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Tour pro Jordan Smith reveals the secrets to his iron play with this easy practise drill.
“I pride myself on being a very solid ball-striker and this a drill that my coach Simon Shanks (yes, that’s his real name) and I like to use quite a lot. It helps me focus on strike and is so simple to put into practise.
“This drill helps to combat a very common mistake among amateurs, and it’s something I sometimes struggle with. It’s very easy for your hands to flick at the ball. Doing this can lead to poor strikes and big misses to the left. Instead, you want to feel as though your hands, arms and body remain as one unit through the strike.”
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STEP 1
“The first step is to grab an alignment stick, place it down the left hand side of your grip and then set up to the ball as normal.”
STEP 2
“You want to swing to around halfway back as you can see here, with a real focus on making everything work as one unit. Take it nice and slow if you have to and don’t worry about how far you hit the shot. This drill isn’t about distance.
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“From this position, you then have to turn your body hard to the left to ensure a crisp strike. My suggestion would be to hit 10 to 15 balls using the alignment stick and really try and get the feeling of turning the body through, then start hitting full shots without the stick. If you don’t feel you have it quite right, go back to the drill until that feeling beds in.”
STEP 3
“Once you have hit the ball, this is the ideal finish position. One of the great things about this drill is the instant feedback you get. If the alignment stick hits you on the side then you know you haven’t quite nailed it. It really helps to train your body into turning through the shot much harder and quicker.
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“Although it’s quite a basic drill, it’s incredibly effective at helping to improve your strike and ball flight. Quite a lot of tour pros use this drill and you could certainly benefit from doing the same.
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“Keep using it throughout winter and you will begin to notice fewer misses to the left and a straighter, more consistent ball flight because of the added level of control you have over your clubface.”
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