There are 5 keys to hitting your irons pure. They include:
- Be able to control where the club strikes the ground.
- Have a clear target
- Don’t try to manipulate and control the club
- Know your impact position
- Control your start line
Every golfer has hit that shot that just feels perfect.
Now if we can only get that swing to happen 80%, 90% or even 100% of the time, we could be a consistent golfer.
We could shoot lower scores and have more fun!
I am sure you have felt like this before? Thinking to yourself, if I can only strike the ball solid every time I would be thrilled!
We have all played golf with the golfer that just seems to strike their irons so pure on every approach shot. They seem to always work the ball and hit that solid looking push draw that is so majestic.
We try and try to get better and get to that point, but run into roadblocks along the way.
However, I am here to help you figure out how to hit irons pure more times than not and to help you overall improve your golf game!
Update: I highly recommend learning to control the low point or where the golf club strikes the ground. If you can do this, you can hit the ball solid. Eventually, with enough practice, you will learn to control the club face direction and start to hit shots on your start line!
How To Hit Irons Pure?
Most people will tell you to focus on your setup, your grip, your stance, your alignment, but the reality is that there are three fundamentals in golf.
- Fundamental #1: The ability to strike the ground on the intended spot 100% of the time. The best golfers in the world can do this 100% of the time. While the high handicap golfer might not even do this 50% of the time.
- Fundamental #2: The ability to control the start line and the curve of the ball. Every golfer needs a stock shot that they can utilize a higher percentage of the time. We prefer the stock draw shot for several different reasons.
- Fundamental #3: Having enough distance to play the course. This is directly correlated with swing speed.
So we will spend the majority of time help you with fundamental #1 because that is truly the key to hitting pure irons. Once we get the ball contact down, we can start to worry about working the ball one way or another or just developing that stock shot that is your go to shot!
The 5 keys listed above all help with solid ball contact, controlling the bottom of your club and hitting your irons pure!
Keep in mind as you are on your golf journey 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.
Key #1: Be able to control where the club strikes the ground
If you took 100 golfers and painted a line on the ground and asked them to hit the line 20 times, you could with some quality accuracy divide them up by handicap based on the percentage of time they were able to do this successfully.
The highest handicap golfers would struggle immensely and hit the line in front and behind the ball with no real consistency.
The low single digit handicap golfer would be successful close to 19 out of 20 if not 20 out of 20. A mid handicap golfer would be successful around 15 times out of 20. What would your score be.
This is a great starting point for a quick assessment on your ability to control where the club strikes the ground.
This can be completed in your own backyard. Track your progress over time and check out our tip below on how to work on this.
Here is Mike Bennet and Andy Plummer explaining this drill/assessment:
Tip #1: Move your weight slightly forward – 60% of weight on front leg
For years, golf publications and teachers were teaching golfers to move off the ball to their back leg and then back to their front leg.
While the best golfers in the world, who practiced 8 hours a day were able to be consistent with this, the average, everyday golfer just entered a world of inconsistency due to the timing that it took to perfect this move.
Instead, start with 60% of the weight on your front foot and stay more centered during the swing. Go ahead and assess yourself again with the drill under key #1. Then go ahead and try this drill as well by Shawn Clement.
This drill is amazing with helping your weight stayed forward and more centered for solid ball striking. It also stops the sway in your swing and allows you to hit many of the key points in a golf swing.
Shawn Clement – One leg drill:
I just completed playing an entire round of golf on my golf simulator in my garage utilizing this one legged drill for the entire round.
One of my major flaws in my swing is my sliding a bit forward and getting ahead of the ball. Not only does this drill help you control where the club strikes the ground, but it gets your hips turning instead of sliding, which can cause a bunch of additional problems in the swing.
Key #2: Have a clear target
You might be amazed if you give your mind and body a clear task to complete during the golf swing. Too many golfers stand over a shot and have no real target other than to try to hit the ball in the air and advance it.
Instead be precise and pick both a target off in the distance and intermediate target. Having this clear target allows your mind to focus on swing towards that target and allowing the proper release of the club.
This relates to striking the ball pure as it allows your mind and body to work together to accomplish the task.
Tip #2: Identify your targets in the your pre shot routine
Have a plan as you enter a shot. Don’t just stand there and hope to make solid contact. For every shot that you hit, you should identify the target way off in the distance. It could be a tree, a utility pole, a bunker, etc. off in the distance.
Here is a quality Shawn Clement video that explains this in great detail:
Key #3: Don’t try to manipulate and control the club
The worse thing you could do is to try to control and manipulate the club. Set your clear target, take the club back and have a throw like feel through your release.
Trying to match the club up just perfect at the bottom of your swing at impact will be a disaster. Instead, focus on that target in the distance, take the club back and let it go. Trust your mind to take over and complete the task.
Tip #3: Throw the club down the fairway
Too many golfers try holding on or try to create lag in their swing. Instead feel that throwing motion of the club down the fairway, this will quickly eliminate manipulation and you just might be shocked how far and straight you can hit a shot.
No good shot was ever manipulated by the golfer. But the golfer that picks a target, commits and then fires away within balance will have the best results.
Focus on where you want to go and think positive thoughts focusing on your target throughout the swing.
Another Shawn Clement Special – Throwing the Club
This drill will help you eliminate manipulation in the golf swing. Stop trying to control everything!
