Irons · Tip
Rehearse a Feel That Fights Your Fault
Part of our irons programs. Build a program with it
What you feel and what you do are often different. So use that. Figure out your usual fault at impact. Then rehearse an exaggerated feel in the opposite direction. When you add your normal turn, the extreme feel blends into a good delivery. For example, if you tend to get too far onto your lead side too early, rehearse staying back a moment longer. Do the rehearsal right before you hit. Don't worry if it looks strange.
Step by step
- Name your fault at impact.
- Rehearse an exaggerated opposite feel.
- Add your normal turn.
- Rehearse just before each shot.
- Trust that feel and real differ.
Why it works
Your sense of what you are doing rarely matches what the body actually does. If your fault is a habit, your normal feel produces the fault, so a normal-feeling swing repeats it. An exaggerated opposite feel pushes the motion away from the habit, and your usual turn pulls it back toward the middle, so the real delivery lands closer to correct.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a fault you only guess at.Use your ball flight, divot and contact pattern over several shots to name the fault before you pick a feel.
- Making the rehearsal so mild that it feels normal.Push the opposite feel until it seems wrong, since only an extreme feel will offset the habit.
- Rehearsing the feel and then swinging a different way on the ball.Rehearse right before the shot, then hit while the feel is fresh and keep your normal turn.
How you'll know it's working
- Your divot starts at or just after the ball and stops being thin or fat.
- Your start line and curve move toward the target compared with your usual miss.
- The rehearsal feels exaggerated, but the real swing feels close to normal.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Use a half swing with a short iron and rehearse the feel in slow motion before each ball.
Harder: Change the fault you work on between shots, or play a full round and use the rehearsal on every iron shot.
Common questions
Why does an exaggerated swing feel work?
Your feel and your actual motion differ, so a normal feel repeats your habit. An extreme opposite feel shifts the real motion toward the middle.
How do I find my fault at impact?
Watch your ball flight, divot position and contact over a group of shots. The repeated pattern points to what you are doing at impact.
