It stands to reason that a good iron player who can direct his ball to within the 15-foot circle around the flag is going to shoot lower scores than the player who is 50 feet away, chipping from off the green or blasting from a trap. It is rather difficult to three-putt from 15 feet, but the odds against parring a hole go higher when a player is trying to get down in two from 50 feet, whether he is on or off the green.
Iron play vs. The drive and the putt
There may be some disagreement with what I have said here, because some golfers believe the drive to be the most important shot in golf, others believe it is the putt, while still others consider the iron shot to be most crucial. One golfer contends that you can't get the ball on the green with an iron shot if you are always playing out of the rough or behind trees.
However, I wish to point out that, no matter where a player happens to be, a second shot, usually an iron shot, is still required to reach the green, whether you are in trouble or not. If you are, and your second, or maybe your third, shot is off line or misjudged, you are in further trouble. A good iron player can often salvage a par, or even gain a birdie, from out of the rough. A poor iron player has no such chance. It is well to remember that you measure drives in yards but accuracy with your irons in feet.
Another golfer maintains the premium should be on putting. I grant that ability with a putter is a great asset, but it can't compensate for poor iron play indefinitely. Great players like Bill Casper and Arnold Palmer do not rely entirely on driving or putting to bring them championships and regular paychecks.
Naturally, they excel in those phases of the game, but it is their skill with their iron clubs that puts them on the offensive as soon as they drive off the first tee. By the same token, a faulty iron player must play defensive golf, steer clear of trouble, and rely on his short game to help salvage a respectable score.
The Six Basic "Feel" Positions
I urge you to pay heed to the six basic "feel" positions of the swing. They are: (1) the grip, (2) the stance and address over the ball, (3) the position halfway on the backswing, (4) the top of the swing, (5) the most crucial of all the feel positions - the start of the downswing to a point where the hands are about hip-high, and (6) the position of the hands, arms, and body through the hitting area to a point where the arms parallel the ground on the follow-through.
Study these positions closely, then try to get into them yourself. This will help you piece your swing together as one would fit the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle into their natural places.
Slowly, but surely, the mold of your swing will take form, and it will create a repeating pattern that will make your golfing shots go straighter and truer than you ever before believed possible.
Learning how to play golf well does not have to be difficult or frustrating. It simply requires knowing the right things and then applying them to your golf game. One of the biggest keys to reducing your golfing handicap is to learn the game backwards. Most amateurs step up to the practice tee and the first club they grab is the driver.
While hitting the driver is a lot of fun, I can assure you that shooting low scores is just as fun if not more enjoyable than just hitting the occasional monster drive. The ironic thing is that if you do learn the game from the green back to the tee you will find that you will develop solid swing mechanics that will then translate into consistently longer drives that also find the fairway.
The first thing you need to learn is how to putt. There are many grips and putting styles you can use. A good tip to keep in mind is to make sure your eyes are directly over the ball during your putting stance as this will help you to see the line better. A great way to learn a putting style is to simply pick your favorite golfer and copy their putting style. Remember that if they are on the PGA tour using that putting style then it obviously works so just pick one style you like and then stick with it.
Remember to spend most of your putting practice time hitting short putts inside of ten feet. Short putts are the foundation of a solid putting game and they can make a huge difference as far as lowering your golf scores. The next key aspect of golf are the short shots around the green like the bunker shots, chip and flop shots.
With bunker shots you want to open your stance which means your feet are aligned to the left of the target if you are a right handed player and then you need to pick a spot around 3 inches behind then ball and hit that spot using a cushion of sand to lift the ball out of the bunker. With chip shots you want to place the ball further back in your stance towards your right foot and use a downward blow to hit the ball. Also maintain a straight line between the left hand and the club shaft through impact.
When hitting flop shots you will need at least a 60 degree wedge and place the ball further up in your stance closer to your left foot. Also make sure the lie is ideal for a flop shot which means there should be a cushion beneath the ball that will allow you to easily slide the club under the ball so you can hit a high shot that has a lot of spin.
Learning how to hit wedge shots between 40 and 150 yards is the next key element of golf. These are your money shots and they can make a huge difference in your scores. The ball should be positioned towards the center of your stance. Developing touch with these shots is a function of consistent practice so make sure you put in the time necessary to learn these shots. Also try to avoid too much mechanical thoughts when hitting any golf shot, simply pick a target and make the swing. If you need to practice mechanics do it without hitting any balls because the result will usually not be very consistent.
Your mid irons are the next step in learning how to play this game. Most people simply swing far too hard when it comes to the full swing. You need to relax and let the club do the work. Look at how many thin players there are on the PGA tour, this is proof that you do not need to muscle the club in order to get great distance and accuracy. Always swing well within yourself and maintain good balance.
The driver is simply an extension of the smaller swing and again make sure to swing within yourself. Hitting a driver far is a function of club head speed, ball spin and trajectory. The best way to ensure consistently longer drives is to master basic swing mechanics with the shorter clubs and then applying what you have learned to the driver. Follow some of these golf tips to help you become a lower handicap golfer.
Both Jimmy Cox & Shakil Zaman are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jimmy Cox has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Horse Racing and Investments. Have a Heap Of Fun While Playing Golf - While Dropping Strokes Almost Instantly From Your Game!Click here for FREE online Ebook