Trusting the long irons

Most women players are apt to overuse their woods. They favor them because woods swing more easily than irons. Also the faces of fairway woods, as opposed to the long irons, have more loft on them and give women confidence that they will get the ball into the air. When the average woman player does occasionally use her two-iron, three-iron or four-iron, she feels she is struggling with clubs that might very well dribble the ball along the ground. To compensate, she tries to scoop the ball up—and that is fatal.

To play good golf, you have to develop good hand action. You can do this best by playing the irons, which are shorter than the woods and require greater control. In learning to play the irons the first step is to gain confidence in the clubhead. It will get the ball up for you if you give it a chance and if you don't interrupt your swing as you come into the ball. Give up the idea of trying to scoop the ball. It will rise nicely if you drive the clubhead into and through the ball.

For myself, I like to feel that I am going to drive the ball right into the ground. Actually, you are hitting through the ball, but thinking in terms of hitting down on it creates the correct arc for your swing and moves your hands into a position where they are capable of live action, the kind of action that makes for a beautiful shot, which is what you want.

WIFFI SMITH, St. Clair, Mich.

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