This story about Phil Mickelson hitting the ball was one of the most popular instructional stories of 2024.
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There’s nothing like hitting a sharp iron. You can’t beat the feeling of catching a clean approach shot and watching it laser right towards the pin. These are the types of shots that keep you coming back for more.
Professionals? They hit these types of shots a lot. Weekend warriors? Not so much. Flagging irons is the exception rather than the rule.
However, this does not mean that we cannot strive for more of them. This year, our readers made it clear that elite ball-striking tips are paramount.
In February we published an article introducing Phil Mickelsonbest ball striking tips and it was one of the most read articles of the year. You can read the whole post here, or continue viewing summaries of what he shared.
Lefty’s tips for hitting the ball
When it comes to elite ball-striking, there is one trait that all great golfers share – and it starts with: proper configuration.
“You’re not going to find a good hitter who doesn’t play with a straight arm and stick,” Mickelson said. “You can come back to this position, even if you’re going 100 miles an hour or whatever, and feel yourself coming back into balance.”
When you go to the range to practice, it’s a good idea to check this line to make sure it’s as straight as possible. If you don’t take care of these basic rules, you’re setting yourself up for failure before you even get your club back.
“All [poor] strikers attacking the ball will start with their hands behind their backs, while all the good ones will start with their lead arm straight,” he said. “So I’ll start with a straight line receding, and then I’ll feel it come back to a straight line [coming down]”
If you’re struggling to hit solid shots with your irons, take Mickelson’s advice. This might just solve your ball striking problems.
(Watch Mickelson deliver half an hour of gold in an episode Warm-up below.)
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