Tee pegs to improve your Iron Play

Two important factors to look out for when playing our iron shots from the fairway are that we have a consistent centeredness of strike on the club face and we strike the ball on a slightly descending angle of attack. These two components help us to be consistent with our distance control, one of the main things we are looking for from our iron shots.

Here are two little drills you can try the next time you are on the grass surface of the practice range or out playing recreational golf on the course.

Hit Through the Gateway

Set your club behind the ball as normal, then place a tee at either side of the clubhead with a gap of about ¼ of a centimetre from the club. You will have to lean the tee at the side of the shaft to one side slightly to match the shaft angle (See illustration below). Your intention is to hit the ball without catching the tees. If you can do this consistently it means you are striking the ball regularly from the middle of the club face. This drill can also be used on the putting green to good effect.

Clip the Tee

Place a tee peg in the ground about 1 centre metre in front of the ball and angle it forwards (See illustration below). Make sure the tee is pushed well down. Your intention here is to hit the ball and then clip the tee out of the ground. You should not be trying to dig the tee out creating a deep divot; instead you should get a brushing of the ground feeling making a nice shallow divot. This is a very effective drill especially for those golfers who have a tendency to hit up through the ball too much.

Appointments with Paul for golf lessons in Wicklow can be booked via Powerscourt Golf Club Reception: Tel (01) 204 6033 or the Golf Shop Tel (01) 204 6031. Read more about lessons from Paul Thompson by visiting the Powerscourt Golf Club Website.