Break 90: Iron play myths

There are a lot of myths surrounding the game of golf. Nicky Lawrenson talks us through a couple of the more common ones.

Myth number one: Keeping your head down

If we focus solely on that it will have a few negative consequences.

The chin gets tucked into the chest and results in a more rounded upper body shape. This then makes it very difficult to create a functioning body motion.

Ideally we want to have a very much relaxed upper body with a little bit of space between the chin and the chest.

Pro tip:

Imagine you have a bucket of water in your hands. To throw the water down the target line you will allow your head to follow the body movement towards the target.

If you keep your head in the same position but carry your arms and body you will lose the sense of direction the water is travelling.

This is very much the same as a golf club. Once you are though impact make sure your head follows your body and arms to the finish.

Myth number two: Keep your left arm straight

This is correct to a degree but if it’s taken to the maximum it can have a negative effect.

If a golfer focuses a lot at setup on keeping the left arm straight it can cause a lot of unwanted tension in the arms and the hands. When there is tension in the left arm normally the right arm will follow suit and effectively your arms will be locked.

With too much tension you won’t get as much hand action past the right thigh as you would want, limiting the movement in your wrists.

Pro tip:

By over-empathising the straightness of your left arm once you get past your thigh in the takeaway there is no natural lever so you arms carry as one lever into the backswing.

This usually results in your loft arm folding at the top of the back swing.

If your left arm is more comfortable at address during the backswing you will get the natural hand action which turns into your second lever. This allows more movement in the arms without losing the technique at the top of the backswing.