If you want to hit solid golf shots on a consistent basis, you need to have rock-solid fundamentals. If you can’t get the simple pre-shot stuff right, you’ll have no hope of nailing a complex movement like the golf swing.

One of these pre-shot fundamentals that you need to focus on is your posture, i.e. the way you are standing when you address the ball.

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Tim Cooke sees errors in posture from his students every day, and it has a profound impact on their abilities to make a consistent swing. One of the most common errors he sees is the trail hip bumped away from the target, which leads to all sorts of issues in the full swing.

In an effort to correct these setup mistakes, Cooke uses a simple exercise where he has his students jump up and land on an alignment stick that is laid out on the ground pointing down their target line.

“When I land on the alignment rod, I want to land on the tripod of my feet,” Cooke says. “The big toe, the ball of the foot and the heel, I want them all grounded at setup so we can add some speed in the golf swing.”

If you want to try this for yourself, lay an alignment stick on the ground pointing down your target line and stand on top of it so it bisects the arch of your foot, favoring the front side of it. Now, just jump straight up in the air as if you are testing your vertical jump, and try to stick the landing back on the alignment stick.

“When you land, you should feel weight on the tripod of your feet,” Cooke says. “And I can feel my hips and my pelvis sit perfectly between my feet at address.”

If you’re someone who struggles to find the correct posture at address, give this exercise a try. By incorporating a little bit of athleticism into your setup, you will put yourself in a much better position to make a consistent strike on the ball.

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Welcome to Fully Fit 2026, GOLF’s new platform for providing you with real-golfer insights into what 2026 gear might be best suited for your game. To this end, we assembled six GOLF content creators of varying abilities and ran them through the gauntlet of six full-bag fittings (driver to putter!) at six major club manufacturers in Phoenix and Carlsbad, Calif. Our hope: that you might see shades of your own game in one of our panelists’ and take some learnings and inspiration from their fitting experiences. In this installment (below), Jack Hirsh details the one club he can’t live without from Fully Fit 2026, his Cobra 3DP MB 5-iron. You may browse each of our panelists’ full 2026 dream bags here:

Jake Morrow (0 handicap) | Johnny Wunder (2) | Wadeh Maroun (2) | Jack Hirsh (2.4) | Maddi MacClurg (5.6) | Sean Zak (7.8)

MORE FULLY FIT: Fully Fit hub page | Why we’re ‘testing’ golf clubs differently this year | Inside 6 days of fittings and testing | Browse 2026 drivers | Browse 2026 irons | How 5 days of club fittings changed my mind on golf equipment

If I was shocked by one thing during my Fully Fit 2026 journey, it’s how easy this muscle back 5-iron could be to hit.

Long irons and I have always had a love-hate relationship.

I’ve hit some incredible shots with them. You know the ones that launch high off the face and rocket into the air directly on line before gently rolling over to the left as they fall back to earth, landing gracefully on the green and releasing toward the pin? Bliss.

But even when I play some of my best golf, long-iron shots can still give me the most trouble. Despite finishing runner-up in my club championship this past summer, the multiple 200-plus-yard par-3s at my club often left me feeling like I couldn’t get a shot airborne. Thank god for match play — but still, I bowed out of the final match after pulling a 5-iron 25 yards left on one of those par-3s.

And that was with an iron set that included a larger and more forgiving 5-iron.

Fast forward to the start of 2026 and now I have a 5-iron — a Cobra 3DP MB — I can stand over and be truly confident that I’ll hit it flush, exactly how I want to. The surprising twist? It looks nothing like the 5-iron I thought would be my solution.

How I ended up in an MB 5-iron

Heading to Cobra’s fitting day for Fully Fit 2026, I had expected to find a set of the new 3DP MB and Tour irons that would be best for my game.

I just didn’t think the long irons would wow me so much.

At first, the new muscle back intimidated me. I’ve never played blades seriously before. Surely I was going to skull or, worse yet, present the hosel, with these compact irons. But I was shocked by how easy they were to hit. That’s owed to the unique 3D-printed construction of the 3DP MB, which you can read more about here.

I compare the feeling to hitting a mini driver off the deck for the first time. It seemed like I was about to drive the ball into the ground, but the soles on modern mini drivers make them almost as easy as a 3-wood to hit from the deck.

