Irons · Tip
A Four-Point Setup Check for Every Range Session
Part of our irons programs for topped or thin, weak contact. Build a program with it
Your setup is the part of the swing you fully control. So check it every time you practice. Look at your posture. Look at your grip. Look at your aim. Then look at ball position. It's easy to overlook, but a ball that drifts forward or back can wreck your strike. When things feel off, it's often just ball position. Ask a friend to watch, or film yourself from behind and from the front. Small moves of one ball width can fix a lot.
Step by step
- Check your posture.
- Check your grip.
- Check your aim.
- Check your ball position.
- Film or have a friend watch from two angles.
Why it works
Your setup decides where the club bottoms out, which way the face points and how your body can move. If posture, grip, aim or ball position is off, you have to make a compensation during the swing, and compensations are hard to repeat. Checking all four before you hit keeps the starting point the same each time, so changes in your strike come from the swing and not from the setup.
Common mistakes
- You check setup once at the start of the session and never again.Run the four checks before every new club and every few shots, because setup drifts as you get comfortable.
- You let the ball creep forward or back without noticing.Lay a club on the ground or use a marked spot so you can see where the ball sits in your stance each time.
- You aim your feet and shoulders at the target instead of parallel to the target line.Place a club along your toe line so it points parallel left of the target line for a right-hander, and check that your shoulders match it.
How you'll know it's working
- Your strikes land in the same spot on the clubface, with a divot that starts at or just after the ball.
- Your shots start on a similar line from shot to shot.
- Video from behind and from the front shows the same posture, grip and ball position on each swing.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Use a single club and check only one of the four points per ball, then add the others as each one becomes routine.
Harder: Change clubs between shots and rebuild all four points from scratch each time, then confirm them on video without looking at the previous swing.
Common questions
Where should the ball be in my stance with an iron?
For most irons, play it near the middle of your stance, slightly forward for longer irons and slightly back for short irons. Move it by one ball width at a time and watch how your contact changes.
How do I know if my aim is correct?
Lay a club along your toes and check that it points parallel to the target line, not at the target. Then film from behind to confirm your feet, hips and shoulders all line up the same way.
