4 Keys to Consistent Iron Shots
by David Leadbetter

If you think about the great players through the years, some have been really good drivers of the ball -- Greg Norman, for example.

Some have been great putters -- Seve Ballesteros comes to mind. Tiger and Jack are certainly known for their all-around games.

But one thing is for certain of all players who win tournaments, particulary majors: Their iron play is top notch. Consistent iron play is all about controlling distance, trajectory and spin. Here are four keys to help you reach a higher level with your iron play.

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DRIVER SWING SEQUENCE: ERNIE ELS
Ernie makes it easy: Balance helps it all flow.
Swing analysis By David Leadbetter

Looking at Ernie's swing sequence, it's easy to see why so many players at all levels marvel at how he's able to make it look so effortless. A true swinger of the club, Ernie combines balance, power and rhythm in a package that's clearly one of the best actions of all time.

At address, Ernie looks comfortable and balanced, with his arms hanging in front of him and his weight on the balls of his feet. You can see the lack of tension in his arms, which shows that he's got perfect, light grip pressure. With that tension-free grip, Ernie feels as if he's engaging his midsection at the takeaway, and his backswing starts in a smooth, synchronized way.

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Golf Tip: SWEEP UPHILL CHIPS
Your club's approach should follow the angle of the slope

When playing a course with elevated greens, you'll frequently find yourself chipping from an upslope to save par. But a normal chipping stroke, where you hinge your wrists and then make a steep, downward strike, can result in hitting a fat shot that comes up short. Simply put, the club gets stuck in the ground.

For this common short-game situation, you need to sweep the ball off the slope, not hit into it. I recommend taking a less-lofted club--the upslope will help get the ball in the air--and then making a swing that goes from low to high. In other words, the backswing should stay low to the ground, but the through-swing should move upward along the slope.

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Lead's Views:
Monthly commentary from David Leadbetter

One of the fascinating aspects of the game of golf to me, one who has been involved in the business of teaching for the past four decades, is the sheer volume of instructional material that has been put forth through the years. No other sport or activity as far as I am aware, has ever spawned so much instructional information. And all how to get a little ball into a hole.

It really is amazing and I have to say that I am very thankful because this thirst for knowledge is what has given me a living.

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THE GOLDEN RULES OF PITCHING
By Scott Holden, DLGA Senior Certified Instructor

One of the most common complaints I hear from golfers is: "I'm absolutely terrible from one-hundred-yards-and-in to the flag. I don't strike the ball solidly and I can't control my distance or direction."

The first thing I tell them is, "You're not alone."

Let's examine this problem as it relates to a larger issue, and that is, how one approaches and plays the game of golf. I believe approaching this problem from this point-of-view will accurately expose this common complaint for what it truly is, a symptom of a larger problem.

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Golf Tip: THREE STEPS TO BETTER PUTTING
By Bob Lohr, DLGA Senior Certified Instructor

In my personal experience as a PGA Tour player and as an instructor at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, I have found that inconsistent putting, in many instances, can be a result of poor decision making, or in some worst case scenarios, no decision making at all.

I am the first to admit there are a handful of essential "putting fundamentals" that should be adhered to in order to become a great putter.

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Golf Tip: A CURE FOR OVER THE TOPPERS
By Tim Mitchell, Certified DLGA Instructor

Golf is a game of perseverance...is it not? No matter how talented or accomplished a player is, that player still goes through bouts of immense suffering while playing this stup...er, I mean wonderful game. It's the nature of the game, and the nature of those crazy enough to play it.

A common fault that is the cause of SO much suffering in this game comes from one of the most dreaded phrases in golf.

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LEARNING HOW TO TRUST YOUR GAME
By Dr. Robert K. Winters - DLGA Sport Psychologist

"Play your own game."

Almost everyone who is a student of the game has heard this piece of golfing advice. I often ask veteran golfers what "playing their game" means and they often respond that they aren't sure what it's supposed to mean, even though they have heard the concept mentioned for years! They intuitively know that the concept is important, but are relatively unsure how to create or produce a mindset for playing with trust and to believe in their talent.

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Wedge Tip - STARE IT DOWN FROM 100 YARDS:
How Charles Howell III learned to knock it close from this distance, and how you can, too

When Charles Howell and I sat down and outlined his goals before the start of the year, we agreed he needed to improve his distance control, especially with his wedges. Charles had too much forward lean on the shaft at impact (the clubhead lagging too far behind the hands), causing him to de-loft the club too much and take deep divots. This made him inconsistent on those important scoring shots from around 100 yards.

Since addressing this tendency and making his wedge swing more symmetrical, the results have been impressive.

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Introducing "LEAD's VIEWS"
a monthly column by David Leadbetter

Thanks for logging onto our website. We are continually updating and refining our site so I hope that you find it informative and useful.

To that end, I am really looking forward to writing a monthly piece to share with all of you golf enthusiasts. Topics could be about anything in the world of golf- instruction obviously being amongst them.

This month the subject is junior golf. Being on the board of the American Junior Golf Association - the country's leading junior organization and also having a full time junior academy down in Bradenton, which has about 200 youngsters attending on a full-time basis - junior golf is something near and dear to me.

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