Working with Cobra fitter Andrew Lusty, we started with the 7-iron, as most iron fittings do, and it didn’t take us long to see how effortlessly I could hit the new 3DP MB while getting similar numbers to my gamer. We also dialed in a shaft change and a flatter lie angle that has virtually eliminated the left side of the golf course for me.

Still, as small as the 3DP MBs look to me, I couldn’t wrap my head around playing the line’s long irons.

That’s when Andrew offered me stock 4- and 5-irons to hit to see if I could hit the intended ball speeds. These were softer and shorter shafts than what I’m spec’d for, but the idea is if you can hit designated ball speeds and peak height windows with stock setups, you should easily be able to with the proper specs.

I was shocked when it took me just one swing to flush the stock MB 5-iron: 141 mph, 110 feet in the air. Exactly the numbers we were looking for.

We broke the set with the 4-iron because I was only able to muster around 141-143 mph out of the MB 4-iron, short of the required 5 mph ball-speed gap. Past the 5-iron was clearly my point of diminishing returns. Switching to the 3DP Tour 4-iron, the feeling of effortlessness returned.

Specs
Cobra 3DP MB 5-iron
Shaft: Nippon N.S.Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Length: +.5″ (38.75″ EOG)
Lie: 2˚ Flat (59)
Loft: 26.9˚
Swingweight: D2.5

Cobra 3DP MB Custom Irons

The 3DP MB iron combines the looks and feel of a traditional forged muscle back with the forgiveness of a cavity back iron. The most forgiving blade on the market, the MB has captivated Tour players by checking all the boxes and exceeding expectations with its exceptional stability and feel.
FORGIVING MUSCLE BACK BLADE SHAPE
A slightly revised shape from the KING MB inspired by feedback from PGA Tour player Max Homa, the MB features a thinned topline and enhanced offset. The internal 3D printed lattice and heel, toe and hosel tungsten increases MOI for stability, and positions the CG perfectly centered and lower than the KING MB to promote higher launch.
EXTREME FORGIVENESS MEETS SOFT FEEL
The 3D printed internal lattice structure not only optimizes weight savings, but also provides the stiffness and strength to support the face and fine-tune the acoustics of each iron to produce the most appealing impact sound and feel.
TUNGSTEN WEIGHTING
The discretionary weight savings from the 3D printed lattice allowed for up to 55g of tungsten to be positioned low in the heel, toe and hosel resulting in the perfect blend of a compact blade shape with a low CG and high MOI that mirrors a game improvement iron.

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Cobra

Why this 5-iron is my favorite

While I had hoped to have played more golf by this point in the year, I’ve hit enough shots to know how much of a game-changer this 5-iron is.

During indoor testing, I hit 8 shots with the 5-iron and recorded a 3.7-yard carry standard deviation with an average carry of 204.5 yards. That basically means my 5-iron is like a pitching wedge, but from 205 yards.

Knowing that is confidence-inspiring, but the ease with which I can still work the ball up, down, left or right has really proved the club’s worth.

My goal with long irons is to make sure I’m just not losing strokes, but with this MB 5-iron, I feel like I finally have a weapon with which I can attack greens from 200 yards.

Ready to overhaul your bag in 2026 like our Fully Fit panelists? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.

I’ve become pretty militant about my practice routine this winter. In the past, I’ve gone to the simulator maybe once a week to get some hacks in, but this year, I decided to up the intensity. Each week since November, I’ve made it my goal to hit balls at least three days a week. That may not sound like a ton, but when you’re in NYC, it’s quite the commitment.

This has been great for learning about my golf swing. Whereas I once relied entirely on feel to build my swing, I now have a much better grasp of technique — and how certain movements impact my ball striking.

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that the way I start the swing is fairly flawed. As I begin my takeaway, I typically rotate my trail hip back too quickly. Instructor Justin Kraft posted a great video illustrating this flaw recently, which you can see below.

This is a flaw that afflicts lots of golfers and can lead to all sorts of issues. When I do this, the club has a tendency to get sucked a bit inside, and then once I get to P3 (lead arm parallel to the ground) I can’t turn back with my hips any more. To compensate, I have to lift my hands to the top of the swing. From there, I have a hard time delivering the clubhead with the correct attack angle and have an inconsistent low point, both of which are crucial for consistent ball striking.

