That big booming drive soaring down the center of the fairway is a pretty thing to see but it’s your next shot, the iron shot, that’s going to determine how easy or difficult your putt is going to be. Miss left, right, short or long and you are going to have to scramble for par. Stick it inside four feet and it’s birdie time.

Irons, particularly long irons, are difficult to hit. Most amateurs make the mistake of trying to help the iron lift the ball into the air. The result is thin hits and fat shots. Irons are designed to strike down on the ball compressing it into the earth. Striking down and through the ball creates spin and the spin, along with the loft of the club, push the ball up and away from the earth.

So what’s the secret to hitting crisp iron shots?

Here’s a golf tip or two on irons and how to make them a great tool in lowering your score.

Tip 1 The Concept

Irons are meant and designed to strike the ball at the bottom of the swing arc. Hitting the ball thin is typically the result of hitting the ball at the beginning of the upswing or from the golfer getting “wristy” and trying to scoop the ball off the ground.

On your down swing think hitting down and through the ball. You want to hit the ball first then the ground. You should take a divot about the size of a dollar bill and the divot should be on target line and ahead of where the ball was.

Tip 2 The Setup

For mid-irons the ball should be in the center of your stance. Short irons should be no more than one ball width back from center and long irons no more than one ball length forward of center. These different ball placements are meant to accommodate the different shaft lengths and lofts of the irons.

As in all golf shots you have to have your body aligned with the target. Shoulders, hips and toes should be on the same line as the club face. With the iron shot you should have slightly more weight on your front leg to assist in hitting down on the shot.

Balance is key in this shot. The old adage of keeping your feet shoulder width apart is fine if you feel comfortable and balanced with it. However it is not written in stone. If you need a wider or narrower stance to be able to comfortably transfer weight then by all means adjust. Keeping your balance is more important than a big shoulder turn. If you make a big turn but you are off balance you will alter the swing plane and miss the shot.

Tip 3 The Swing

This is going to be a steeper swing than what you use for your driver and fairway metals. If, like many amateurs, you suffer from an “over the top” golf swing, or striking the ball with an outside in swing, try this. Close your stance a little and aim your shoulders slightly to the right of the target. This will promote an inside out swing and make it far easier to strike down on the ball.

Big drives are nice but if you have a solid iron shot in your bag, odds are you are going to lower your score by making more greens in regulation and even setting up the birdie putt.

As you get older you lose some of your ability to turn your torso on your back swing, so it’s important to replace that power loss with a power gain elsewhere. You can accomplish this by making a freer arm swing which doesn’t depend so much on flexibility. The following drills teach you to use your arms as major source of power.

Turn your shoulders, swing your arms.

Hang your arms. At address, your arms should hang freely from your shoulders. If they start too close to your body, they won’t have enough room to swing freely. Extending your arms too far, on the other hand, causes tension, which in inhibits a free swing. Make sure you have 6 inches of clearance between the butt end of the club and your body.

Turn, then finish. Don’t start your back swing with your arms. Take the club from address to hip by height by rotating your shoulders. Your arms simply follow. That’s a classic one- piece take away. Focus on rotating your shoulders as you start the club back along the target line. Once the club head reaches your hips, your arms takeover, swinging the club to the top

Here is a drill. Take a 5-iron, swing it back to hip height, and stop. Now pretend you’re starting your swing with the club at hip height. Swing to the top, then swing down and hit the ball. You should have the feeling that your arms are generating most of the clubhead speed. The trick is that your shoulders are helping too, but the second half of the back swing is where your arms take over.