your secret below…
Thanks for the comment! I’m no PGA instructor, but based on my own experience, the key to proper ball first contact with irons is lead wrist/forearm supination and maintaining weight on your forward foot through impact. Practice this action by hitting some half shots with short irons to get the proper feeling. It’s very difficult to learn, but be patient and stick to it because it really is the secret to iron ball-striking. Good luck and let us know how it works for you!
Mick's Free Golf Tips | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
Hitting down on the ball is a natural act when your golf swing is correct and you place the ball in the middle of your stance with short irons.
The trouble starts when you put emphases on hitting down on the ball. You will end up chopping at the ball which is not the desired effect.
Just work on your ball position, setup, address position, swing and it will come.
Doug Kercher | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
I totally like the Iron 9,
Way to go… keep it up!
Anonymous | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
Here’s a little teaching aid that I found works good if you’re trying to help a friend at the range hit down on the ball better – without scooping or thinning it.
Have him give you some change out of his pocket, then start placing a coin a few inches behind the ball on each of his irons shots. Before he goes broke, he’ll start to learn to get that club down into the ball without moving the coin and donating it down range to the golf gods!
Golf in Malaga | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
I’m also a 9 iron fan. It’s just an unbeatable club for your short game.
Discount Golf Balls | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
You didn’t say waht your favorite iron is though…
I like the 9.
Obviously it depends on the situation and all that, but the 9 is just fun!
Todd Servick | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
This is an incredible concept. A lot easier said than done. I have spent a lot of time with past Master and British Champ Mark O’Meara working on my long game. It seems hitting down on the ball makes a huge difference in the trajectory and spin on the ball.
Chris | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
Great post; i’m similar to mizuno Jim in that i pick the ball clean off the turf and i hit my irons quite consistently. I very rarely take a divot though and i’m reluctant to start changing things. You know the saying ‘if it’s not broke don’t fix it’ but i know in myself that i should be taking divots. I think i’m not transferring my weight.
Tony at TheGolfSpace.com | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
Yes. I hit down definitely on my irons, not woods. When I’m playing my best I’m “trapping” my iron shots…
cheap golf bags | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
I agree with the post in general in as much as the club contacts ball then turf,leave the divot in front of the ball, but the headline worries me Cos I think the fairway wood should be a sweeping action and no divot.
Richard | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
It’s all about backspin, right? Much like in any sport (basketball comes to mind)….easier said then done.
I’m still working on mine.
Great graphic, thanks!
Golf Grouch | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
Jim,
Thanks for the comment! I’m no PGA instructor, but based on my own experience, the key to proper ball first contact with irons is lead wrist/forearm supination and maintaining weight on your forward foot through impact. Practice this action by hitting some half shots with short irons to get the proper feeling. It’s very difficult to learn, but be patient and stick to it because it really is the secret to iron ball-striking. Good luck and let us know how it works for you!
Mizuno Jim | Jun 4, 2010 | Reply
Haha! I have known this for a while and let me tell you: easier said than done! I play of hcp 18 and this is the part where I struggle the most. Drives are long (280+ yards), short game is pretty good and people tell me I putt like Tiger. I screw up in the fairway. I just can’t hit it consistently. Usually I pick it off the turf clean, many times I hit it fat. Never do I hit the ball first and then take a nice divot. I have tried just about anything and PGA pros told me a plethora of issues; “an early release, but not much” or “not enough weight transfer to the left” or “keep your head still”. The weird thing: on video my swing looks really good!
Anyway. I’ll stop whining now. Great blog, keep up the good work and I have promised myself Mizuno blades the moment I can master this shot!