Iron Play Tip: Understanding Ball Position

Ball position is a fundamental aspect of iron play. Any confusion or lack of awareness of this part of the set-up can, and probably will, have dire consequences on the state of your approach today.

Here is a useful rule of thumb: Play your wedge shots with the ball in the middle of your stance, then move the ball progressively further forward in your stance as the club gets longer.

As a guide, the 5-iron is just over a ball’s width forward of center; the 3-iron is further forward still, inside your left heel.

The reason for doing this is that it helps encourage the correct angle of attack as the clubhead approaches the ball – relatively steep with the wedge and progressively more shallow as the club gets longer. It is one of the keys to iron play.

In terms of how far away from the ball you stand, again it depends on the club you are using. Quite simply, you stand progressively closer to the ball as the shaft of the club gets shorter.