The chicken wing golf swing has never really been a great look.

To be honest, when you see golfers chicken winging, it’s really difficult to even say “nice shot” or “looks great.”

Although this common flaw does not keep all players from hitting a good shot, it’s important to start to get rid of the chicken wing, as it generally means there are other problems in the swing.

To fix the chicken wing, we have to rewind a little and look at what is causing it.

What Is a Chicken Wing Golf Swing?

The chicken wing golf swing (for a right-handed player) is when you swing through the golf ball, and your left arm creates a chicken wing type motion. The arm does not rotate as it should, and it certainly falls out of position compared to the right arm.

What Causes a Chicken Wing in a Golf Swing?

Many golfers think the chicken wing in a golf swing is created after impact. The problem isn’t always where it appears. It can be caused by hip swaying, poor target movement, or arms losing their angle. It’s never explained correctly, and most professionals will shake their heads when a beginner comes to them with this left arm that will barely even move.

However, there is something to be said for keeping the left arm straight through the impact position. If your arms start to bend and get a little too loose, the chicken wing is the mistake you will see come up.

Arms through impact should stay strong and extended.

Swaying on The Backswing

Swaying in golf is never good.

To get the proper performance, you need to make a pivot, not sway. If you have difficulty rotating and shifting your weight, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to adjust the clubhead to make it square. You should pivot properly to reduce the amount of thinking required. The weight shifting is crucial as it will create power in not only the swing but also consistency in how the club is delivered.

Great players have their hips shifted more toward the target at impact. This allows golfers rotate their arms better. The hips start to rotate, creating room in the swing for the arms to rotate through as they should.

Without this weight shift and hip rotation, players can feel stuck. It’s important to determine what causes your chicken wing swing before trying to fix it. You should choose a fix that is directly linked to the cause. It is not possible to fix your swing in one shot. I would highly recommend heading to the range with the ability to video your golf swing.

Sometimes the visualization of what the chicken wing golf swing looks like prior and what it looks like after you make your changes will help you ensure these fixes stay in place the next time you hit the golf course.

1. Improve Arm Connection

One of our favorite drills that will help fix quite a few swing flaws is one that allows your left arm to stay a bit more connected. You can use this drill if you are also struggling with an over-the-top motion on the downswing.

The first part of this process is to just take your typical setup. You will then place a golf glove (or even a towel) under your left armpit for a right-handed golfer. You will need this to remain in place while you perform the drill. Make sure that you do not let the towel or glove fall out. You can use a club like the pitching wedge or 8 iron to avoid worrying about forgiveness and launch. These shots aren’t meant to be long. They are meant to teach you the importance of feeling connected and how that feels. Follow Through Only Drill

Another drill that is great for eliminating the chicken wing swing is the one that only works on the following through. You will need to push your body into the correct position by pushing it a little. You will not take a “chicken wing” golf swing if you use the follow-through only drill. This is because you can feel your arms rotating correctly until the top of the stroke. You should start to feel your muscle memory develop as you push your body in the correct position.

3. Alignment Sticks Can Help

We discussed the larger problems associated with the chicken wing swing. There are many things that can cause problems in the swing, such as swaying your arms on the backswing or not rotating them. There are some issues with your basic setup and stance which can also cause problems with your swing.
Editor’s Pick

Callaway Alignment Stix Set of 2

This set of two 48-inch sticks can be configured in multiple ways to improve your golf swing. This training aid helps teach the fundamentals of ball striking and set-up, such as alignment, ball location, and swing plane.

Buy on Amazon

Set up alignment sticks for both stance and ball position. You can set up alignment sticks to help you with both your stance and your ball position. The hip needs to rotate, not slide or bump into the alignment stick that is secured into the ground.

Alignment sticks are very versatile, and they help with a variety of swing issues. You can use an alignment tool to improve your golf swing if you are frustrated with shots that are too short or have an open face. This is definitely the case for the hip rotation drill. You will need to be able to place the alignment stick in the ground for it to be effective and create that wall of support.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. She has been playing golf since she was seven years old. She is still passionate about the game. Britt lives in Savannah, GA with her husband, and their two children. Current handicap: 1

]]> https://ultragolfing.com/three-tips-to-finally-get-rid-of-your-chicken-wing-golf-swing/feed/ 0 https://ultragolfing.com/four-easy-tips-to-shorten-your-golf-swing/ https://ultragolfing.com/four-easy-tips-to-shorten-your-golf-swing/#respond Sun, 05 Oct 2025 01:19:04 +0000 https://ultragolfing.com/four-easy-tips-to-shorten-your-golf-swing/ Chances are they were right! This can lead to issues with accuracy and balance. This ends up causing issues with accuracy and balance that doesn’t need to be a problem.

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Golf scrambles are fun. They give you a way to play golf with friends and enjoy your time on the course without the same stress as you would find when playing your own ball the entire way.

As great as the golf scramble can be from the perspective of fun and games, there is also a bit of strategy involved.

If you want to win your next scramble tournament, here are the tips I have used to bring home quite a few golf scramble trophies through the years!

Background: The Rules of a Golf Scramble Tournament

The basic scramble is most commonly played; however, there are times when you may have a shamble, Texas Scramble, or even a Florida Scramble as your format of choice during a tournament. Here is what you need to know about the rules of a golf scramble tournament.

Traditional Scramble

In a traditional scramble, every player tees off. After the tee shots, the best is selected, and all players hit their shots from this location. This process is continued until you get the ball in the hole. The great thing about a traditional scramble is that you won’t need to play your ball if you hit a bad shot.

Texas Scramble or Shamble

The Texas Scramble or Shamble is where all golfers tee off, and the best shot is selected. From this point, all players will then play their own ball all the way into the hole. With this format, you play a bit more of your golf ball than you do with the Traditional Scramble format.

