Technique For 7 To 9 Irons - Golf Club

When using a 7, 8 or 9 iron, there is no great change in general technique from using the longer clubs. One slight difference is that the shafts are shorter than with the long irons and so the knee bend should be a little more pronounced and the forearms more relaxed.

The ball should also be positioned in your stance halfway between the middle of your feet and your left toe.

The backswing

Because the shafts are shorter, you will be standing closer to the ball and will have less freedom to turn your shoulders, so your backswing will inevitably not be as long as it would be with your driver.

This is a good thing as the key with these shots is control and accuracy. Clearly, if your backswing is slightly shorter, then that offers more control, and more control means more accuracy.

Over Clubbing

Never try to force a short iron. You often hear of professionals hitting a hard 7 iron, but if you think a shot calls for everything you have got with an 8 iron then opt for smoothness and rhythm and hit with a 7 iron.

It is impossible to over stress that the key with short irons is that distance is not everything. Off the tee, an extra 20 yards might set up an easier second shot but, with a short iron, it is getting the ball close to the pin that counts.

You are much more likely to achieve that with a smooth 7 iron than with a hard 8 iron. Because a player is standing that much closer to the ball than with longer clubs, and less can go wrong owing to the shorter shaft, a player soon gains real confidence with the short irons. A few crisp, short iron shots out of the middle of the club should help the golfing bug to bite hard.