Solve Your Iron Woes With Simplicity

It should come to no surprise that the players who top the PGA TOUR's scoring average rankings in 2024 also happen to be some of the best drivers and ball strikers on the planet. One of the ways these players take advantage of their skills is maximizing their iron play and proximity to the hole. And although you might not be a top ranked player in the world, there are still ways to make sure you're getting the most from your iron game by following these key principles.

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Worry less about distance

It’s impossible to ignore the impact distance has on the modern game, but unlike with a driver where the goal is to generate ballistic launch conditions to maximize distance, the key to proper iron play is to create consistent distances between clubs.

Think of it this way: Your golf bag is a tool box, where under the rules of golf you’re only allowed to carry 14 tools. Once you eliminate the driver and putter, that's 12, and from there you need to ensure each one of those clubs can perform a specific task (i.e. go a precise distance) on the course.

But, here's the kicker: You shouldn't focus on total distance. Instead, think more about carry distance. Yes, hitting it far is useful and you want to maximize every opportunity to do so, but a 7-iron isn’t as useful if you can’t stop it on a green.

Dial in your stopping power

Stopping power the is ability to hit the ball high enough into the air and with enough spin to have the ball descend towards the target at an angle that will prevent excess rollout on a normal shot. This is a parameter club fitters will stress in a fitting environment, but if you have access to a launch monitor and are curious about how you stack up, the smart people at PING created an optimized chart to gauge ideal numbers across swing speeds.

Now, if you don’t have access to a launch monitor and are taking notes during your next round, shots that go too high are overly affected by the wind, lose distance, and have a much larger dispersion. Shots that are hit too low won’t stop on greens and generally roll through to the back.

How equipment can help

Even with clubhead speed and swing dynamics playing the biggest role in creating an ideal ball flight for your irons, having the right equipment can make a huge difference, especially for golfers who are in the average to moderate swing speed category.

It might not seem like much but a few hundred RPM of backspin and in increase in descent angle can mean the difference between holding a green near the pin and not being able to hold a green at all. This is why many companies are now producing sets specifically designed for golfers to create higher trajectories (Usually denoted with HL branding) including the following.