Drill library · Driving range

The Nine-to-Three Punch

Driving rangeHandicap 5–2515 minblock workirons

Why this drill

The knockdown is the most useful shot nobody practices: wind-proof, nerve-proof, and the fastest route to center-face contact. Hands to nine o'clock, through to three, ball flighted under an imaginary ceiling.

Setup

A 7-iron, fifteen balls, ball played a touch back of center, hands ahead. Pick a flag and imagine a ceiling at half your normal flight height.

The drill

Fifteen punches: backswing stops when the lead arm is horizontal (nine o'clock), finish stops horizontal on the other side (three), chest rotating through, hands quiet. Score every ball that starts at the flag and flies under the imagined ceiling. Ten of fifteen is command. The strike compresses noticeably — many players find their punch 7-iron flies nearly as far as their full one, which is a lesson about their full one.

One thought to take with you

Finish low with the chest facing the target — the follow-through is short because the shot is over early.