[Photo: Focus On Sport]
To get the best contact out of your irons, you need to hit down on the ball. But a lot of average golfers don’t do that. Instead, they scoop it. Which means their wrists break down, flicking at the ball at impact. Average golfers do it to try and help the ball get up into the air, but it causes inconsistent contact.
If this sounds like you, Nancy Lopez has a simple tip that might help significantly.
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In this story from the Winter 2024 issue of Australian Golf Digest Women, “The Wisdom of Nancy Lopez”, Lopez shared a key adjustment to try at setup.
“Keep the hands ahead of the ball and the left wrist firm. From this position, you’re able to push the club back with your left hand instead of pulling back with the right when you start the takeaway,” Lopez says. “If the right hand takes over, you’ll make a scooping motion when you strike the ball and won’t hit it very well. Even during the swing, keep the hands a little forward. The left wrist leads the club towards the target after impact and then releases.”
If your left wrist maintains that forward-pressing position, like Lopez says, you won’t be able to scoop the ball. You’ll be forced to hit down on it, which is how every great player hits their irons.
