Struggling with Fat, Thin or Topped Iron Shots?
If you find yourself hitting behind the ball, catching it thin, or even topping your iron shots, you're certainly not alone. As a PGA professional, I see this all the time, and it can be incredibly frustrating. The good news is that there’s one relatively minor adjustment you can make that will completely transform your ball striking and help you play your best golf.
The Key: Controlling Your Low Point
When you watch the very best players in the world, their iron play always looks effortless. The real secret is their ability to control the low point of their swing. Most amateurs struggle because their low point — the lowest part of the club’s arc — is either too far behind the golf ball or too high above the ground. That leads to all sorts of poor contact: fats, thins, and tops.
If you want to strike your irons crisply, you need your low point to be after the golf ball and slightly into the ground. This is the real difference between good and poor ball striking.
Where Should Your Low Point Be?
Think about your lead shoulder (your left shoulder for right-handed golfers). At address, it should be just slightly ahead of the golf ball. But at impact, if you look at the best players, their lead shoulder is even further forward — often four, five or even six inches past the ball. This forward movement is a big reason they get that ball-then-turf contact every time.
Why Just Shifting Your Hips Isn’t Enough
Many golfers try to fix their strike by simply moving their hips towards the target. But here’s what happens: if you only push your hips towards the target, your lead shoulder can actually move back, ending up more in line with the ball rather than ahead of it. This causes your low point to stay behind the ball, making it likely you’ll thin, top or fat your iron shots.
The Movement You Need: Down and Forward
The real key is to move your lead hip down and towards the target as you start your downswing. When you move your lead hip in this way, your lead shoulder moves down and forward as well. This gets the low point of your swing after the ball and lower to the ground, allowing you to strike the ball first and then the turf. That’s the magic formula for great iron shots.
How to Practise This Movement
- Take your normal backswing.
- As you start down, feel your lead hip move down and towards the target rather than just sliding sideways.
- Let your lead shoulder follow, moving down and forward.
- Swing through, focusing on brushing the ground after the ball.
I recommend starting slow so you can really feel the movement. Rehearse it as a practice swing, then gradually build up speed as your confidence grows. If you’re hitting off a mat, you should be touching the mat after the ball. On real grass, look for your divots to start after the ball.
What If It Feels Like You’ll Bury the Club?
Some golfers worry that moving down and forward will cause them to dig the club too deep into the ground. If you simply went down and stayed down, you might! But as your hips continue to turn through impact, your lead leg will straighten and your lead hip and shoulder will rise. This helps shallow out the strike and prevents the club from getting stuck in the turf.
Why This Feels So Effortless
Once you get this movement right, striking the ball truly feels easier. You’ll notice more energy transferring through your body and into the golf ball, often without consciously trying to swing harder. It’s why the best players seem to hit it so far with so little apparent effort.
Take Action and Transform Your Ball Striking
To recap, the next time you practise your irons, focus on moving your lead hip down and towards the target as you start your downswing. This will move your low point ahead of the ball and lower to the ground, helping you consistently strike ball then turf. What’s more, this technique works brilliantly with fairway woods and hybrids too – anytime the ball is on the ground.
If you want personalised help with this move or any part of your game, I offer online lessons via Skillest. I’d love to help you take your golf to the next level, wherever you are in the world.
Watch the Full YouTube Video
For a full demonstration and more in-depth explanation, watch the original video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r52p-wsF5OU
