Pause at the Top
Why this drill
Most amateur swings are ruined in the quarter second where backswing becomes downswing. A full, deliberate one-second pause at the top removes the snatch, proves your backswing actually finishes, and builds a transition calm enough to survive the first tee.
Setup
A mid iron, ten balls, one target flag. Nothing else.
The drill
Swing to the top and stop — a real stop, count "one" — then swing through and hit the ball. Ten balls. The first few feel powerless; that sensation is the arms discovering they can't throw from the top, and the strike usually improves immediately anyway. Score clean contact out of ten. Alternate two paused swings with one normal swing for the last six balls, keeping the unhurried change of direction.
One thought to take with you
Finish the backswing before you start the downswing — they are two moves, not one.