I will tell you a tip that worked with my son. However, if you are an adult, you will have to "buy" into it 100%, at least until it becomes second nature. That means when you have that long carry over water, you forget about the water and just try to accomplish your key. The tip or key is; "hit the ball to China". Of course to accomplish this, your hands will have to lead the club into the ball by a considerable amount compared to what you are probably use too. This also will most likly mean that you are shifting your weight to your front side earlier than you have been. But, you don't have to think about either of the last two points if you just think "hit the ball to China".

I don't remember who I first heard this key from at least 15 years ago. (I like to call it a "key" as this opens the door to my goal.) I think it was in an magazine article by Lee Trevino but it works, at least for kids with imagination. Once you see that the ball will go up plenty high and with good distance by "hitting it to China", it becomes much easier to consistently hit down. You will soon realize that your thin and fat shots have gone by the waste side. I will say that as you move up to your longer irons such as a 5 or higher, you may find that you need to only "hit the ball to Italy".

RC

Thanks Ricks I will try this!

Phillip, a good way to practice hitting down on your iron shots is to put 55-60% of your weight forward, like you would a chip or a pitch. This insures you hitting down onto the ball.

Thanks Michael I will give that a try.

Sounds like the Stack and Tilt Michael.

My swing was screwed up for about 18 months because I tried consciously to hit down on the ball.  I ended up exagerating the motion to a point where I was taking huge, deep divots.  I finally realized that "hitting down" is more a result of ball position than actually changing my swing.  I focused on setup--moving the ball slightly forward and back in my stance until I was making contact just before the bottom of the arc.  The other key, for me, was keeping my posture throughout the swing (not dipping the shoulders.)  

The last 3 months of the last season I felt good about what I was doing.  Irons were crisp and true. Then came the snow. Now I'm looking forward to spring so that I can continue what I started.

Good luck

That's what the Head Golf Professional here at TPC Jasna Polana says too, but the first assistant and I refer to it differently. We call it LLL or Lean, Leave, and go left. The first two are obvious in the description, but the go left is referring to your hands. Leaning on the shot will help you come from the inside more and if you don't finish all the way through to the left, you will end up pushing your shot. When the first assistant first introduced this to me its initial intention was to use it for wedge shots only to develop a better impact position. Now I occasionally use it on anything from a 6-iron to a wedge. It has improved my 100 yard in game dramatically. Give it a try Dave.

On the range place two tees in the ground leaving enough space for your clubhead and 1/4 inch extra for each side, place the ball between them, and hit the ball without touching the tees. This will force you to stay "down and through" the shot. The deepest part of your divot should be at least 2 inches in front of the ball, this ensures that you are hitting the ball first and then the ground. Your ball position will move forward as you use longer clubs, this will also teach you proper position for all of your wedges and irons, and help your swing plane. If you hit the outside tee, your coming over the top. The inside tee, then your too flat. On uphill lies you'll have to move it forward of normal, and back for downhill. If you do this and pick the ball clean without hitting the tees, I wouldn't worry about it. Tom Watson has had a great career picking it clean! You don't have to take divots to be a good ballstriker.

Try this drill. Hit 4 or 5 balls that are just ahead of your front foot. Don't worry where they go. Just keep at it until you start making solid contact. You will find that to hit a ball in this abnormal position you really have to shift your weight forward in the down swing. Then place a ball in the normal address position and hit it. You should hit this ball with the proper swing path. Taking a deep divot in front of the ball or very little to none is Ok. Taking a divot behind the ball is a death move.

If you are serious about learning how to hit down on the ball then you need to do yourself a favor and get yourself a Tour Striker.  Best training aid to force you to hit down on the ball, otherwise you'll just roll the ball.

 

Thanks Eric I will try that and see if it helps. Any particular brand you recommend?

Get the Tour striker!!

Eric R

If you are serious about learning how to hit down on the ball then you need to do yourself a favor and get yourself a Tour Striker.  Best training aid to force you to hit down on the ball, otherwise you'll just roll the ball.
 

I got one of these last week and am really working with it. I realized I wasn't hitting down on it when I killed a bird with a worm burner... When I do hit this well it does wonders and it does force you to shift your weight a bit earlier. I highly recommend the tour striker. I got the 7 iron pro.

Ps: before tour striker I hit my 7 iron 150 and after tour striker I hit it 170 ... 20 yard gain...

Proctor Ford

Eric R

If you are serious about learning how to hit down on the ball then you need to do yourself a favor and get yourself a Tour Striker.  Best training aid to force you to hit down on the ball, otherwise you'll just roll the ball.
 

I got one of these last week and am really working with it. I realized I wasn't hitting down on it when I killed a bird with a worm burner... When I do hit this well it does wonders and it does force you to shift your weight a bit earlier. I highly recommend the tour striker. I got the 7 iron pro.

Ps: before tour striker I hit my 7 iron 150 and after tour striker I hit it 170 ... 20 yard gain...

 

Yes, I was also going to mention that when you "learn" to properly hit down on the ball using the tour striker, you will find that distances with your normal irons will go up somewhat dramatically.  That has been my personal experience and the experience of others that I know who have practiced with the tour striker.  I too practice with the 7 iron pro, that is the single best training tool to help hit down and really compress the ball.