Sergio Garcia’s 6 keys for pure contact with your irons

Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Timeless Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today, we have six tips for pure ball-striking with your irons, courtesy of Sergio Garcia in our November 2008 issue.

Hitting the ball close to the pin with approach shots is a key ingredient for making birdies. Sure, you might roll in a long putt from time to time, but if you want consistent circles on the scorecard, you’ve gotta hit it close — and that means dialing in crisp contact with your irons.

When it comes to pure contact with the irons, there have been few more successful in the modern era than Sergio Garcia. In his prime, the Spaniard was a mainstay in the top 25 in SG: Approach. He rode that ball-striking prowess to 11 Tour wins and a major title at the Masters in 2017.

Back in 2008, Garcia graced the cover of GOLF Magazine for our November issue and shared six keys for his pure ball striking, which you can check out below.

Sergio’s 6 ball-striking keys

Whenever I’m scoring well, it’s usually because I’m hitting approach shots close enough for a one-putt or, at worst, a two-putt. I love hitting irons — it’s something I’ve always done well, and to be a great iron player, you need consistency and distance control. I’ve built these two critical needs into my swing by focusing on six key but simple areas. Copy them and you’ll hit approach shots consistently close like I do.

1. My set-up key

I focus on two fundamentals when I address the ball: 1. My arms hang loose and perpendicular to the ground. You should never feel like your arms are jammed or that they have to reach for the ball. If you bend from your hips and keep your back fairly straight, you’ll nail this and swing more freely. 2. I flex my knees so that my shoulders are in line with my hips and my knees are in line with the balls of my feet. (Practice this in front of a full-length mirror — I used to). When I get this right, I feel perfectly balanced.

One more thing to know: Take a narrower stance with your irons than you do with your woods. If your stance is too wide, you’ll tend to tilt too much away from the target. That’s okay with your driver, but not with your irons.

2. My backswing key

I like to think of my left arm swinging up and through my right shoulder. It’s an easy way for me to stay on plane during my backswing, so I have the confidence to swing as hard as I want on my way back down. When I’m on the practice tee, I’ll spend some time making sure my clubface remains square as I bring the club to the top. I’ll check that my left wrist is flat or just slightly bent (to offset my worst shot, a hook). When you’re square at the top, there’s no need to get handsy at impact.

3. My downswing key

People tell me that my clubhead lag is the one I’m known for, but I never really think about it. It just happens. What I do focus on is keeping my left arm close to my chest as I swing the club down from the top. When your left arm gets too far away from your body, the clubface tends to open and you’ll lose shots to the right.

4. My impact key

I swing hard, but I feel that I do a fairly good job of staying in control, and one thing that helps me do this is keeping my feet on the ground. Actually, keeping them “quiet” is a better way to think of it (you don’t want to swing with cement shoes on).

My legs are flexed and moving, but they’re never flying out of control. I strive for a smooth transfer of weight from the heel of my right foot to the heel of my left foot through the hitting zone. Some people will tell you to push off your right foot; I like to think of it as “rolling” of weight from my right foot to my left.

5. My release key

As I strike the ball, my club is moving at a great rate of speed. I like to keep this speed going onto my follow-through with a feeling that I’m letting the club go. The last thing you should do here is hold or keep your hands ahead of the club. During practice sessions, I’ll check that my right wrist is flat and that there’s just a slight bend in my left. That tells me I’m releasing the club down the lone as the ball makes its way toward the target.

6. My finish key

From day one I’ve told myself to “swing hard and finish in good balance.” I think that’s good advice for you, too. When I play pro-ams, I often lend it to the golfers in my group, and it almost immediately pays dividends. Weekend players tend to get caught up in face positions and swing plane. But if you focus on staying in balance, you’ll hit more good shots than bad. Try to hold your finish after every shot. Hold it until the ball lands on the ground. If you can’t, then you’re swinging too hard. Dial it back until you ca copy my finish position and us e that speed on every swing.