Whats the key to hitting irons with a downward strike? (Video) - by Pete Styles
Whats the key to hitting irons with a downward strike? (Video) - by Pete Styles

Now if you understand the principle that when the ball is on the ground, you can’t possibly hit from underneath that ball and strike the ball with an efficient contact. We have to be hitting that golf ball with a downwards angle of attack, so the swing is from the top, down to the ball and we need to bottom the club out just after the golf ball, so we’re still descending as we hit the top of the golf ball or as we hit the middle part of the bottom of the golf ball. So during the impact position it’s going to be quite important that your hands are ahead of the ball at impact.

So let me point that out again, if my hands are behind there is a fair chance the club is bottoming out and its rising. We don’t really want that. But if my hands are ahead at impact the lowest point of the arc will be after the ball and that’s what we would class as a descending angle of attack. So we can actually preset that if you like in the address position, so we line up to the golf ball and we put the hands left of the ball at setup, point it, so the shaft is pointing at your left hip. When your shaft is pointing at your left hip your hands are ahead of the ball you then have an encouraging downwards angle of attack taking the ball and then taking a divot. Now most golfers are okay doing this as long as they don’t try and hit the ball high, that’s never your job. Your job is not to lean back and hit the ball up into the air, the club will do that for you. Particular with your shorter irons and your wedges make sure you’ve always got your handle leaning ahead of the ball and you are always hitting down on the ball and when you hit down on the ball the club will do its bit and hit the ball up in the air. If you are leaning back, trying to scoop the ball up in the air chances are you’re hitting the ground or topping the ball and that’s not a great way of striking it, so make sure your hands are ahead, hitting down, that’s a great way of producing a nice upwards and high flight. 2015-03-26

Now if you understand the principle that when the ball is on the ground, you can’t possibly hit from underneath that ball and strike the ball with an efficient contact. We have to be hitting that golf ball with a downwards angle of attack, so the swing is from the top, down to the ball and we need to bottom the club out just after the golf ball, so we’re still descending as we hit the top of the golf ball or as we hit the middle part of the bottom of the golf ball. So during the impact position it’s going to be quite important that your hands are ahead of the ball at impact.

So let me point that out again, if my hands are behind there is a fair chance the club is bottoming out and its rising. We don’t really want that. But if my hands are ahead at impact the lowest point of the arc will be after the ball and that’s what we would class as a descending angle of attack. So we can actually preset that if you like in the address position, so we line up to the golf ball and we put the hands left of the ball at setup, point it, so the shaft is pointing at your left hip.

When your shaft is pointing at your left hip your hands are ahead of the ball you then have an encouraging downwards angle of attack taking the ball and then taking a divot. Now most golfers are okay doing this as long as they don’t try and hit the ball high, that’s never your job. Your job is not to lean back and hit the ball up into the air, the club will do that for you. Particular with your shorter irons and your wedges make sure you’ve always got your handle leaning ahead of the ball and you are always hitting down on the ball and when you hit down on the ball the club will do its bit and hit the ball up in the air.

If you are leaning back, trying to scoop the ball up in the air chances are you’re hitting the ground or topping the ball and that’s not a great way of striking it, so make sure your hands are ahead, hitting down, that’s a great way of producing a nice upwards and high flight.