So, what’s the fix? It all starts with the sequence in which you turn to the top of the backswing.

As Justin explains in the video above, you need to focus on rotating the chest away from the target first and then turn the hips back. If you do that, you’ll start your swing with the correct sequence and be in a much better position to deliver a solid strike on the ball.

Divot Board

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Instant Feedback for Faster LearningResearch shows that immediate feedback can accelerate learning by 50–70%. The Divot Board provides real-time feedback on your swing so you can make quick adjustments and refine your technique instantly.
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Using a Divot Board consistently will transform your practice routine. It’s the easiest way to gain awareness, develop better ball striking, and see results faster.

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My heart remains at Riviera Country Club, but my body is in a middle seat en route home. What better time to reflect on the PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing — the good, the bad, the rumored, the mysterious.

Here are some winners, losers and questions from the opening stretch of the 2026 PGA Tour season.

WINNER: The 26-year-olds

Chris Gotterup won two of the first four events on this year’s calendar (given unusual circumstances, we’re treating the Sony as a half member of this year’s West Coast Swing), playing his best when things got most chaotic at the WM Phoenix Open and establishing himself as a fan favorite, a proven winner and arguably the best player on Tour 26 years old or below.

His current competition for that extremely unofficial title includes the guy who just won at Riviera; Jacob Bridgeman, like Gotterup, is 26. And while Gotterup took the weekend off (he missed the Genesis cut) Bridgeman beat everyone’s doors off for three days and hung on on Sunday to establish that he, too, has what it takes.

LOSER: Hawaii x PGA Tour

Is the PGA Tour headed back to Hawaii? Next year? Ever? It skipped Kapalua this year under controversial circumstances. Its Sony sponsorship just ran out. As the powers that be continue to reimagine the Tour’s optimal schedule, Hawaii remains a logistical challenge lacking a “big market.” How highly will Rolapp and Co. value continuity, tradition and nostalgia? We’ll see.

QUESTION: Where are the 25-year-olds?

Speaking of age, it’s jarring to browse whichever version of the world rankings you’d prefer and marvel at the lack of young stars. The 26-year-olds may be having a moment, but we’re still waiting for the emergence of the next young wave. There’s no reason to despair: Akshay Bhatia (24), the Hojgaard twins (also 24) and the Michaels (Brennan and Thorbjornsen, each 24) could all be on the brink of a breakthrough. But with Tom Kim in a bit of a rut, it feels like we’re searching for Who’s Next. (Shoutout also to Blades Brown, who stole the show for much of the week in Palm Springs.)

WINNER: The 45-year-olds

OK, I promise this whole list won’t be about age. In fact, lemme start with some hypocrisy: I wish when we talk about Justin Rose and Adam Scott that we’d focus less on their age. But it’s a useful way to pair two particularly impressive West Coast showings; Rose’s blowout win at Torrey Pines is worth extra points, of course, but Scott’s Sunday 63 to finish fourth at Riviera was nothing to scoff at, either. These guys are remarkably similar ages, they’ve had remarkably similar careers and they’re performing at remarkably similar levels at the moment. Let’s get ’em on a remarkable leaderboard at the Masters.

LOSER: The Scandinavians

While athletes from Norway and Sweden were dominating the Winter Olympics, their PGA Tour counterparts were having a slightly tougher time on the West Coast. Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg are among the Tour’s biggest talents and fan favorites — but neither has had his best thus far this year.

Hovland had a strong start at the WM Phoenix Open (T10) but less so at Pebble Beach (T58) and Riviera (T41), where talk turned more to his training aids than his scores.

And Aberg got severely ill for a second consecutive West Coast Swing — though if there’s good news, it’s that he seems to be trending up. Going WD-MC-T37-T20 means I guess he’s headed for a Masters victory?

(In other Scandinavian news, Alex Noren went MC-MC in Palm Springs and San Diego, but his T12 at Riviera was encouraging, too. And representing Denmark, the Hojgaard twins have each showed encouraging signs; Nicolai finished T3 at the WM and was one blowup hole from contending to win.)

QUESTION: Will Tiger Woods play the Masters?

Tiger Woods hinted that he’ll try. Then he hinted that he’ll try a second time. I don’t know if he will, but I think he’s told us the truth — if he can, he’ll do it.

