Golf Tips: Hitting a 1-Iron

Throughout the history of golf, high handicappers have feared their long irons - most especially the dreaded 1-iron! The club has been so vilified through the ages that hybrid technology, which sacrifices accuracy for forgiveness, has begun to take long irons completely out of the bag for average golfers. But the key to shooting very low is by mastering your long game and the ultimate weapon is indeed the dreaded 1-iron.

Focus on tempo and timing
Like your driver, long irons have very long shafts. However, unlike your driver, their clubheads are normally quite light and thin which can cause you to want to swing them faster than the longer shaft will allow. Because of the added shaft length, you must make a swing similar to your fairway woods. This, ideally, would be a long, sweeping motion that doesn't attempt to hit down on the ball as much as your mid or short irons but rather graze the grass as if you were sweeping a floor with a broom.

Think low and slow
Your 1-iron may not appear to have enough loft to get the ball airborne but this is where you must trust the technology built into it - hit the ball squarely and it will go airborne, as well as a great distance down the fairway.

Think also about having a long, slow backswing. A 1-iron wants a lot of room to generate its power so give it all the room that you can. Begin your backswing by taking the club straight back until it is about parallel to the ground, then begin a full shoulder turn. Do not make the mistake of trying to swing the club... let your shoulders guide the backswing naturally.

Push the club away
As you begin your downswing try to focus on having a slight inside-out swing path. Higher lofted clubs are able to hit straight despite differing swing paths because the loft negates the effects of the path. Your driver, fairway woods and long irons - most especially the 1-iron - hit far more consistently longer and straighter when swung with an inside-out swing path. The easiest way to achieve this at first is to imagine that you are pushing the club slightly away from you, towards an angle right of your target line.

Keep the clubhead low
Again, learn to trust the loft of your 1-iron. It may not be much but it is just the perfect amount to get the ball up and at the ideal launch angle for a low, boring flight where distance and accuracy are maximized.

Make a full turn
You have already made your full shoulder turn during the backswing. Now, focus on hitting through the ball and echoing that same long, naturally powerful turn through your follow-through. One major mistake players make with long irons is to swing too hard at the ball but not swing through the ball, as if their forward momentum stops as the clubface impacts the ball. Counter this by focusing on a full follow-through. This also helps to avoid looking up too soon and hitting a thin shot.

God may not be able to hit a 1-iron but I sure can... and so can you with these easy steps.