Walk down the driving range at any tour event and you will see different variations of the golf grip, postures, alignments and ball positions, all of which we are constantly told are the fundamentals of the golf swing.
Well, what if I told you they weren’t? For me, the number-one fundamental for the iron game is that your low point has to be after the ball. That’s a fact if you want to be a good, consistent iron player.
In this article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach John Howells offers a series of expert tips and useful advice on how to take your iron play to the next level…
Identify The Low Point
First you need to identify your low point. Set two alignment sticks up either side of the ball – these will serve as a reference point that will allow you to clearly see where your low point is.
Next, hit some balls. Ideally, you want to see the divot starting level with the ball and the two sticks, then going on to the target side.
Make A Centred Turn
Note, in the image below, how I’ve made a nice, centred backswing turn with my shoulders turning 90˚ and my hips about 45˚. Most importantly, I haven’t moved laterally.
When you move the hips and your head laterally, you’re going to encourage your low point to be behind the ball. Do that and your strike will be off.
John Howells demonstrating a strong and centred turn in the backswing
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
This is something you can work on by giving yourself a little hug. Make a cross with your arms by putting them over your chest, then take your set-up position and try to make a backswing.
Focus on keeping your hips and head very centred as you make that backswing turn. In the final part of the drill, once you’ve made that centred backswing, stretch your arms away from your chest and see if you can form a grip.
Get Some Instant Feedback
If the suns out, why not try the shadow drill? It requires you to make that same cross with your arms over your chest as I outlined above. Place two balls either side of both your hip shadow and head shadow. Practise making a backswing turn and trying to keep your head and hips within those golf ball frames.
The shadow drill will give you instant feedback on your movement in the golf swing
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
You could also achieve this by using a physical object as a guide….
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Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golf Monthly…