We have all been there, standing over that 135 yard shot and the 9 iron lets us down. We think about how easy the pros make hitting shots from 150 yards and in. Not only do they hit the greens, but it seems that they often stick it close to the pin and leave a quality look at birdie.
Do not worry, with the 5 tips below, I believe we can help you become a better short iron player and stick those 9 iron shots and possibly make more birdies.
Playing golf is a wonderful adventure that should bring some joy and fun to our lives. By improving our ball striking ability, we should have more fun and be able to play more consistently
Let’s face it, oftentimes all we want is to play more consistently. If we could just hit more fairways and more greens, we assure ourselves we could shoot better scores and have more fun.
Golf is a journey, join us on our journey to get better and have fun enjoying this beautiful outdoors game.
I know that I truly enjoy the mental and physical challenge of golf and have become a much better short iron player over the years and since I purchased and built my own indoor golf simulator in my garage through the utilization of a SkyTrak Launch monitor.
The SkyTrak, mat, enclosure and scree, and projector were all researched and I finally pulled the trigger. Thankfully, it not only has provided a great deal of entertainment, fun and stress relief, but I have been able to take 4 to 6 shots off my average score.
I purchased the SkyTrak package from Rain or Shine Golf. To learn more about my comprehensive build check out this link, here.
So, let’s dive right into the 5 tips that I believe can help your game and help cover how to hit a 9 iron in full depth.
How To Hit a 9 Iron?
The 9 iron is a scoring club, one that is built for precision. We expect to hit the green and give ourselves a quality look at birdie. To hit a 9 iron more accurate and give yourself better opportunities on your next shot, follow these 5 tips below:
- Understand that golf is a precision game from 150 yards and in.
- Establish a stock shot with your 9 iron.
- Pick your target wisely.
- Setup properly and control the 3 fundamentals.
- Have realistic expectations.
How To Hit a 9 Iron: Understand that golf is a precision game from 150 yards and in
Too often, the average amateur golfer can get caught up in how far they hit their 9 iron. You might hear someone brag that they hit their 9 iron 155 yards. However, the problem with this is that they have no idea where it is going. One time, they catch it clean and it flies 155 yards, but it ends up long and left and in a terrible position and it leads to a double bogey or worse.
The key here is that golf is a game of precision from 150 yards and in. YOu must be able to hit spots on the green and avoid trouble. It is not a long drive competition to see who can hit their 9 iron the furthest. The goal is to hit the ball close to the pin and give yourself a good look at birdie or par.
The ego can be the determinant for many young and middle aged golfers who are too worried with hitting certain yardages. The goal should be to be able to hit the yardage that you need to for that shot.
For some, hitting the 9 iron on one hole that travels 143 yards and then on the next hole to be able to hit the 9 iron 136 yards is a sign of expertise in the game.
Each iron in your bag will have a yardage range that you should be able to hit the club. I would recommend having at least 3 known yardages and have seen some people recommend up to 10 swings with each iron. For example a quality golfer might be able to hit a full 9 iron 145, a 3 quarter 138, and somewhere less than 3 quarters about 132. This gives the golfer a 13 yard range and comfortability with that club.
Tip: Create a chart with 3 swings for each of your shorter irons and know those yardages. This will give different options when hitting into a green depending on where the pin is located. If the pin is further back you may take the low flying 9 iron with the 3 quarter swing for the perfect shot. This will range from shot to shot.
How To Hit a 9 Iron: Establish a stock shot with your 9 iron
The second key to hitting a solid 9 iron is to have a go to shot. In the game of golf this is often called a “stock shot.” You need to know that you can hit this fade or draw on demand when it matters most. I personally prefer to hit a slight draw shot.
One that starts to the right of the target and curves towards the target. Under pressure I would prefer to hit a lower, draw shot into a pin as this allows me to keep the swing simple and it can be repeatable.
A question to ask yourself is if you are more comfortable hitting a draw or a fade. Do not force it and allow that to be your stock shot. The key is to get the ball to consistently start to one side of the target and curve towards the target.
For example, if you are hitting a draw the ball needs to start right and if you are hitting a fade the ball needs to start left. Play your stock shot under pressure and work on this stock shot at the driving range.
Have confidence on the start line of the shot and be able to hit that starting point 8 out of 10 times. Practice and the practice some more if you are struggling, being specific with your start point.
