“Hit down with your short irons and sweep your long irons.” It’s great advice; however, it’s easier said than done with a 4-iron golf club. In general, using a longer club creates the tendency of a harder swing. Nevertheless, longer irons give a much more sweeping motion than do other irons in your bag.

 

Considered one of the longer irons, the 4-iron golf club is largely used to hit the ball from between 180 to 200 yards. Like many iron designs today, the 4-iron features a more flexible face to give a nearly spring-like level effect for center hits – the same as on a driver.

 

This flexible design allows for distance and does three fundamental things:

 

 

  • Maximizes ball speed

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  • Launches shots higher

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  • Gives the ball less spin

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    Several factors will help you perfect your 4-iron golf swing:

     

  • Posture: As with all golf clubs, when hitting the 4-iron, posture is necessary to maintain throughout the swing. Take your stance, remove your left hand from the golf club, and swing to the top. Now, take your left hand and put it back on the club until you feel a stretch in your left arm. This is the width you want in your stance.

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  • Ball Position: Address the ball, so it's a little closer to your front foot than to your back foot and slightly forward of center in your stance.

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  • Practice Swing: The 4-iron golf club requires a low and slow backswing with a sweeping motion. At first, leave the ball aside while you practice this sweeping swing. Hit the grass slightly forward of the center and toward the bottom of your arc. Repeat this several times until you’re consistent. A little trick - take your setup with a middle iron. Lift the clubhead a couple of inches off the ground and take your normal swing. Instinctively, you will hit down.

     

  • Down and Through: Start your downswing from the ground up, shifting your weight left. As you do this, drop your hands and arms into a sweet hitting position, allowing your body to rotate “low and slow.”

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    One final thought – after you hit your 4-iron shot, hold your finish for a moment then retrace your swing in reverse. This backward sequence should give you an idea if there are any flaws in your swing. Remember this one thing, when it comes to the longer irons: sweep, don’t dig. Check out more tips for excelling at your golf game.