How to hit a long iron like Tom Kim.
South Korea’s Tom Kim is one of the best long iron players in the game, which has helped elevate him into a three-time PGA Tour champion at the age of 21. He does three things well that all great long iron players do, especially when they are hitting a shot under pressure. Let’s break down his long-iron game, which focuses on three key elements.
Setup
The first thing Tom does well is he gets himself in a good setup [photo 1], which allows him to make a full turn back and through the golf ball. A nice balanced setup is important so that when he swings the club back, he can make a full turn to the top of the backswing and then a full turn to the finish.
Wide swing
The second thing you’ll notice is he creates a very wide swing. In Tom’s backswing, you’ll see his hands get very high and away from his body and he keeps that width throughout the swing [photos 2 and 3].
Smooth transition
A smooth transition at the start of the downswing is another key to hitting your long irons well. Long irons can be intimidating because of the lower loft profile, which can lead to a short, quick swing. Tom has no quickness in his swing with his long iron shots and he maintains the width in his swing, creating a very rhythmical motion from start to finish.
By staying wide throughout the swing, having a smooth transition and making a full turn into his right side going back and into his left side going through, it allows Tom to deliver the club on a shallow angle of attack [photo 4]. He uses the loft of the club to elevate the ball into the air as opposed to falling back and trying to lift the ball or chopping down steeply on it. He also completes his swing with perfect balance [photo 5].
Give these three tips a try during your next visit to the practice range and your long iron play may just be as good as Tom Kim’s.
Todd Anderson is the director of instruction at the PGA Tour Performance Centre at TPC Sawgrass, home of the Players Championship. The 2010 PGA of America Teacher of the Year has seen his students amass more than 50 victories across the PGA and Korn Ferry tours, including two FedEx Cup titles. He is currently rated by Golf Digest as one of the top 20 golf instructors in the United States. In this tutorial, Anderson breaks down South Korean star Tom Kim’s long iron shots, which have become one of his strongest weapons in the bag.
