Birdie Or Better With Zach Johnson

To hit crisper iron shots, I started addressing the ball with the shaft leaning forward. This is similar to the position I want to be in at impact, with my hands ahead of the ball.

Before the start of 2008 my coach, Mike Bender, noticed that my hands were creeping away from the target at address, and I wasn’t hitting the ball as solid as I had been. Setting my hands forward really gets me into a better mind-set to compress the ball.

I think that might have allowed me to hit more par-3 greens last year and gave me more birdie opportunities. With the hands closer to the target than the clubhead, you’re pre-setting a better impact position.

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