Golf Reviews and Golf Instruction Blog by King Par

Golf Tip of the Day - "The Knockdown Shot"

  

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Today’s golf irons are increasingly designed with a low center of gravity to help the average golfer hit the ball a bit higher. This is something most golfers will enjoy. With windier conditions becoming more the norm at this time, what advice should one give?

Try to play the knockdown or take one more club and allow for the modern design to do its work?

Low handicap golfers who tend to favor longer hosel, thinner sole and small cavity compact blades are more interested in controlling trajectory rather than distance. This type of design often forged assists with this aspiration. The vast number of golfers uses what are generally called “game improvement golf irons”. These are designed to launch higher with less spin. It is therefore advisable to take one more club, at least, and because less spin is imparted the club should do its job. Ballooning is caused by excessive spin. That’s why reducing the clubhead speed into the wind is another good way of giving you a trajectory that will improve the result playing into the wind.

Club designers recognize that blade length as vital if playability is to be maintained. Longer blades mean more turf interaction. It is easier to control trajectory with loft rather than technique. Take that extra club and let the club do its job.

Let’s look at some new irons that if not already on the shelves, will be making an appearance soon. These are some of my recent favorites:

• Ping G20 Irons: Thinner face to enhance ball speed and with the weight saved redistributed to the perimeter.
• Titliest AP2 Irons: They have repositioned the weighting to give more consistency across the blade. Sole widths get narrower with the short irons. A good move.
• Adams Idea AP12 Irons: A thin topline gives these clubs a real players look. There is more heel-toe weighting going on and are pretty forgiving. I like the dark look.
• TaylorMade R11 Irons: More compact long to short irons assists playability. The grooves are designed to assist with spin around the greens. I found this difficult to notice.
• Mizuno MP-59 Irons: A titanium billet is placed into the back of this muscle back iron. This is designed to improve stability. Another great Mizuno iron.

All the above, although more suited for lower handicap players, have a design that will allow for excellent playability into wind trajectory. That is, of course, if you club up and follow the earlier advice.

Good luck in the wind. Remember, there has never been a course designed where you play into the wind all the way. That is, unless you play The Old Course at St Andrew's, or other out and in Links courses and the tide changes when you get to the turn!!! That is always really bad luck when it happens.

-Nigel