Florida Scramble

With a Florida Scramble, all golfers tee off, the best shot is selected, and then only three players hit their second shots. After these three shots are hit, the better one is chosen, and the player who hits that shot has to sit out. The process is then continued until the ball is in the hole.

7 Tips for a Winning Golf Scramble Strategy

Winning a golf scramble is a lot of fun. It’s a great way to play with a group of people that all have different handicaps but still get to be competitive together. When you play in a scramble, it’s all about being a great team player.

Don’t get overly worried about your own game; see what you can do to help out your team. Even the highest handicap players often have a chance in the scramble format to save the day and make their score count for the team.

1. Determine an Order

The first thing I recommend doing is establishing an order of play. You must decide who is going to go first on every hole. I like to keep the order the same throughout the entire round of golf.

Most of the time, the best way to do the order is to have the highest handicapped golfers tee off first. When high handicappers tee off and have a good shot, it eases some pressure from the lower handicap golfers.

These lower handicap golfers can now swing freely and get as much power as they can. Once a drive is in the fairway, you will have no trouble working to get some extra distance. If that doesn’t go well and the drive ends up in a bunker or the rough, you still have a straight shot to choose from.

2. Best Putter Putts Last

In addition to making sure that the best hitter goes last off the tee, make sure that the best putter goes last. When you are the best putter, your chance of making the putt is the highest.

If everyone else misses, the last player to go will have watched those three putts and can determine which way they want to play the break. When the best putter goes, there should also be one putt that is a tap-in so that they can go to the hole at full speed and really try to make it.

When playing in a scramble, you can go low, but golfers need to make some fairly long putts, and the good news is that even higher handicappers can do that from time to time.

3. Don’t Always Choose The Shortest Shot

The ball that is closest to the hole is not always the best shot. Take a look at where the pin is on the green and decide which one makes the most sense to play. If the pin is on the left side of the green, you will want to choose an approach shot from the right.

In addition, if one shot is in the rough, play the one from the fairway. Be smart about the shot you are choosing; making up for five or ten yards is not a big deal. Distance is not always the most critical thing in a scramble.

4. Don’t Always Choose The Closest Putt

When your group makes it to the putting green, you have to choose a putt that is most makeable. If you have a 10 foot putt down the hill or a 12 foot putt up the hill, the 12 foot putt is often the better choice.

Be really smart about which putts you decide to use, and make sure that it is a shot that several players in the group feel confident about making. Look at the slope, angles, and grain to determine your most significant percentage of making the putt.

The putting green is where you can earn the most strokes back after a bad hole. Take your time and be selective about your angles.

5. Alternate The Club Hit Off The Tee

One of the biggest mistakes that I have seen players make through the years is trying to have all golfers on the scramble team hit a driver off the par 4’s and par 5s. As long as you have some players in the group that can generate good clubhead speed, you can hit a 3 wood or even a utility iron at times to get a great shot in play.

This is especially important to consider when golfers are playing from different tees. If one of the golfers in the group plays from a shorter tee, let them get a shot in the fairway for you.

On par 3 holes, you will also want to have players alternate the clubs that they are hitting. Pay close attention to the yardage that your playing partners can hit their shots. If somebody can hit the ball 150 with their 7 iron, make sure you base your club selection off of that.

6. Check for The Minimum Number of Drives

Although some four-person scrambles have no extra rules or regulations, there are times when you will find a minimum number of drives is required. This minimum number of drives from each player can become a real issue if you ignore it early on in the game.

It’s usually easy to get two drives from the lowest handicap player, but from the highest handicap player, it can be a bit of a problem.

Make sure that you are working on this process right from the start of your round. Lets’ say the first hole results in a shot by the highest handicap golfer that is in the middle of the fairway but about three yards back from the lowest handicap golfer.

This is the time to check one off the list for the high handicapper.

If you wait until the end of the round, you will get stuck with these requirements and be forced to use a shot from a specific player. I have seen groups come down to the 18th hole, and the only shot they can even take from the tee box is the one outstanding player who has not fulfilled their drive quote.

This is a mistake.

Get those drives crossed off early, and then play the rest of the round, focusing on locking in those birdies and eagles.

7. The Pace of Play Can Be Different

The pace of play during a scramble can be a little different. You may feel like there is a lot of running around and motion, picking up golf balls and getting them to the best spot. Then once you get to that spot, it feels like a lot of waiting.

Prepare yourself for the scramble to be a slightly different pace of play.

Most of the time, things should move faster than they do when everyone plays their own ball, but plenty of beginner golfers play in scrambles and slow things down. Just be mindful that this will be different than a standard round, and you will have a lot more fun and a much better chance of winning your scramble event.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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Have you ever been watching a PGA Tour golf tournament on TV and heard the announcers use the phrase “up and down”? 

This quick guide will explain what it means and give you some tips to help you nail more of them to improve your scores.

What Does Up and Down Mean in Golf?

An “up and down” occurs when a golfer needs only two strokes to get the golf ball onto the green and into the hole. “Up and down” is a phrase used to describe how good a golfer is at scrambling. The opportunity for an up and down always occurs after a golfer has missed the green in regulation (GIR).

For example, let’s say that a golfer hits an errant iron tee shot into a greenside bunker on a Par 3 hole. To achieve an “up and down”, the golfer will need to get “up” on the green with the first stroke out of the bunker and “down” into the hole with the second stroke. If the golfer needs more than two shots to get the ball into the hole, it is not a proper “up and down”.

Most golfer announcers use the “up” part of the phrase to describe a pitch shot, chip shot, or bunker shot. The “down” portion of the phrase always refers to one putt on the green. The phrase is most commonly used when a golfer is trying to save par with two really good short game shots in a row.

