Irons · Drill
Handle Forward, Toe Down: An Impact Feel
Part of our irons programs for slice, push or pull, topped or thin. Build a program with it
Pulls, slices and weak contact often come from two things. Your body opens too early, and your wrists flick at the ball. This drill fights both. Make small, slow swings. Push the handle forward through impact. Feel the toe of the clubhead dig into the turf just after the ball. It's an exaggeration. Your hands won't really end up that far ahead. But the feel helps you find a solid, square impact.
The drill
- Make small swings with a mid-iron.
- Push the handle forward through impact.
- Feel the toe dig in after the ball.
- Keep your chest from opening early.
- Add speed slowly.
Why it works
When the handle leads the clubhead into the ball, the shaft leans forward and the loft at impact stays low enough to compress the ball before the turf. Keeping your chest from opening early lets the club approach from a better path and keeps the face square to that path. Feeling the toe dig in after the ball tells you the clubhead has not flipped past your hands.
Common mistakes
- You scoop or flick the clubhead past your hands just before impact.Slow the swing down and keep the handle moving toward the target until the ball is gone.
- You spin your chest open early to make room for the handle.Keep your chest facing the ball a little longer and let the arms and handle move through first.
- You swing too fast and lose the feel before you have built it.Stay with small, slow swings and add speed only when the toe feel repeats.
How you'll know it's working
- The divot or mark in the turf starts after the ball, not before it.
- The ball starts on your target line and does not pull left or curve hard right.
- You feel the toe brush or dig into the turf just after the ball, and contact feels solid and centered.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Hit from a good lie with a short swing and a lofted iron, or make the same motion with no ball first to learn the feel.
Harder: Build to fuller swings with the same handle-forward feel, or hit from slightly tighter lies while keeping the contact after the ball.
Common questions
Why do I hit the ground before the ball with my irons?
Often the clubhead passes your hands too early, so the club bottoms out behind the ball. Keeping the handle ahead through impact moves the low point forward.
Should my hands really be ahead of the ball at impact with an iron?
Yes, a little. The handle should be slightly ahead of the clubhead at impact, but this drill exaggerates it, so do not copy the extreme feel in your full swing.
