Try my drill to improve your contact.
Consistently creating solid contact with irons and wedges is one of the most important parts of the game. I hit 18 greens in my final round at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in January, including one that led to a birdie on the first playoff hole for my sixth LPGA Tour win. That wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t puring it.
I’ll often use this drill to keep my contact sharp – it’s good for chipping and iron play. If you’re a right-hander, grip the club with your right hand, take your stance, and then put your left hand on your left thigh [left photo, above]. Whether you’re chipping with a wedge or making a half-swing with a longer iron, hit one-handed shots while
keeping your left hand from moving on the left leg [right photo, above].
Don’t worry about where the ball goes. Focus on the quality of contact. This drill tells you whether you’re keeping your chest down through the shot. If you pick your chest up, you will change your address posture, and that makes it really hard to hit the ball solid. Why keep your left hand steady on that thigh? It helps remind you to stay down through impact.
If you try this drill, hit five shots one-handed, then take your normal grip and hit five shots trying to re-create that chest-down feeling in the through-swing. I go back and forth from one-handed to two-handed swings during my warm-up to get that feeling locked in before I get out on the course. – with Keely Levins
Photographs by J.D. Cuban
