Straighten your crooked irons

Fault Fixer: Straighten your crooked irons

When our shots start to lose accuracy, most of us turn to our technique. In fact, we’d better to focus on the clubface. TrackMan has revealed that with a 6-iron, 75% of the ball’s starting line is down to face aim at impact.

If we can learn to control the clubface better, we can begin to harness the ball’s starting direction and pull our shots back on line.

Here is a simple exercise that throws your attention back on to the face, and helps you train face aim control.

#1: ALIGNMENT STICK AIM

Stick an old shaft or cane in to the ground some three yards in front of you, on your ball-target line. Gather 10 balls. Take a 7-iron and address the ball normally, with a square stance. Feel the blade of the club aiming flush at the cane.

#2: START THE BALL LEFT

Hit the first five balls. Your sole intention is to start each one left of the cane. Forget weight shift, body pivot and all the rest of it; just picture that closed position the blade needs to adopt to start the ball left and try to create an impact that delivers it. The ball’s starting line will tell you how successful you are.

#3: START THE BALL RIGHT

Now start the next five balls the other side of the cane. Leave stance and alignment square; you’re going to change the ball’s path purely through delivering a slightly open face. Some coaches focus on body motion, and that’s fine; but this drill reminds you that if you want the ball to find its target, awareness and control of the face are key.