I listened to Justin, and it worked. (Editor’s note: Morikawa has made 27 professional starts. He has three wins, including the 2020 PGA Championship, compared to just one missed cut.)

The strength of my game is iron play. I didn’t get enough rounds to qualify for the tour’s statistical rankings in my rookie year, but my stats in strokes gained/approach the green and greens in regulation would have put me near the top in both categories. (Note: Morikawa is 2nd in sg/approach in the 2019-’20 season.) Golf Digest asked me what’s my secret to stiffing iron shots, and I’m going to share a few things I do on the following pages to hit it close. Hopefully they’ll help you play your game a little better. —WITH JOEL BEALL

DIAL BACK YOUR SWING SPEED

When I was in college at Cal, they said my shot dispersion with a 6-iron was about the same as the average tour pro’s with a pitching wedge. I guess that’s a humble brag, but if you want to know why I think I hit my irons so straight, it’s tempo. Swinging with good tempo is one of the first things you’re taught as a golfer, but many players eventually forget its importance for accuracy and instead focus on club and body positions. To swing rhythmically, first focus on a good finish (above). Practice hitting shots at half speed and gradually swing faster as long as you can make a full swing back and through-—no shortcuts!—and still create this poised-and-balanced finish. It’s the fastest way to improve your tempo and become a better ball-striker.

START BACK WITH THE ARMS IN CLOSE

I have a bad tendency of letting my arms drift away from my torso in the takeaway, which makes my backswing too steep and off plane. If I can stay on plane back and down, I don’t need to make compensations to create an accurate and repeatable ball flight. To maintain a better connection between my arms and body and stay on plane, a drill I use is to stuff a glove under my left armpit and keep it there as I swing. If it falls, I know my arms are separating again (above). To try it, work through a progression: First keep the glove in until your club is halfway back, then go three quarters of the way back with it and finally all the way to the top. If you’re on the course, tucking your shirt into your left armpit is another way to stay connected.

HIT IT THROUGH THE WINDOW

I’m not a slave to TrackMan numbers. What’s more important is that the shape and trajectory of the iron shot I just hit are the same as what I visualized. Ideally, the ball is moving through a window I imagined in the sky as I stood over the ball. Try it. Instead of worrying about hitting the ball or controlling distance, make a swing that can produce the shot you see. You’d be surprised how your body reacts intuitively to make that happen. It frees you up.

Is this the Rookie of the Year?

Dom Furore

Morikawa made the most of his starts.

It took less than two months on the PGA Tour for Collin Morikawa to go from welcomed guest to full member. He earned his PGA Tour card by winning the Barracuda Championship in just his sixth start after turning professional.

“It happened fast, but that was the goal,” says Morikawa, 22, a native of Los Angeles.

It was fast. Morikawa, the former No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, debuted as a pro at the RBC Canadian Open in early June and finished T-14.

After making the cut at the U.S. Open and the Travelers Championship, he had an amazing July. Over a 21-day span, he finished T-2 at the 3M Open, T-4 at the John Deere Classic and first at the Barracuda.

“You certainly have hope of pulling something like that off,” Morikawa says. “But to do it, that’s something else.”

Perhaps Morikawa’s early success as a pro was inspired by a performance he had as an amateur. At 19, playing in the then-Web.com Tour’s Air Capital Classic—his first professional event—he nearly won, losing in a playoff to Ollie Schniederjans.

Despite the temptation to turn pro after that performance, Morikawa did not waver in his commitment to the University of California Berkeley. “Going all four years and earning a degree was a big deal to me,” he says. Morikawa became Cal golf’s first four-time All-American, and graduated from the Haas School of Business with multiple honours.

Initially, Morikawa’s pro transition was largely unnoticed, overshadowed by the debuts of media favorites Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland of Oklahoma State. But Morikawa didn’t mind.

“I grew up with Matt in junior golf, and Viktor is extremely talented,” Morikawa says. “They warrant attention.”

Politeness for the competition aside, Morikawa is not shy about where he fits into the mix. “From my first shot at the Canadian Open, I knew I belonged out here,” he says. —JB

The post Collin Morikawa’s best tips for making iron play one of your strengths appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

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ADDRESS: DON’T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED

With all the reps we get on tour, you’d think setting up to the ball correctly is automatic. It’s not. I’ll often look at my swing on video and notice that my body alignment is out of whack. My feet might not match my shoulders, or something like that. That’s why I make a point to really square myself to the target. You’ll notice here I’ve dropped my right foot back about an inch in relation to my left (below). This is just a suggestion for any of you who might slice the ball, or struggle to swing down on plane from inside the target line. It will help give you a little extra room to improve your swing path and hit the ball solidly instead of swiping across it, which causes that weak slice. Also notice that I’m standing tall. This allows me to swing on as wide an arc as possible. Wider swings mean longer drives. Finally, my weight is roughly centred within each foot. If you feel a lot of pressure in your toes or heels, you’ll have a tough time keeping your balance when you swing. And the faster the club is moving, the more you’ll struggle.

‘Feel your weight centred within your feet.’

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GOING BACK: SET THE STAGE FOR POWER

Just like taking your setup for granted, you’d be amazed what can go wrong if you don’t really pay attention to the first part of your backswing. Rhythm, timing, width, path—all keys to smashing the ball—have to be good from the start. I suggest you practice this part of the swing. Get it right, and you’ll really increase your odds of hitting it in the centre of the clubface—and that’s where you’ll see your biggest power boost. Take the club back until the shaft is parallel to the ground, then stop and have a look (below). Things to check: Is your left arm extended? Is the shaft pointing parallel left of your target line? Do your wrists feel flat? Are you relaxed and in no hurry? These are all good things. When I won twice in Hawaii in January, I was really paying attention to this part of the swing. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t whipping the club inside the target line. You can get into some weird habits if you don’t routinely check. It also adds a level of confidence that you’re doing everything you can to set up a big tee shot that finds the fairway.

‘This is a great spot to stop and check your swing.’

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DRILL: ADJUST YOUR PATH, AND YOU’LL BOMB IT

Anytime you’re in a rut hitting slices or hooks, try this drill I use all the time: Tee up a ball and place a ball on both sides of it (below). If you’re slicing, the outside ball should be farther from the target than your tee ball, and the one on the inside should be closer to the target. Notice how this creates a gate for your club to swing on an in-to-out path in relation to the target line. The idea is to hit your tee shot without touching the other golf balls. If you hit the ball outside the one you teed up, you’ll know you’re still swinging on a slicer’s path. For hooks, just reverse the positions of the surrounding balls, and you’ll see a gate that promotes a slightly out-to-in path. I’ll hit 15 to 20 balls with the gate in whatever configuration that helps me feel the sensation for the shot I’m trying to hit. It really straightens me out. If you can reduce the curve to your shots, I guarantee you’ll pick up some real distance.

The post Justin Thomas’ Tips On How To Smash It appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.