Today, Jack Moorehouse, author of the highly acclaimed How To Break 80 golf improvement course, gives us some good advice on how to hit our fairway woods and long irons.
I always remember how frustrating it is when I want to get some distance from the fairway on a long hole.
For many people, hitting the golf ball with a long iron or a fairway wood is a somewhat intimidating experience that can lead to some unexpected and embarassing results!
Jack says that no matter how intimidating we find using these clubs, that for many of us who are hitting average distances, it is necessary to master their use.
Since fairway woods and long irons are ’straight-faced’ clubs, golfers often think they have to ‘help’ the ball get airborne. As a result, they take a quick, relatively short backswings, throwing their rhythm and timing off and mis-hitting.
Here are Jack’s 5 keys to hitting your fairway woods and long irons.
- Take a normal address position
- Position the ball slightly back
- Take a complete backswing
- Focus on clipping the grass
- End with a full and balanced finish.
With fairway woods and long irons, you hit the ball at the bottom of the swing. This contrasts sharply with short irons, which you hit with a descending blow, and drivers, which you hit with an ascending blow. Take advantage of this and position the ball just behind where you’d tee the ball for a drive.
Also, keep in mind that these clubs don’t create large divots. In fact, most times they create a shallow divot or no divot at all. So when you swing, think in terms of just clipping the tops of the grass as you make impact.
Next time you’re hitting a fairway wood or long iron, don’t panic. Make a real effort to complete your backswing and slide your right shoulder under your chin as you rotate your body. If you do both of these things well, you’ll transfer your weight correctly and make good use of your body pivot.
Click here for more great information from Jack Moorehouse on how to improve your golf and get on your way to Breaking 80!