How to Make More Up and Downs

Being able to get “up and down” is an essential part of being a scratch golfer. This is because saving par and avoiding a dreaded double-bogey is just as valuable as an eagle. Here are a few tips for making more up and downs.

1. Devote an Ample Amount of Practice Time to Chip Shots

It’s crazy how most golfers will spend an hour at the driving range regularly but will never work on their chip shots. This doesn’t make a lick of sense because the quickest way to lower your handicap is to work on your short game. A good habit to establish is to not practice your full shots until you have worked on your chipping for the day.

When practicing chip shots, don’t just mindlessly hit ball after ball without a purpose. That won’t lead to lower scores on the golf course! Check out these chipping practice drills if you need some ideas on how to properly work on your chip shots.

You don’t even need to be at the driving range to try some of the best chipping drills out there. You can try chipping some small coins in your backyard or on the carpet in your living room. Just make sure you get permission from your wife or girlfriend first

Chipping a small object like a coin will make chipping a golf ball seem easy by comparison. This drill is a great way to make better contact more often with the center of the clubface.

2. Work on a Wide Variety of Chip Shots

If you want to start making more up and downs, you need more than one go-to chip shot in your arsenal. There are three different chip shots that all golfers need to learn: bump & run, flop shot, and lofted chip.

Bump & Run

This style of chip shot should be the go-to for beginner golfers and high handicappers. A bump and run is a low trajectory shot that rolls out nicely without a great deal of backspin.

To execute a proper bump & run chip shot, use a golf club with less loft than a typical wedge. Most folks like to use an 8-iron for these types of shots.

The best way to hit a bump & run is to play the ball off the back foot in your stance and swing the club with a putting stroke. This will eliminate the wrist hinge that causes those awful “chunked” or “bladed” chip shots.

Flop Shot

The flop shot is tough to master but it can come in handy when you are in the rough and trying to chip over a sand trap. A flop shot should fly high in the air but land softly near the pin.

Most golfers prefer to use a sand wedge or lob wedge when trying to pull off a flop shot. Ideally, you want to use a wide stance with 70 to 80% of your weight on your front foot. Play the ball off your left heel with no forward shaft lean.

Lofted Chip

Have you ever watched a PGA Tour pro hit a high chip shot that lands ever so softly on the green? That’s exactly what a lofted chip shot is.

A key to hitting lofted chip shots is to keep a constant speed on both the backswing and the downswing. You can play the ball in the middle of your stance or even slightly forward if you like.

Oddly enough, you want to slice this type of shot, which makes it similar to a bunker shot. As with the flop shot, most golfers prefer to use either a sand wedge or a lob wedge for lofted chip shots.

3. Work Tirelessly to Improve Your Putting Accuracy

Ever hit a great bunker shot from a fried egg lie and then miss a short putt that costs you an up and down? It’s incredibly frustrating, but it happens to all golfers at times. A good way to make more up and downs is to improve your accuracy on short putts.

A good rule of thumb is to make sure you are spending at least 25% of your practice time on the putting green. If you’re pushing or pulling a lot of your short putts, try out Tiger’s Gate Putting Drill (made famous by Tiger Woods, of course). Here’s how it works:

• Stand three to four feet away from the hole
• Take two tees and make a “gate” that is slightly wider than your putter’s head
• Try to make 5 putts in a row with only your right hand
• Do the same routine with your left hand
• Now try to make 10 putts in a row with your normal putting grip

Here are some other putting drills that will help dial in your putting stroke and help you make more up and downs. Remember, the putter is the most important club in your golf bag. Make it your biggest asset instead of your biggest liability.

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

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Golf is a hard game. Just how hard is it? According to the incredible golf movie The Legend of Bagger Vance, golf is a game that “can’t be won, only played.”

Golf is fun, but it takes a long time to master putting, chipping, and other common shots. Find out how long it usually takes to get good at golf here.

First – Let’s Define “Good”

Good is a very relative term, especially when it’s used in a complex game like golf. Perspective is everything. For example, a beginner-level golfer who regularly shoots a 110 on the golf course may think that any golfer who breaks 100 is a “good” golfer.

According to the USGA, the average handicap for a male golfer is 14.2 and the average handicap for a female golfer is 27.5. At the majority of golf courses across the country, par is set at 72 strokes. This means that the average male golfer shoots an 86 and the average female golfer shoots a 99.

So, if we strictly go by the USGA stats, any man who shoots under an 86 and any woman who shoots under a 99 would be considered a “good” golfer. Most folks who break 90 consistently on the golf course are considered good golfers unless they are playing with a group of folks who routinely shoot lower than 80 (LOL).

How Long Does it Take The Average Person to Get Good at Golf?

This question is difficult to answer because it depends on a variety of different factors. Some golfers can start to break 100 within a year or so of taking up the game, especially if they had the benefit of professional instruction. 

These same folks can often start to break 90 regularly in two to three years if they practice rigorously and play a round of golf often enough. As we learned from the USGA numbers above, breaking 90 is a heck of an accomplishment and would put the golfer into the good player category.

Factors That Affect How Quickly You’ll Make Progress

A whole host of factors goes into becoming a good golfer. Let’s take a look at each one of those factors below, in no particular order.

1. Natural Athletic Ability

Let’s face it. Some people are just more genetically gifted than others are, especially when it comes to innate athletic ability. Folks with an athletic build and natural hand-eye coordination can usually make loads of progress in a fairly short time.

2. Professional Instruction

Putting together a fundamentally sound golf swing is a tall order because the mechanics are so complicated. While there are some rare cases out there of successful golfers who are 100% self-taught (Bubba Watson), the large majority of folks need some type of professional instruction to take their game to the next level.

