You're Correct!

Congratulations, high-ball hitter. Plenty of golfers would love to have your “problem.”

Kidding aside, there are some genuine drawbacks to lofting your irons shots sky-high. For one, you lose control in the wind. You’re also more likely to come up short of the green, and that’s where most trouble lurks.

Golfers who hit everything high tend to lack power as well. Often, that’s because their weight shift is poor; instead of shifting left (toward the target) on the downswing, they hang back on their right side and leave the clubface open. Others cut across the ball with an outside-to-in swing path.

Most commonly, though, excessively high iron shots are a simple matter of ball position. If it’s too far forward (left) at address, you’ll use too much of the club’s loft, strike the ball on a shallow attack angle and fail to compress it between the turf and clubface.

Here’s an easy guide to correct ball position:

• When hitting any wedge (pitching, sand, etc), place the ball in the center of your stance, i.e., equidistant between your feet.
• With a 9-iron, the ball should be approximately ½” left of center; an 8-iron is played ½” farther left, and so on throughout the bag. Experiment on the range to find the increment that works best for you.

Equally important is your hand placement, and that’s even easier to get right. No matter what club you’re hitting, the grip’s butt end should point to your left hip pocket. This assures that the shaft is leaning slightly forward, toward the target, subtracting loft from the club and promoting a downward strike. The more lofted the club, the more the shaft leans forward.

You may think that moving the ball back in your stance and hitting sharply down could actually exacerbate your trouble. You’re right – but only if your current ball position is correct. In that case, your struggles may be rooted in a steep swing, an overly upright swing plane, or perhaps a tendency to swing too hard. (Hint: Clicking on the links will direct you to a cure.)

Other times? Not so much. But that’s what we’re here for. These links will take you to tips on improving your iron game:

How to Correct Inconsistent Iron Shots

How Can I Stop Hitting Iron Shots Fat?

How Can I Stop Hitting Iron Shots Thin?

How to Stop Decelerating with Your Irons

How and Why: Trapping Your Iron Shots

There’s only one club, the driver, with which this ball position is recommended for a standard shot. Play your irons this way and you’ll bring your trajectory down, all right – possibly all the way to the ground. Thin shots typically result from an extremely forward ball position, and that’s not what you’re looking for.

This will only send your shots higher. It’s a simple equation: More Loft + More Clubhead Speed = Higher Shots. Club up, slow down and your irons will fly lower with less backspin.

This setup may well be your current problem. Do your shots tend to start left of target and fade right? Check your alignment at address. The clubface should point straight at the target, with your feet aligned parallel to the target line. Sometimes, the answers are just that simple.