Gain control by giving up control:
Key #4: Know Your Impact Position
Have you ever seen Matt Wolff hit a shot? If not, you have to check out his swing. Before starting his backswing he gets into his impact position and then turns back to start his backswing.
He knows exactly where he wants to get back to and turns and fires. The impact position has your body open a bit from the starting position with your hands forward and the club head behind the balls.
This cannot be a manipulated position, but you should have awareness on where your impact position should be.
Tip #4: Try the Matt Wolff Pre Set
Next time you are at the driving range, go ahead and push forward to your impact position before starting your backswing. Get a feel for where the impact position is and then swing away. Don’t forget to focus on your target!
Check out the Pre Shot Move:
More Info on Impact Position:
Key #5: Control your start line
The pure shot is also one that flies down your intended start line. The more you have club face awareness and the ability to start the ball down the intended line the more pure your ball strike will be.
If your club face is way open or way closed, you will not hit the ball pure because of a glancing blow.
Tip #5: Build your Stock Shot
A stock shot allows you to control your start line and your curve, which is the 2nd fundamental in golf. I would recommend the stock draw shot. Here is a drill you can practice at the driving range:
- Setup an alignment stick about 7 to 10 yards in front of you on the target line.
- See how many shots out of 10 you can start to the right of the target.
- Track this data over time and continue to work on your start line.
The goal here is to get the club face pointing in a similar direction as many times out of 10 as possible. Once we get the ball starting the right spot, we can then move onto the curve of the ball.
If your ball is starting to the right and curving to the right, let’s work on getting your swing path more to the right, which will then help you hit a draw.
Practice this every range session you have for at least 20-30 golf balls. Don’t just stand at the range and aimlessly hit golf balls. This drill can be a game changer for many golfers.
BONUS TIP #1: Ball Flight Laws
Why? If you understand the ball flight laws you can start to become your own swing instructor and make corrections on the range or the course by reading the flight of your golf ball.
Too often golfers turn to the video of their swing when everything you need to know can be read off of your ball flight. Did you know that your ball flight can tell you the following:
- Where your club face was at impact.
- If your swing path was left or right of the club face.
Once you know these two items you can make the corrections by checking out our 2nd Tip on understanding what swing thoughts can help you get the proper matchups.
So let’s dive into the ball flight laws:
- Generally speaking, the golf ball will start where the club face is aiming.
- The golf ball will then curve away from the swing path.
There are two different lines that we must understand. The target line and the start line. The best golfers start the ball left or right of the target line and then curve the ball back towards the target.
Let’s go over some examples to help you better understand the ball flight laws.
Example A: Let’s say that the club face is 3 degrees right of the target line and the swing path is 5 degrees right of the target line. What will the ball do?
Answer: The ball will start right of the target line and draw back towards the target. This is known as a push draw.
Example B: Let’s say the club face is 3 degrees right of the target line, same as in example A, but the swing path is only 1 degree right of the target line. What will the ball do?
Answer: The ball will start to the right of the target line and will fade to the right. Keep in mind that the ball will curve away from the swing path. In this example, both the club face and the swing path are to the right and the ball will curve away from the path.
Example C: Let’s say the club face is 3 degrees to the left of the target line and the swing path is 5 degrees left of the target line. What will the ball do?
Answer: The ball will start to the left and curve to the right. This would be a pull fade or pull slice. Keep in mind that even though the face is closed to the target line, it is open to the swing path and the ball will curve away from the swing path.
BONUS TIP #2: Gain Speed – Hit Ball Further – 7 iron from 160 better than from 140
Regardless of your ball striking ability, one of the keys in today’s golf world is the ability to hit the ball far enough. This falls into the 3rd fundamental of golf. We want you to have enough distance to play the course and to have fun.
Hitting a driver 200 can be a real struggle to really set yourself up to be able to hit pure irons.
Also, the little bit of additional speed in your swing will help you compress the ball and have that solid, pure feeling when striking your irons. Don’t settle for where your game currently is.
I would highly recommend the SuperSpeed Golf Training protocols that include three different weighted swing sticks that follow a 10-15 minute protocol every other day.
You can see a 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first session. For some this could be 20-30 yards with the driver leaving you with more mid and short irons into greens. Stop settling for your current distance and let’s get to work on getting some additional speed.
*Use discount code Golfjourney365 to save money at the SuperSpeed Site.
Secret to Golf Improvement
The biggest game changer that allowed me to strike my irons pure was being able to practice and play golf everyday. Living in a part of the United States that has some difficult snowy winters did not stop me from playing golf 365 days a year in my Golf Simulator Setup in my Garage.
This was a complete game changer. No longer did the snow, rain, or time of day stop me from enjoying and practice the game that I love! I was able to reduce my average score by 4-6 shots and increase speed with my clubs through the SuperSpeed System.
I ended up purchasing a SkyTrack from Rain or Shine Golf. They have awesome customer service and some impressive financing deals. The cost of a simulator has decreased over the years and now you could have a solid, impressive setup in the 5-7 thousand dollar range.
I have linked many of my golf simulator related posts at the bottom of this post. Make sure to check them out.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Check out our recipe below for improving your game. Starting hitting those irons pure, hit more fairways and of course gain some distance. The recipe below will help you achieve all three:
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.