3. The Ability to Concentrate

Concentration is highly important in all sports, but it is even more important in a game like golf. This is because the margin for error when hitting a golf ball is so small. Any minute lapse in concentration can cause a terrible shot that can wind up costing you a penalty stroke or two because of hazards.

Good golfers seem to have the innate ability to calm their minds and always concentrate on their next golf shot. Just how important is concentration level on the golf course? This poll shows that 100% of golfers believe that concentration level greatly affects their performance.

4. Physical Conditioning

A lot of people believe that golf is a game full of overweight beer drinkers who aren’t concerned with what kind of shape they are in. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Playing 18 holes of golf is a heck of a workout, even if you are driving instead of walking the course.

Everyone loves John Daly and rightfully so! However, most golfers these days are in great physical condition, especially on the PGA Tour. If you want to rapidly improve your game, getting into better shape is a great place to start.

5. Energy Levels

Energy level affects our performance in all aspects of life, including golf. The better you feel, the better you play (for the most part). 

How do you positively affect your energy level? Make sure you are drinking plenty of water each day and that you are eating a nutrient-rich diet. Showing up to your round or practice session hungover or starving won’t help your performance in the least.

Most Important Areas to Focus On to Graduate Past a Beginner

So, if you only have a few hours a week to practice, what aspects of the game should you focus on to get past beginner level? Here is a shortlist.

1. Putting

We’ve talked about the importance of putting on several different occasions. Think about just how important putting is. Most of your strokes are used with the putter, especially when you are just starting to learn the game.

If you two-putt every green on the golf course, you’ve used 36 strokes. If you three-putt each green (which isn’t uncommon for beginners), you’ve racked up a whopping 54 strokes.

What this shows us is that the quickest way to lower your handicap is to work perfecting on your putting stroke. Folks who want to become good golfers should strive to never three-putt on any green, no matter how difficult it may be.

2. Chip Shots

Another key area to focus on in the short game is chip shots. Most beginners have trouble hitting consistent chips when they are near the green. They’ll either chunk the chip shot and watch it only roll a couple of feet, or they’ll catch the golf ball too thin and watch it fly past the pin. 

Inaccurate chip shots can destroy a scorecard just about as fast as a poor putting stroke. The next time you go to the driving range, take only your favorite wedge with you. That way you’ll make sure to set aside enough practice time for hitting chip shots.

3. Approach Shots

This is where your irons come into play in your pursuit to graduate past the beginner level with your golf game. You can be an excellent driver of the golf ball, but if you can’t hit accurate approach shots into the green you’ll never reach your full potential as a golfer.

When hitting your irons, make sure you are making contact with the ground AFTER hitting the golf ball. In one of our previous articles, there is a great drill that can help with this. Dialing in your approach shots is a crucial step on your journey to becoming a good golfer.

4. Accuracy on Tee Shots

Last but certainly not least, golfers who want to lower their handicaps must focus on keeping their tee shots in the fairway. If you’re a high handicapper, you probably step into the tee box and try to hit the golf ball as hard as you can. That type of “all or nothing” mentality can put you directly into a water hazard.

When working on your golf swing with the driver, place a premium on accuracy and don’t worry so much about distance. Do drills that teach you how to make a quiet backswing and a smooth full swing. This will help you avoid bogeys and double bogeys on the course.

3 Tips to Help You Get Good at Golf

1. Take Lessons from a Professional Golf Instructor

Everyone needs a coach, both in life and on the golf course. Nothing will help you improve your golf game faster than taking lessons from a PGA teaching pro. I know this from personal experience.

I toiled away on the practice range all by myself when I first started playing golf. No matter how long I practiced, I could never shoot better than a 105. Finally, after about a year and a half of frustration, I bought (12) half-hour golf lessons with an instructor at my local golf club. 

I was shocked at how fast my game started to improve. Within a couple of months, I was shooting 95 on the course regularly. Needless to say, that experience turned me into a big believer in professional instruction.

Having someone teach me the fundamentals of the golf swing made all the difference in the world for me. The main things that the pro helped me correct were my setup, grip pressure, and mentality. 

Don’t be too prideful to take lessons! Most PGA Tour players have their own swing coaches. This helps them improve their games in less time.

2. Commit to a Set Practice Schedule

Have you ever heard the saying from Malcolm Gladwell that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something? That applies to becoming a good golfer! No matter how much natural talent you have, you’ll never become a good golfer without lots of practice time.

How much time should you set aside to work on your game? There is no foolproof formula, but most experts agree that it takes three to four practice sessions a week to see rapid improvement. Even if your schedule is too busy for that amount of practice, you can still benefit by practicing only once or twice a week.

3. Practice with a Purpose

Okay, now that you’ve committed to a weekly practice schedule, it’s time to make sure that all that precious time at the driving range doesn’t go to waste. Too many golfers spend hours and hours mindlessly pounding buckets of golf balls with no plan. You won’t see a scratch golfer making that mistake.

Use your practice time to work on your weaknesses. Don’t just stand there and hit your driver repeatedly just because it’s more fun. If you struggle to hit the ball out of the sand, find a practice bunker and do drills with your sand wedge.

If you haven’t been hitting your hybrid all that well, make a note to hit at least 20 good shots with it during your next practice session. Winners always make it a point to work on their weaknesses. Best of luck on your journey to becoming a good golfer!

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

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A 3-iron is my favorite golf club in the bag because it is a utility iron. That means I can use it in multiple scenarios.

That is not a statement you hear amateur golfers make. That is because they struggle to consistently launch the stronger lofted and longer shafted iron. In this article, I am sharing the tips from 10 Pro Golfers on how to hit a 3 iron.

This iron has fallen out of favor so much that manufacturers do not include them in most game improvement iron sets. It is a pity because a 3-iron produces low spin and launch, for optimal yardage.

