For many golfers, the long game would be a clear area for improvement - perhaps because fairway woods, hybrids and long irons are thought to be some of the 'hardest' clubs to hit.
I don't buy that - as with the help of these 20 expert tips you can put on a ball striking masterclass with fairway woods, hybrids and long irons - shooting lower scores and becoming the envy of your playing partners who wish they had your long game prowess.
Whether you prefer to use hybrids or long irons, or perhaps a mixture of both, try these tips out for yourself at your next driving range session, there could be something in there that unlocks your full potential on the course...
01 BALL POSITION AND POSTURE
When practising your fairway woods, think about the perfect ball position and posture. At address, set the ball just inside your left heel to help create the shallow angle of attack needed to sweep the ball off the top of the turf.
Setting your spine angle correctly at address, then maintaining it through to impact, enhances your chances of a good strike.
02 GRIP DOWN
With fairway woods, a good tip is to just go down the grip two or three centimetres. This will bring the ball a fraction more towards you, which will provide you with added control as a result, but be sure to follow the fundamentals of the perfect golf grip.
03 SWEEP NOT STEEP
With your fairway woods, width is critical both on the way back and on the follow-through after sweeping the ball away.
There should be a slight grazing of the grass but no real divot at impact, as you would get with an iron strike. Really try to convince yourself that you are chasing the ball and club down the line.
04 HIT YOUR HYBRID LIKE AN IRON
Hybrids may look like mini-woods, but you need to set up with the ball in the same position as for a long-iron at address. Then make an iron swing, looking to take a little divot after the ball.
05 OPEN UP FROM HEAVIER LIES
When hitting a hybrid from a heavy lie, open your stance a little. By then swinging down the line of your feet, you will create the steeper angle of attack needed to help get the ball out of the rough.
06 EXPERIMENT WITH TEE HEIGHT
Angle of attack with a fairway wood varies a little between tee and fairway duties. Off a tee, you will normally want to hit up on the ball a little more.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with tee height to see what helps you deliver your optimum angle of attack when hitting your woods from the tee.
07 TAKEAWAY TIP
To encourage the wide takeaway you need in the golf swing, set an aligment stick in the ground behind you and imagine the club stretching out to hit it. A wide arc helps to generate clubhead speed and a good angle of attack.
08 SWING PLANE CHECK
Setting the wrists and loading the club halfway back with a good shoulder turn gives you the time and space to create speed.
A good checkpoint when the club is halfway back is for the grip to be pointing directly between the toe line and golf ball. This would indicate that the club is on the correct plane as you take it away.
This checkpoint halfway through your backswing is a great thing to focus on at the range, as it provides instant feedback that could help you strike it better
09 ‘LOOSE ARMS’
Think ‘loose arms’ with long-irons at address to help remove tension. It also encourages you to complete the backswing and produce a smooth action.
A full turn in the backswing is a must, not only to build power but also to help deliver a flatter swing. Long-irons do not respond to an ‘over the top’ steep-and-across-the-ball action.
10 NARROWER STANCE
How wide should your golf stance be? Golfers often think big is powerful when it comes to stance, but too wide a stance limits your ability to turn and inhibits a free-flowing action.
Yes, balance is key, especially with long clubs, but a slightly narrower stance can help every aspect of your swing.
11 LEVEL UP THE SHOULDERS
This is a good drill to help you hit it better off the tee with your hybrids. Try this on the range to prevent your trail shoulder dropping down too much. Switch hands on your grip at set-up, which gets the shoulders more even
Then switch back to your normal grip and give it a rip. Hit down on the ball slightly and don’t worry about bruising the turf.
If you are struggling with your hybrids this a great drill to practice on the range
12 CORRECT SET-UP
How far should you stand from the ball with a hybrid? Lay the club down with the end of the grip up by your heels. To ensure you find the correct spine angle (slightly tilted but not hugely), bend from the hips.
13 GO LOW
A great way to help shallow out your angle of attack with a fairway wood, without thinking too technically about the swing, is to picture striking the ball below the equator.
Concentrate on a spot low on the ball, but try to avoid taking too much of a divot. This gives you the visualisation you need to make the perfect fairway wood contact.
14 GROUND SUPPORT
Struggling with fairway wood contact? Take some practice swings and feel the sole ‘bouncing’ off the turf through impact. If it doesn’t get stuck in the turf, you’ll have more margin for error. When it feels right, hit a shot for real.
15 DRIVER OFF THE DECK
Set the ball a clubhead inside your lead heel. Aim a little left to allow for a fade, as you want as much dynamic loft as possible.
Then, focus on brushing the grass and finishing the swing. Take a few practice swings trying to do just that. Don’t force it. Let that ball just get in the way – you swing and the club will do all the work for you.
Hitting driver off the deck is a tough skill to master, but if you can get it right it could transform your long game
16 LOSE THE TENSION
Poor fairway wood strikes are often the result of too tight a grip, which makes it hard to find the flow and release you need. Try letting your arms hang naturally first to get used to the feeling of being more relaxed.
17 SPLIT-GRIP DRILL
In practice, split your hands on the grip so there’s a fist-sized gap between them.
Hover the club above the ground and take it to the top of your backswing, turning your back as much to the target as you comfortably can. You’ll notice a fantastic amount of width between your head and your hands. This is where power comes from.
18 TACKLING CROSSWINDS
When the layout of a hole gives you a bit of space, look to ride any crosswind rather than fight it – hit it out into it and let the wind naturally move your ball back.
If you’re facing a tighter, more confined fairway with trees on the side that the wind is coming from, that’s when you may need to try and hold the ball up instead of riding it.
That means a little fade into a right-to-left wind, or a draw if it’s coming from left to right - and don't forget to calculate distance in the wind as it's likely to be different to calm conditions.
19 ONE SWING THOUGHT
Amateurs can have a lot going on in their heads when hitting long-irons. When you play your best, there probably aren’t many thoughts about how certain parts of your body move as you swing.
Find just one that works – maybe as simple as ‘complete backswing’. It needn’t be the same all the time.
20 COMMIT FULLY
When faced with a narrow fairway you can get anxious or tight. Your swing can become too short back and through. What you want is a syrupy, full-to-full swing, so really commit.
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