There are 5 keys to hitting solid, quality 2 iron shots. These include:
- Have a small specific target.
- Strike the ground consistently in the same spot.
- Control the curvature of the ball.
- Swing with enough club head speed.
- Be strategic in your game management.
Looking to take your game to the next level and add a 2 iron to your bag?
The 2 iron can be a difficult club to hit, but can also be a great club to carry in the bag for the lower handicap player.
If you can hit a 2 iron successfully, it is a sign that your swing is on and that you are at the top of your game. Anyone can hit a wedge straight, but the challenge of hitting the 2 iron long and far is difficult.
Having played a 2 iron for many years, I can give you my top 5 keys and tips to make sure you are maximizing this club and having the right approach.
The 2 iron provides some flexibility. It can be used for the following shots:
- It can be used to hit tee shots on narrow, shorter holes.
- It can be utilize to help you reach par 5s in two or longer par 4s.
- It is also a great option for the low stinger shot in windy or firmer conditions.
Tiger Woods was famous for hitting the 2 iron stinger shot, especially at the British Open. He kept the ball out of the wind and utilized the firm, fast fairways to maximize his distance.
One advantage of the 2 iron over the hybrid style clubs is that the lower handicap golfer typically has to fight the miss left with the hybrid, but with the weighting of the 2 iron, the golfer is able to go at the ball with good speed and not fair the completely wayward, round destroying hook shot that many of the better golfers fear.
Update: I truly believe #4 (Have enough club head speed) is the first thing one should consider if even selecting to hit a 2 iron. The great news is that swing speed is not static and can be improved! Check out the SuperSpeed Training option described below!
How to Hit A 2 Iron – 5 Tip and 5 Keys
Key #1: Have A Small Specific Target
Golf is a game of precision and power, but without a clear specific target, it is easy to get lost and start hitting some crooked shots. The best golfers in the world have a specific target as there have been many stories told over the years of the specific nature that someone like Ben Hogan played with.
This target can range from an item way off int he distance such as a specific branch on a tree, a part of house way off in the distance or anything specific that gets you swinging towards that target and gives your mind and body a specific aim spot.
One of the best ball strikers of all time, Mo Norman, advocated for picking a specific target and even thinking about height. The more he thought about the height of the shot, the straighter he hit the ball.
The 2 iron takes a great deal of focus and concentration on the task at hand. Trying to manipulate the club through the hitting zone can be disastrous. Trust your specific target and let it go!
Tip #1: Pick a Target Far Off In the Distance
By focusing on a target and allowing the body to work we actually gain more control. One of my all time favorite videos by Shawn Clement talks about giving up control to gain more control.
Take note of your next round of the shots where you try to manipulate the club or where you fear a certain outcome. I can almost guarantee that these two thoughts will lead to poor shots. Also, take note of the shots where you have no real target and instead just take a swing in a general direction.
Track those numbers and compare to when you pick a specific target and trust your swing. Chances are, you will quickly see a pattern on how you need to think and behave on all shots.
Check out this excellent video by Shawn Clement:
Key #2: Strike The Ground Consistently in the Same Spot
In the game of golf, the poorest golfers have very little control of where their club strikes the ground. This leads to inconsistently ball striking and inconsistent distance and accuracy control. This is no way to play golf.
The best golfers are able to control the bottom of their swing. The scratch golfer can hit the same spot in a row 20 times in a row. The best golfers control the bottom of the swing, increasing their solid ball striking chances and compression resulting in greater ball speeds, distance control and spin control.
The 2 iron is no different and probably has a greater need to strike it solid. Due to the overall lack of loft the golfer must be precise.
The 2 iron will take a lot of work due to its overall length and the need to have power, but also to be precise in the strike of the golf ball.
Tip #2: Strike The Ground Consistently in the Same Spot
There are ways to improve in these area if you are struggling with striking the ball solid and either hit behind it or in front of it too often.
Here are some steps you can take:
- Somewhere in your yard, paint a line that runs about 1 to 2 yards long.
- See how many times you can strike ont he target side of that line out of 20 times.
- To improve on this drill setup with 60% of your weight on your front leg and try to keep your head centered during the swing.
Write down how many times out of 20 you were successful in your stroke of the ground on the line where you intended to hit.
Repeat this drill everyday for 7 days and see if you improve.
Remember, if you are struggling, get your weight a bit forward and stay centered on the swing. With the weight forward, you are better able to control where the club will bottom out.
Check out the Stack and Tilt Instructors explaining this drill describe above:
If this is your biggest issue with your irons I would recommend checking out Tom Saguto in our post here on what he can bring to you game.
Tom Saguto – Can He Help My Game?
Key #3: Control The Curvature of the Ball
The 2 iron, due to its lack of loft, is more likely to curve more than a 7 or 8 iron which has considerably more loft. Controlling the club face and your path will be essential to hitting a 2 iron successfully.
The best golfers have their go to stock shot where they are able to control the start line of their shot and the curve of the ball. The best golfers can start the ball left or right of the target line and have it curve back without over curving.
There are ways for you to accomplish this, but first let’s dive into the ball flight laws:
For years, the golfing world was confused on what the ball flight laws were. The old way of thinking is that the ball started in the direction of the path and then curved relative to the clubface.
However, the reality and what actually takes place is that the ball will start where the club face is pointing at impact and then will curve relative to the swing path.
Here are the two basics that you need to remember:
- The ball will start where the club face is pointing at impact.
- The ball will then curve relative to the swing path direction.
As a result of these ball flight laws a slice can occur with an open or closed club face. A draw can also be hit with an open or closed club face. The club face will impact where the ball starts and then curve relative to the path. Here are a couple of examples to help you better understand.