LOSER: Scottie Scheffler’s Thursdays

Scottie Scheffler’s first Thursday of the season was a 63 at the American Express. So it’s particularly jarring that he’s just No. 116 on Tour in Round 1 Scoring Average. And it was strange to see him in last place when play was halted this past Thursday. Still …

WINNER: Scottie Scheffler’s other days

Considering he was in last place on Friday morning and needed to make a seven-foot curler on 18 just to stay inside the cut line, Scheffler’s T12 was another remarkable display of skill and determination. Sure, it snapped his streak of 18 consecutive Tour top-10s. But it only reinforced the idea that if you play enough rounds of golf, eventually Scheffler will rise to the top. Four tournaments in, here’s how his scoring average looks by round:

Round 1: 70.50 (116th)

Round 2: 65.75 (2nd)

Round 3: 67.00 (7th)

Round 4: 64.50 (2nd)

(If you were wondering who could possibly beat that 64.5, Will Zalatoris has played one fourth round this year and shot 64.)

QUESTION: So what the heck is going on with Scheffler on Thursdays?

My best guess is still some version of “nothing, really; this has just been a weird blip on the radar.” He led the Tour in first-round scoring last year, after all, and has had some funky starts in strange conditions. Let’s wait for a bigger sample size before we get panicky here.

WINNER: California kids

I’m thinking of two in particular: Collin Morikawa, who won for the first time in too long at Pebble Beach, and Jake Knapp, who just quietly put together the best stretch of golf of his life. Knapp hasn’t finished worse than T11 in five starts this year. Morikawa’s win was meaningful on several levels — because of how long it had been, because of where it took place, because of everything that went into it, because he and his wife have a baby on the way. It’s good to see West Coast kids eat up the West Coast Swing. And then of course there was another California sensation in the winner’s circle …

LOSER: Anthony Kim’s haters and doubters

I write this tongue in cheek; I think Anthony Kim‘s win showed just how many people have been on his side this entire time, rooting for something special. But he’s used a chip on his shoulder to get this far, and his shot at the haters showed he’ll keep drawing on that. Mostly it’s worth acknowledging that one of golf’s biggest moments this month happened on LIV Golf, with a one-of-a-kind comeback story capped off with an electric finish to a story a dozen years in the making.

QUESTION: What’s next for Jon Rahm, LIV and the DP World Tour?

Big picture, this is one of pro golf’s most compelling questions moving forward; LIV and the DP World Tour still seem in an uneasy coexistence and I’m curious how that will resolve. For now the DPWT has reached a temporary truce with several of its LIV members, allowing them to play both circuits and maintain Ryder Cup eligibility. But why isn’t Jon Rahm one of the players taking that deal, and is there any chance in the world he doesn’t play on next year’s European Ryder Cup team?

WINNER: CBS golf coverage

These courses look awesome in person, they look incredible on television and CBS continues to innovate in order to dial in their coverage.

Also, the little stuff continues to go a long way.

LOSER: Soggy conditions

There’s been plenty of discussion about moving these marquee West Coast stops to later in the PGA Tour schedule. A cold, soggy Pebble Beach followed by a cold, soggy Riviera made that case much more appealing, with fans shivering on the rope lines and golf balls plugging in greens. Two perfect weekend days capped the Genesis off in style, and wet and windy can be entertaining at Pebble, but each was still missing some of the firm, fast character it has at its best.

QUESTION: So are we doing the August West Coast thing?

I leave California more confused than I arrived. On paper it seems smart to have the best courses in the biggest spots on the PGA Tour calendar; what could be cooler than Pebble and Riviera as playoff venues? But there are issues with both sites that time of year. Pebble has a car show and a full tee sheet and it’s not near enough of a population center to draw a playoff-worthy crowd. In L.A., locals suggested that the golf-going crowd would be out of town in August and that its current spot on the calendar is actually optimal for getting people to actually attend.

If I was in charge, my top priority would be to remove the playoff events from the hellish August humidity of Atlanta and Memphis. I don’t need them in California, though — Boston, Chicago and Seattle are calling, as are a dozen other medium-to-large cities with ideal summer days. I’m curious where they’ll land, though.

And what the West Coast Swing will look like next year, and the year after that, and when we’ll be gazing at golf’s glorious coastlines again.

We’ll see you in Florida.