There are several reasons why you may struggle to hit a 3-iron. These include excessively stiff or heavy shafts, an imbalance rhythm, or positioning the ball too far forward in your stance. Instead of dwelling on the problem, let’s see how the Pro’s suggest you solve it.

Tip #1: Shoulder Width Stance – Dave Myers Tour Academy TPC Sawgrass

PGA Tour Academy coach Dave Myers recommends setting up with your feet shoulder-width apart. This position maximizes your stability to help you optimize rotation and coil during your golf swing.

He further advises that you keep your head still during the swing. If you position the ball correctly and strike it cleanly, you enjoy superior control at the low point of the swing. Inducing clean contact.

Tip #2: Center Ball Position – Dave Myers

Myers finds the biggest mistake an average golfer makes with long irons is their ball position. The marginally longer shaft causes many amateurs to position the ball too forward in their stance.

Myers says he often sees the ball placed parallel to the front heel of a player. That gives you no chance of catching the ball cleanly off the clubface. When the ball is excessively forward, you will likely strike it low off the face leading to a low launch, loss of carry distance, and stinging hands.

He recommends setting up with the ball in the middle of your stance as if you were swinging a 6-iron or 8-iron. If you feel that is too far back, move it towards your front foot by no more than two balls.

Tip #3: Back Ball Position For A Low Shot – Billy Horschel

Billy Horschel was among the top ten best PGA Tour Players in 2021 and knows how to strike a long iron. The advice he shares pertains to your ball flight.

To hit a low launching 3-iron that gathers forward momentum and releases upon landing, position the ball further back in your stance than usual. Billy recommends placing your golf ball, a ball, and a half back.

Placing the ball back in his stance causes the clubface to catch the ball with less loft than usual, generating a low flying shot.

Horschel finds that this shot offers the most value off the tee when you need the ball to run on the fairway.

Tip #4: Forward Ball Position For High Shots – Billy Horschel

Billy also explains how you can increase your ball flight when striking a 3-iron. For starters, he says the golf ball should be placed half-a-ball to a ball forward from your usual setup.

Next, he advises that you get your hands to finish as high as possible on your follow-through. Striking the ball just before commencing your upswing enables you to weaken the loft of the face and produce high-flying shots.

This shot is ideal for playing long par 3s when you need to send the ball long and get it to land it quickly.

Horschel cautions that the average golfer may struggle with this shot if you position the ball excessively forward.

Tip #5: Ball Position – John Parry

European Tour Professional John Parry recommends placing the ball slightly forward of center in your stance to consistently launch a 3-iron. He says if you intend on hitting a consistent fade with the 3-iron, you will want to open your face at impact to generate left to right sidespin to encourage the cut.

Sean Foley knows how to develop champions. Lydia Ko, Justin Rose, and Hunter Mahan are a few of the golfers he has guided to success. Foley recommends opening your back foot slightly so that your toes are pointed in the opposite direction of your target.

This position helps you maximize your rotation and build up immense energy at the top of your iron swing. Then transition your weight to your leading leg and shift the energy from the clubface to your ball. That results in a powerful launch and optimal distance.

 

Tip #7: Take It Back Low – Geoff Ogilvy

Ogilvy suggests that the secret to striking consistent 3-iron shots is to keep the club low on takeaway. He takes the club back low and slow for the first couple of feet, with the shaft aiming along your target line and the toe of the club halfway to the top of your swing.

Getting into this position enables you to produce a sweeping motion that catches the ball cleanly and lifts it off the ground.

Tip #8: Right Arm Straight On Takeaway – Annika Sorenstam

The number one all-time earner on the LPGA Career Money List suggests keeping your right arm relatively straight on takeaway. Sorenstam says that the straight arm encourages her to rotate her upper body and not lift the arms.

When she gets to the top of her backswing, she pushes off her right foot and shifts the weight to the left. When the weight is on her left, she clears her hips to allow the arms to drop the clubhead into place at impact.

Tip #9: Shorten Your Swing – Dave Myers

Sticking with the advice of Dave Myers, we turn to your swing. Often, when we swing our long irons, we take the clubhead back excessively to accelerate our clubhead speed. We fear that the ball will not get airborne, so we wind up, ready to accelerate on the downswing.

I know this feeling well and have been guilty of it. The truth is, the further back you take the club, the higher the possibility that it could veer off the path and wreak havoc to your long iron shot. The compact profile of these irons provides minimal forgiveness, which is why you need to get the face square at impact and strike it in the sweet spot.

Myers’ advice is to produce a compact backswing to produce consistent contact with the ball and optimize your rotation. The shorter your backswing is, the more it forces you to rely on coiling to maximize energy transition from the clubface to the ball at impact.

Tip #10: Sweeping Swing – Tom Watson

Adding to Geoff Ogilvy’s advice on a sweeping swing is Tour Champions legend, Tom Watson.

He says that you should position your ball slightly forward of center in your stance to sweep the ball into the air on the up.

To achieve this, Watson recommends employing a shallow swing arc. He also suggests employing this long iron drill on the range without a ball. Place a marker where your ball would be, and practice hitting the marker consistently to get used to the motion.

Tip #11: Pretend It Is A 7-Iron – Greg Norman

Greg “The Shark” Norman says the best advice for an amateur hitting a 3-iron is to picture it like a 7-iron. Then he says that you should envision that you are only a 7-iron from your target and make a smooth, easy swing. A smooth, controlled tempo will allow the rotation of your body to generate the power for a long iron shot.

Tip #12: Control The Attack Angle – Chris Ryan, Director Of Coaching At HIT Golf Academy

Chris Ryan finds that one of the main reasons amateurs struggle to launch long irons is because of their attack angle. He says that often students will set up to play a lofted club, the same way they would their short irons, leading to a steep angle of attack.

