Amateur golfers often think that hitting “up” on the ball with their irons helps the ball go in the air. By hitting up, we are referring to the angle at which the golf club is striking the ball. So the club has bottomed out, and is traveling from the bottom point upward as it strikes the ball.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Hitting up on the ball more often than not produces a bladed or thin shot which goes much lower, and a much more unpredictable distance. If the player manages to hit the ball squarely on the upstroke, it will travel far too high and lose distance, often hooking.
The best ball strike is in a downward motion with the irons. Mind you, we are not talking about the driver. “Hitting down” on the ball compresses it, gives better distance, imparts the proper spin on the ball, and launches the ball at a proper angle.
So how do we get rid of the old habit of trying to “lift” the ball with our irons and learn how to strike down on it? Frogger pro Kris Moe has a very easy drill called “circles,” which can help.
