"TRAPPING"
The key to crisper irons is "trapping" the ball: making contact on a slightly descending path so the clubface pinches the ball against the turf. This produces a lower trajectory that rises toward the end of its flight before falling softly to the green. Small, shallow divots are preferred; they indicate that a descending blow was made while the clubhead approached impact from the inside. When that action is lost on approach shots, it usually means one of two things: the clubhead is sweeping into impact, indicating that you are too far behind the ball; or impact is more of a chopping motion, indicating that your hands are too far ahead of the ball, substantially delofting the club.
STAY ON TOP OF THE BALL
Good iron play requires your body to be centered over the ball throughout the swing, with very little lateral motion away from the target on the backswing or toward it on the downswing. Take your swing through a checklist to make sure there's no unnecessary movement:
ADDRESS: Weight is evenly distributed between left and right foot; on shorter irons, you may even favor the right side a bit.
BACKSWING: Work on turning your back to the target while keeping your right foot flat on the ground. Your left leg and hip should brace you at the top of the swing, but your body stays "on top," directly over the ball.
DOWNSWING: Rotation rules here; clear the right hip out of the way and let your hands swing right of the target after impact. Finish with your body erect and your weight on your right foot.
DRILL: DOWNHILL LIES
To learn to stay on top of the ball, take practice swings or hit actual shots from downhill lies, where your front foot is lower than your back. The slope will naturally keep your body over the ball; work on unwinding, rather than sliding, on the downswing, and swing the club down the target line into impact.