In the video, Chris uses a 2-iron, but the principle is practically the same as you would employ with your 3-iron.

Ryan recommends that you position the ball marginally towards your front foot, adding just over half of your weight to your lead leg. He says that setup prompts you to catch the ball on a descending angle, resulting in optimal compression, launch, and distance.

Tip #13: The Stinger – Tiger Woods

Before I relay Tiger’s advice on the stinger, I must say this shot is difficult to pull off. Therefore, I only recommend trying it in certain situations. However, if you know how to hit a 3 iron stinger, it can boost your game in windy conditions.

I learned to play the stinger while living in Cape Town for 10-years. I did not play one round where there was no wind. As a result, the stinger kept me in the game.

For starters, you need to place your golf ball, one ball back in your stance, to help strike it with precision.

Woods explains that this shot is all about the braking mechanism, post-impact to lower your flight. He achieves this by softening his arms and speeding up his hips to help stop his hands as soon as possible after impact. Ultimately, he brings his hands to a halt around shoulder height.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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There are fewer satisfying feelings in golf than flushing an iron shot to within a few feet of the pin.

Unfortunately, this happens less often than it should, leading to amateurs despising their irons. In this post, I teach you 8 tips to hit your irons pure, for optimal distance and spin on approach.

I will take you through every step of the golf swing from your stance to the low point, helping you strike cleaner iron strikes for superior consistency. In addition, I shall touch on the mistakes amateurs typically make when swinging an iron.

What Does Hitting Irons Pure Mean?

Butch Harmon explains that you hit your irons pure when you connect the ball on your downswing and avoid scooping it up off the floor. In other words, you strike the ball before the clubhead touches the ground. That results in your low point occurring after impact.

Professionals strike the ball and then proceed to take a divot out. Because of the optimal compression at impact, they produce significant distance compared to most amateur golfers.

Tiger Woods illustrated that perfectly at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open. After every shot that he hits, he moves the ball back, and at the end, there is a long straight divot. That shows how he flushes most of his iron strikes and achieves optimal distance and spin control:

As amateurs, I suggest focusing less on your divot and more on making clean contact with the ball. If you can consistently do that, you will notice a remarkable improvement in your iron yardage and accuracy.

8 Tips to Hit Your Irons Pure

Tip #1: Stand Closer To The Ball

Remember, your irons carry shorter shafts than a driver. Therefore, you need to restructure your setup for striking the more compact clubheads. Before you decide on your preferred ball position, take a few practice swings so that you can catch the ball on your downswing.

If you stand too far away from the ball, you will attempt to correct your plane during your swing, causing you to reach for the ball. That can lead to shots out of the toe of the club or an open clubface at impact.

Tip #2: Forward Weight

Contrary to the age-old theory, the first step to pure iron shots is to place approximately 60% of your weight onto your front foot. Some coaches believe that sets you up to lose balance at impact, but it helps get you into position for a pure strike.

Me And My Golf explain that this position enables you to strike down on the ball and generate optimal compression at impact:

If you place excess pressure on your back foot, it prompts you to hit up on the ball. That is suitable for a tee shot, but not irons, as It can cause you to strike the ground before the ball, resulting in a topped shot or loss of power at impact.

Tip #3: Ball In Line With Lead Heel

Harmon recommends employing the same ball position for every iron shot. He favors aligning it with the logo on your shirt, which works for right-handers, but not so much for lefties. If your legs are shoulder-width apart, your logo lineups with your lead heel.

Me And My Golf agrees with Harmon and offers a simple solution for consistency with your ball positioning. They also recommend placing the ball on the inside of your front heel for all shots. But suggest moving your back foot to widen your stance for different clubs.

For example, if you are hitting a 3-iron, you will move your trailing foot a few inches back to widen the stance. That helps you cater for the longer club and still promotes you strike it cleanly on your downswing.

Furthermore, if you are hitting a 7-iron or 8-iron, you should position your trailing foot closer to your front leg. That closes your stance slightly.

Finally, if you hit a 9-iron or wedge, you need to bring your back foot slightly closer to the lead leg than you would for a mid-iron shot. That helps you cater for the shorter iron length without impacting the rotation of your hips and torso. Thus, delivering for a clean strike.

Basically, you never change the position of your ball. You only reposition your trailing leg to widen or shorten your setup.

Tip #4: Rotation

A standard error made by amateurs is swaying from the front leg to the back leg. This eradicates all momentum produced from supreme hip rotation.

When you sway away from the target, you place all your weight on your back leg and send the club offline. It is challenging to shift your weight back to your front foot and can lead to you hitting the ground before the ball.

The other problem with limiting rotation is that amateurs struggle to get their club on plane when the shaft is parallel to the ground. That could cause the golfer to hit across the ball and generate side spin that prompts a slice.

Tip #5: Swing Wide

Although your backswing doesn’t determine the outcome of your shot, an incorrect takeaway can send your club off the target line, causing an erratic strike.

Harmon recommends that you swing wide to the top so that your hands are towards your trailing shoulder and not by your head. You need optimal rotation to get into this position at the top of your backswing.

Once you are in this position, it prompts the desired swing path bringing the clubface square to the ball at impact.

Tip #6: Straight Line Release

Clay Ballard recommends that rotation is the answer to getting the golf club out in front to catch the ball before the low point of your swing. He explains that you achieve that by opening your shoulders and hips through contact for supreme power:

The momentum from this action sends the clubhead hurtling towards the ball, helping increase the coefficient of restitution (COR) for optimal ball speed. By following this approach, you enjoy crisp iron shots and increased yardage.

Tip #7: Strike The Ball On Your Downswing

One reason why the average golfer struggles to strike irons is because of the angle of attack. Unlike a driver, where you hit the ball on your upswing, irons require contact on your downswing.