Example 1: Traditional Pull Slice
With the traditional pull slice, a shot hit by many high handicap players, the ball will start left of the target line and then curve to the left. This means the clubface is closed relative to the target line. Let’s say the club face is 3 degrees closed. Then let’s say that the path is 6 degrees left of the target line. We have the following:
- Clubface: 3 degrees closed
- Swing Path: 6 degrees left
This means the ball will start left and then curve away from the swing path resulting in a fade or a slice.
Example 2: Traditional Push Draw
THe shot that many golfers desire to hit is the push draw. I know growing up, I would watch all of the good golfers at my golf course and see them hitting a draw that would start to the right and curve back towards the target. Here are the numbers on a push draw and n example.
- Clubface: 2 degree open
- Swing Path: 3 degrees to the right
This means the ball will start to the right and then curve away from the path, resulting in a slight push draw. In this example if the clubface was 1 more degree open at 3 degrees open and and match the swing path the shot would be slight push to the right.
Example 3: The Pull Shot
So now that you are getting the idea of the ball flight laws, let’s show what would cause the pull shot.
- Clubface: 5 degrees closed
- Swing Path: 5 degrees closed or to the left
With these numbers the ball would start left and stay left. Since the face and the path are matched up. If the path were one degree left or right the ball would draw or fade.
How that we have an understanding of the new ball flight laws let’s get into the causes of the over the top issues that often produce examples 1 and 3 above.
Tip #3 – Control the Curve of the ball with your setup
Utilize your setup to control the curve of the ball. The instructor that I believe is easiest to understand on this concept is Shawn Clement.
He has the golfer pre set into a certain potion with the shoulders and feet, while often keep the club face square to produce a path to the left or right with a club face that is pointed more towards the target
This helps start the ball slightly left or right of the start line and curve back towards the target. He promotes playing both left to right shots and right to left and says it is as easy as adjusting your setup and then allow the club to swing along your feet line.
Check out Shawn Clement here to learn more about the draw and fade:
Key #4: Swing With Enough Club Head Speed
Of the essentials to hitting a 2 iron is having enough club head speed. If you cannot hit your driver at least 240 yards, the hybrid might be the right club for you.
However, the good news is that there are ways to increase your club head speed. Both Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau are fine examples of someone in their prime and somewhere old enough to play on the Champions TOur who have added distance through different approaches.
Both have focused on overspeed training and getting the body to swing at speeds higher than game speed with different swing sticks. This approach is science based and one that can add 5-8% of swing speed to your game.
One of the fundamentals of golf is to be able to hit the ball far enough to play the course. Stop struggling and settling for a lack of distance.
Tip #4: Train for More Speed
The great news is that you can gain more speed with the right training. I would highly recommend the SuperSpeed Golf System. This system provides 3 different weighted club that you swing going through different protocols.
One great thing about this approach is that it only takes 10-15 minutes per training session and you only train every other day. Everyone has time for this and it can add 5-8% swing speed as early as the first session.
I experience about a 5-6% increase in my swing speed as my average driver has increased from 98-100 miles per hour up to 105-107 miles per hour. In fact, just the other day I hit several drives that came close to 290 yards. The results were impressive and I was thrilled with the additional speeds.
Check out SuperSpeed Golf here
Use discount code Golfjourney365 to save money!
SuperSpeed Golf – Protocol
Key #5: Be Strategic In Your Game Management
Your 2 iron is another tool that you can use to set you up for distances that are comfortable for your approach shots. Make sure you are smart when hitting your 2 iron and keep in mind that it is a club to set you up to hit the approach shot close to make birdie.
The 2 iron can be an excellent club to help you make more birdies on those short par 4s, par 5s and even those long par 3s that all courses seem to have at least one of!
Tip #5 – Think About Your Course Strategy
The guides I have created on getting your game to the next level spend a significant amount of time on course management. Make sure to check out what level you are trying to get to.
Golf Sidekick is amazing on his youtube channel of providing advice on course strategy. He is worth checking out. Here is my favorite video that he has produced on Super Stress Free Golf
Bonus Tip: Practice Your 3 Fundamentals of Golf
The Stack and Tilt Instructors said it best when they described what they believed were the fundamentals of golf. They explained it somewhat similar to this:
- The first fundamental is the golfer’s ability to control the bottom of the golf swing. The best golfers will hit the ground in the intended spot, close to 100% of the time.
- The second fundamental is the golfer’s ability to control the curve of the golf ball. The best golfers are able to start the ball to the right or left of the target line and have the ball curve towards the target without the ball over curving past the target.
- The third fundamental is the golfer’s ability to have enough power to play the golf course. This means they are able to hit the ball far enough to play the course in regulation.
They explained that among the greatest golfers of all time there were different grips and different aim points. The fundamentals in golf are not grip, and alignment.
Ben Hogan played with a weak grip, while Lee Trevino had a strong grip. Lee Trevino and Fred Couples aimed way to the right, while Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer aimed well to the right.
Fundamental #1: Practice the drill listed above with the painted line in your yard.
Fundamental #2: Set up an alignment stick 6-8 feet in front of your ball on the target line. Try starting shots right or left of this alignment stick and track how many times out if 10 you are successful.
Fundamental #3: Train with SuperSpeed Golf to increase with your swing speed and have more power and distance!
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.
I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
One last thing that has helped me gain significant distance is the SuperSpeed Training Sytem.
This overspeed based system where you train every other day for about 10-15 minutes with different swing sticks can help you increase your swing speed by 5-8% which can be 20-30 yards. Who wouldn’t want an extra 20-30 yards. Plus it helps improve your mechanics.
SuperSpeed Golf – Use Discount Code Golfjourney365 for some savings!
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.
