Ignore This Terrible Advice – It’s Ruining Your Iron Shots

Unlock your potential on the course by debunking a common golf myth. Discover how changing your swing approach can lead to powerful, accurate iron shots.

If you’ve ever been told to ‘keep your head behind the ball’ during your iron shots, you’re not alone. This well-intentioned advice can often lead to frustrating results, like scooping, slicing, or even shanking your shots. It’s time to unpack why this tip might be holding you back and learn strategies to enhance your game.

The Misleading Advice: Why ‘Keep Your Head Behind the Ball’ Isn’t Always Best

For years, golfers have clung to the mantra of keeping their heads stable behind the ball. Yet, this approach may cause more harm than good, resulting in poor weight distribution, improper body movement, and inconsistent shots.

Understanding The Club Path Dynamics

It’s crucial to realize the club path is never constant. The path changes throughout the swing and greatly impacts ball flight.

• If you hit early in the swing arc: Your club path targets more to the right.
• If you hit later: The path shifts left.

Even with a correct setup, the attempt to keep your head back can shift impact positions, causing slices and inconsistent shots.

The Impact of the Head Behind the Ball Approach

• Weight on back foot: Leads to fat shots and inconsistent strikes.
• Incorrect ball position: Forward head movement alters effective ball position, often causing slices.
• Scooping action: Limits the descending blow necessary for solid strikes.

Step-by-Step Drill to Shift Your Weight Forward

1. Setup: Position the ball slightly forward in your stance.
2. Weight shift: Move your weight to the lead leg at impact.
3. Backswing: Maintain forward weight during backswing and transition.
4. Arm movement: Swing arms past your body for a natural release.

This drill helps reconcile your club path and weight distribution, improving your ball flight and strike quality.

Letting Your Arms Lead

Encouraging your arms to swing freely past your body during downswing enhances a more inside-to-out club path, promoting straighter or drawing ball flights.

Learning from the Pros: Michael Losaso’s Swing

Michael Losaso exemplifies effective head and weight movement. His swing demonstrates:

• Dynamic head movement: Moves forward and down through the backswing.
• Efficient weight shift: Body moves ahead of the ball at impact for powerful, controlled draws.

Drill to Reinforce Proper Impact Position

1. Alignment setup: Use an alignment stick along the target line.
2. Proper head position: Aim to see the ball under the alignment stick through impact.

This drill ensures forward weight placement, leading to more powerful, consistent strikes.

Conclusion: Transform Your Iron Shot with Proper Head and Weight Dynamics

Ignoring the advice to keep your head behind the ball can revolutionize your play. Shift your weight forward and let your arms swing naturally to improve your strikes. Practice these drills regularly and observe the change in your iron play.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is the advice to ‘keep your head behind the ball’ so common?

It’s traditional advice meant to prevent topping the ball, but can often be overly restrictive, limiting natural weight and body shifts.

How do I know if I’m hanging back on my trail leg?

Look for signs like fat shots or slices. Most of your weight should shift to the lead leg at impact.