If you strike the ground before your ball, you will hit it fat, or your clubhead could bounce up and catch the top of the ball. That is why the clubface needs to catch the ball before it touches the turf.

Me And My Golf demonstrates a handy drill that you can do on the driving range. Draw a line with chalk and place five to ten balls on it. Next, focus on hitting down and catching the ball cleanly. Executing this drill should leave your chalk line intact. If there are any divots on the line, it shows that you hit the ground before the ball.

Another drill that you can undertake to promote pure iron shots requires only your golf towel. Place the cloth a few inches behind the ball, and focus on bringing the clubhead down after it. That will help you get used to the motion of hitting down on the ball.

Tip #8: Low Point

The term low point is self-explanatory. It means the lowest point that the golf club head reaches in your swing arc. Your clubface needs to strike the golf ball towards the bottom of your downswing for optimal compression of your golf ball at impact.

That means that the low point comes after impact. You can practice this drill using the chalk method of Me And My Golf, and you don’t actually need any golf balls. Draw the chalk line, and focus on hitting the turf after it.

Therefore, you will improve your muscle memory of the motion to consistently repeat that swing.

As your ball striking improves, you can start to take larger divots on your iron shots and learn how to impart controlled back or sidespin on the ball. However, as a beginner or high handicapper, focus on catching the ball cleanly first.

How Do You Hit Your Irons Pure Every Time?

By following the above instructions and tips, you should begin to enjoy consistent iron strikes. Stand closer to the ball than you do with woods or hybrids, and strike it before the clubface catches the fairway.

Hitting down increases your compression at impact, thus imparting accelerated speed onto the ball. That leads to maximum distance with your irons.

Saying it is easier than executing it, which is why you need to put the practice in to perfect the art of ball striking. Without practice, you cannot train your muscle memory. That makes it harder to repeat the required downswing for optimal distance.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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A common question I am asked by expecting mothers is “can you play golf while pregnant?”

Technically, you can do anything you want. The more pertinent question is should you swing a club while pregnant. In this article, I explain whether you should play and until what stage of pregnancy.

In addition, I provide tips and precautions to help keep you and your baby healthy.

Can You Play Golf While You’re Pregnant?

For most women playing golf while pregnant is not a problem, it is actually beneficial. However, that depends on your specific case. While the workout is encouraged, hip and shoulder rotation can put your back out at a time when you need to look after yourself and your precious cargo.

Besides the risk of back, hip, and shoulder injuries, heat poses a threat to a pregnant golfer. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggest that pregnant women drink eight to twelve glasses of water a day. If you drink plenty of water religiously, you won’t find it challenging to keep yourself hydrated.

Sufficient water is only one part of keeping yourself safe in the heat, I suggest you avoid teeing off on sweltering days. Firstly, if you catch heatstroke, you put yourself and your baby at risk, and secondly, it causes serious fatigue.

However, if you avoid this advice, it is worth taking a golf cart in warm conditions. The reduced stress lowers the risk of swelling feet and ankles, keeping you comfortable and free of pain.

Ultimately, you can play golf while you are pregnant. You just need to be extra cautious to avoid injuring yourself or risking your baby’s health. Before you pick up your clubs and head out with the girls, consult your doctor to ensure you are cleared to tee off.

To demonstrate that it is possible to play golf while pregnant, we only need to look at Catriona Matthew. In 2009, while five months pregnant with her second child, she stormed to a five-shot victory at the HSBC LPGA Brazil Cup.

Does The Trimester Matter?

Trillium Rose is the Director of Instruction at Woodmont Country Club. In 2018, she wrote an article detailing her experience as a pregnant golfer. Rose explained that besides the physical changes of her body, it was her energy that hampered her ability to play.

She explains that in her first trimester, she had minimal energy and wanted to sleep most of the time. As you can imagine, that impacted her motivation, and she did not have the will to play golf like before.

When she did play, she was cautious not to grip it and rip it, like days gone by. She felt like she needed to slow down her golf swing for low impact to protect her young one. But Rose says that it did not affect her mechanics and required no swing adjustments.

Trillium found she had more energy in her second trimester but could notice the changes to her body. As time progressed in that trimester, she felt her center of mass lower, and the additional weight worked to keep her posture through the swing.

Furthermore, her joints began to loosen at this point, and she was hesitant to over-extend her swing for fear of injuring herself.

Rose further states that the third trimester is where you realize you need to slow down with any intense exercise.

The excessive weight gain around the belly reduced her ability to optimize hip rotation. As a result, she decided to stand more upright and bend from her knees to increase power on the downswing.

Furthermore, Trillium found that bending down became unbearable to place her tee in the ground and pick up her ball from the cup.

Tips and Precautions to Keep You and Your Baby Safe

Pack Liquids

I have already touched on the importance of keeping hydrated during your round. As ACOG suggests, pregnant women should drink eight to twelve glasses of water per day.

On days that you play, you will likely need more than usual. Blair O’Neal found optimal hydration boosted her energy and limited fatigue while playing:

Pack Snacks

Nine holes only takes two and a half hours, but you are now eating for two. Blair O’Neal found that keeping her favorite snacks in the bag during her round maximized her energy to avoid fatigue and perform to the best of her ability.

Easy Warm-Up

Before you tee off, you definitely need to warm up. However, O’Neal suggests only hitting a couple of balls to loosen the muscles and then making your way to the first tee. A long warm-up is generally encouraged, but it will tire you out and hamper your ability to play a full round.

Putter Suction Cup

A putter suction cup is typically associated with older men with pot bellies. However, it is handy for those going through pregnancies. The instructions are simple. Attach the cup to the top of your putter grip, and press onto the ball to suck it up. All you do is lift the cup to your hand and grab the ball.