Tip: Here is a quick drill…Setup an alignment stick about 10 yards out in front at the driving range. Try to get every shot or at least 8 out of 10 to start to the right or left of that target
How To Hit a 9 Iron: Pick your target wisely
Quick word of advice, stop aiming at every pin and leaving yourself in bad positions if you miss your target. Instead play your stock shot and be ok with a 15-20 footer. Let me give you an example.
I prefer to hit my stock draw shot into the green. Let’s pretend I have a pin tucked on the right side of the green. My best of landing right next to the pin would be to aim just off the green in a bunker that may be there. The problem becomes if the ball goes straight and doesn’t draw, I am in the bunker and am facing a bogey.
Instead, I would aim right at the pin, knowing that more times than not the ball will draw away from the pin and I could end up in the middle of the green. However, on the rare occasion the ball might stay straight and I could end up right next to the hole.
Over time, if you play the percentages you will give yourself the best chance to make a ton of pars, hit plenty of greens and possibly roll in the 15-20 footer for birdie.
Now if the pin were on the left side, I would aim to the middle of the green and allow the ball to draw towards the flag. This comes a green light situation and one where I could be looking to make a birdie or at least have a quality putt for birdie.
Tip: The key here is that I know my stock shot, I am not going to get stuck aiming at the left pin and hoping that it doesn’t draw. Play the percentages!
How To Hit a 9 Iron: Setup properly and control the 3 fundamentals
The key to any quality swing starts with the proper setup. You need to know where you can best control the three fundamentals in golf:
- Hitting the ground in the same spot every time.
- Controlling the curve of the ball.
- Having enough distance to play the game.
Yes, we believe those are the fundamentals. Not grip, alignment, posture, etc that has been drilled into your head for decades now. Because we know that among the greatest golfers of all time, some played with a strong grip, while others had a weak grip.
Some aimed left (Palmer), while others aimed left (Trevino).. The true fundamentals come from controlling the bottom of the swing, controlling the curve of the ball and having enough power to play the game.
So how do you do this? I would recommend a comfortable setup with 60 percent of the weight on the front leg when hitting a 9 iron. This helps control the bottom point.
I would then work on the drill above to control your start point and the curvature of the ball. Then I would work with SuperSpeed Golf to provide enough distance and actually allow you to gain distance.
Here are two great options for gaining distance:
There are three drills you can do to keep developing these fundamentals.
- Draw a line on the ground with some field paint, Work on hitting left of the line for right handed golfers. Feel your weight location during the downswing.
- Work on your start line by using the alignment stick drill above.
- Use the SuperSpeed Golf System 3 to 4 days a week to gain distance through speed increases.
How To Hit a 9 Iron: Have realistic expectations
When you arrive at that shot somewhere between 120 yards to 150 yards in the middle of the fairway, have realistic expectations about what you can do from that yardage. If there is a big bunker protecting the font side, don’t rely on a perfectly struck 9 iron.
Instead go with the 8 iron and be content with a putt back down the green. Play it smart and over time the percentages will work in your favor.
Too often, especially with some of the golfers I play with, they will hit a shot 20 feet left of the pin and be unhappy as if they expect to hit every shot from this distance to 5-10 feet.
Consider these states below from the PGA Tour on approach shots rom 125-150 yards:
- The leader on tour currently has a proximity to the pin of 18 feet, 8 inches in this distance range.
- The 50th rank player in this category is around 21 feet from the pin.
- The 200th rank player in this category is around 28 feet form the pin.
The main point being, be realistic with what you can do as an amateur. Know these stats as it can make your round better and you can have more fun as you get out of your own way with unrealistic expectations.
Stop beating yourself up over shots that maybe a PGA Tour player doesn’t even beat on average.
Final Words
Golf is a great game, it takes plenty of repetitions to get good, but you must also be practicing the right thing. The number one recommendation is to work to start the ball on the same line a high percentage of the time and learn to control your ball flight.
I would highly recommend understanding the ball flight laws that can best be explained in the video below. This will help you make adjustments and understand why your ball is curving certain ways.
We all want to hit the ball longer, straighter and more consistent and we shouldn’t get up on that dream. Golf is a journey and one that many of us love greatly!
Don’t ever stop trying to get better and take action today to get better. This upcoming year could be the year you finally break that next score barrier or even record your first hole in one!
Golf is a great game for many reasons! Enjoy the journey!
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.