Irons · Drill
Control Iron Height With Your Setup
Part of our irons programs for weak contact. Build a program with it
You can change your iron height without new swing moves. Use your setup. Start with a few normal 7-irons. That's your baseline. To hit it higher, move the ball and your body a little forward. To hit it lower, move them a little back. For the low shot, swing slower and hold a short finish. Whatever you do, solid contact comes first. Practice all three with one club and one target.
The drill
- Hit a few normal 7-irons.
- Move the ball forward for a higher shot.
- Move it back for a lower one.
- Swing slower with a short finish on the low one.
- Rotate high, normal and low.
Why it works
Ball position and body position change where the club bottoms out and how much loft is on the face at impact. With the ball and your body a little forward, the club meets the ball later in the arc, so it launches higher. With both a little back, you hit it earlier with less effective loft, so it launches lower. A slower swing and a short finish keep the low shot compact and under control.
Common mistakes
- You move the ball but leave your body where it was, so your weight ends up on the wrong side.Shift your body a little with the ball, forward for high and back for low, so your setup still looks the same relative to the ball.
- You make big changes in ball position and hit thin or heavy shots.Move the ball only a little at a time and go back to solid contact before you move it again.
- You swing hard on the low shot and the ball balloons or flies off line.Swing slower and hold a short finish so the club stays in control through impact.
How you'll know it's working
- The three shots fly at clearly different heights with the same club.
- You make solid contact on all three, with the divot starting at or just after the ball.
- The low shot starts on your target line and holds its height without climbing.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Use a small ball position change and hit several shots in a row at each height before you rotate.
Harder: Rotate high, normal and low in a random order, calling the height before each shot and aiming at one target.
Common questions
How do you hit a 7-iron lower?
Move the ball and your body a little back in your stance, swing slower and hold a short finish. Keep solid contact as your first priority.
Does ball position change how high an iron goes?
Yes. A ball a little forward lets the club reach the ball later in the arc, which launches it higher, and a ball a little back does the opposite.