Eliminating the need to bend over and collect the ball is one movement less that could impact your health and that of your baby.

Golf Cart

Although walking improves your heart rate and is one of the safe exercises, it is not suggested on super warm days. Exposure to the sun for several hours increases your risk of heatstroke, sunburn, and dehydration. If you already struggle with fatigue, I advise that you take a golf cart instead.

Consult Your Doctor

Golf is certainly not a dangerous sport like downhill skiing, gymnastics, or horseback riding. However, there are still risks associated with the game. That is why, before you pack your bag for the golf course, you must visit your doctor.

While they will likely welcome your enthusiasm to exercise, golf may not suit your condition during pregnancy. However, plenty of women have played golf while pregnant and suffered no complications.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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When you search how long do golf gloves last on Google, you will see a common theme of answers ranging from six to ten rounds. However, in my twenty-eight years in this game, I have seen players destroy gloves in a round of golf. However, others last for months.

The point is the question is not black or white. Multiple factors are often not considered, such as the glove’s material or the strength of one’s grip. In this post, I focus on my experience with gloves to help you determine which scenario fits your situation.

How Long Do Golf Gloves Typically Last?

Invictus Gloves out of Montreal, Canada, suggests that the life of your golf gloves on average does not exceed ten rounds. However, this depends on the strength of your grip how you take it off and maintain it.

For example, if you pull your glove off from your fingers, you will cause this area and cause it to rip. Furthermore, those who grip a golf club tightly may find the palm rip rapidly, compared to a golfer with a softer hold.

In addition, Golfweek explains that while Cabretta leather golf gloves offer a superior feel, they wear out faster than hybrid or synthetic gloves. Therefore, a player using a synthetic glove may find that they enjoy a better grip for longer compared to premium leather golf gloves.

My golf gloves last approximately twenty rounds, which works out to four months. I take care of my gloves and have a softer grip than others. That helps ensure they remain durable and provide optimal grip for as long as possible.

I have tried synthetic and Cabretta leather gloves. However, the modern hybrid design offers the high quality of a leather glove, with the dexterity of a synthetic glove.

Contrary to my solid golf glove record, my late father would rip one every two to three rounds. The circumference of his left hand was wider than a regular glove. If he had used a cadet glove, I doubt he would have ripped as many.

After racking up the bills from glove acquisitions, my old man took the Ben Hogan and Fred Couples route and stopped wearing one altogether.

Besides your grip and hand shape, how you store and wash golf gloves impacts their lifespan. The quicker you remove dirt from the surface, the less damage it will invoke on the grip and durability of the mitt.

As you can see, there is no one size fits all approach to the life of the golf glove. However, if you had to put an average on it, the Invictus glove is not far off with the assumption of ten rounds of golf.

Do More Expensive Gloves Last Longer?

Surprisingly, more expensive gloves do not last long. According to Golfweek, Cabretta Leather are the most expensive glove on the market, but they wear out faster than a synthetic or hybrid construction.

Leather gloves combine with precisely positioned perforations to encourage optimal airflow through the glove to reduce perspiration. The quality of the glove from a feeling and comfort perspective is unmatchable.

However, if you wear leather gloves on a hot day, your sweat, coupled with the sun’s rays, will cause the leather to contract. That makes it challenging to get on and off.

That is in contrast to synthetic gloves, which deliver superior durability but reduce airflow. As a result, you can sweat profusely if you do not take this glove off between shots.

How to Make Golf Gloves Last Longer

Remove The Glove Gently

How often do you yank at the fingers of your glove and violently tug at it to remove it from your hand? I am also guilty as charged. You need to stop doing that and be more delicate with the glove.

Pulling hard at your glove can stretch the material leading to a loose fit and a dysfunctional product. I suggest undoing the velcro or the glove’s clip, then sliding the glove off your palm and thumb. Next, apply pressure on your four fingers to create leverage and slide them out of the glove.

Therefore, you do not stretch your glove or tear the material while removing it.

Keep Two Gloves In Your Bag

Although some gloves feature moisture-wicking qualities to repel sweat, not all of them succeed. The material of a golf glove, combined with sweat, can cause it to contract, between disfigured and uncomfortable.

That is why the best way to avoid this scenario is to keep a replacement glove in your golf bag. If you find that your hands are sweating excessively, switch out the glove to maintain your grip on the club. When you swing with excess moisture on your hands, it can cause the club to slip and go flying.

Remove It Between Shots

Another way to limit the impact that sweat has on your hands is by removing the glove between shots. You have probably seen pro golfers do the same. I recommend it because it airs your hand and restricts the amount of moisture that circulates inside your glove.

For added convenience, store your glove in your back pocket between shots. Make sure that the palm of the glove sits inside your back pocket, with the fingers sticking out. That way, you do not impede the shape of the glove.

Keep in mind that despite their higher price, leather gloves are typically non-washable, as the water dehydrates the leather and shrinks it.

Keep It Clean

Before you clean your glove, check whether it can go in a washing machine or needs to be hand washed. Your gloves are bound to pick up dust particles and mud rapidly. That is why I suggest cleaning them frequently for maximum grip and comfort.

Grip Your Club Softer

Another way to increase the lifespan of your glove is to loosen your grip slightly. When you strangle the club, you put excess pressure on the material of your glove, causing it to tear around the palm region.

Take It Off For Your Short Game

Other than airing your hand, I suggest removing your glove when your wedges or putter is in hand. Not wearing a glove in your short game helps you increase the feel of the club to produce supreme control around the green.

Store It In Its Packaging

Once your round is complete, straighten out the glove to ensure the correct shape and place it back into its packaging. That protects it from becoming misconfigured or torn while resting in your golf bag.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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