Golf is full of well known and long accepted axioms. Just a few are “Keep your head down”, “transfer your weight” and “Driver for show and putt for dough”. Another of these long held truths is the subject of this article: “hit down with your irons”.  

Do you hit down with your irons or sweep them? The more accomplished players all hit down. They may not all take a divot but they all are hitting down and through the ball at the moment of impact.   When it comes to the full shot swing in golf hitting good irons shots seems to me to be the most challenging. The difficulty begins with the idea of hitting on something you want to go up. That is counter intuitive for most of us. As a result we either consciously or unconsciously try to help the ball into the air with how we use the club scooping or lifting during the swing in an effort to get the ball airborne.  

This will often cause you to hit behind the ball creating either a fat shot or a bladed shot as the club head bounces up off the ground into the middle of the ball. If decent contact is made while scooping it will often result in a too high ball flight which falls very short of the target.  

Your mission (should you decide to accept it, duffer) is to avoid the inclination to scoop or lift in an attempt to get the ball airborne.  

The proper iron shot brings the lofted clubface into the back of the ball from a slightly inside path where the leading edge of the club will contact the ground at a point just ahead of the ball. This brings the clubface into the ball in a manner that causes the ball first to be forced toward the ground where it becomes compressed between the clubface and the ground. Then it begins to roll up the clubface where the grooves impart backspin on the ball. The clubface then determines launch angle and the rapidly spinning ball along with its dimples will create aerodynamic lift.  

The more lofted the club the more backspin is created. It is the backspin that causes the ball to stop quickly once it hits the green. The short irons are most effective at stopping the ball. Good news is these shorter irons are easier to hit correctly than the longer irons.  

To achieve this downward strike of the golf ball it is vital that the shaft be leaning forward ahead of the ball at impact. Each club is built with a certain amount of forward tilt so that when the club is properly placed on the ground the shaft leans ahead of the ball. Most duffers hit the ball with the shaft leaning backwards. This ruins the function of the golf club and inevitably the shot as well.  

Hitting down therefore is the best way to maximize the engineering of the golf club and ball. When struck with the proper downward stroke the clubface, the shaft and the golf ball all work together to result in the perfect iron shot. One that travels the expected distance on the proper trajectory and stops quickly once it hits the green.  

Now what could be more perfect than that?

Repair golf carts… Sounds simple doesn’t it? When a golf cart breaks down it will need to be repaired. This is a no brainier. But a golf cart is a much more complicated machine than you may think. If you are going to attempt repairing it yourself you may want to try to analyze what is wrong with it.

Is it the motor? Are the wheels in good shape? Is there a broken axle? These are all things that you need to find out by doing an inspection of your golf cart. This will also help you narrow down if you are able to fix your cart yourself or if you perhaps need to take it to a professional. Sometimes the problem may be small such as it needing some oil or tightening nuts and bolts. These are small fixes that with a few household tools you can repair yourself.

Although, if it is a larger problem you are not going to be able to fix it easily. Problems such as a blown motor or a broken axle will require the help of a professional. Although, if you want to attempt to fix it yourself you will need the proper tools. Nothing can stop work flow faster than not having the correct tools for repairing.

If anything needs to be taken apart I suggest getting baby food jars or small plastic bowls for holding screws, springs, or other small parts that may be lost easily. Always try to lay your parts out strategically when you disassemble the engine or other parts. Working like that will help you keep all the parts in their place and keep a place for all your parts.

Also if you take an extended rest you may find it difficult to remember what part goes where. So, in repairs to anything you need to have everything organized. If you can’t figure out what’s wrong it might be time to call in a professional. Most small engine shops will repair golf carts. Also keep in mind your local library as well as online have a lot of e-books and books about repairing golf carts. If you can’t figure out what’s wrong by yourself. Maybe a trip to your local library is in order. If you can’t transport your golf cart yourself you might try calling some repair shops. Many shops offer to pick up and drop off repair work. Find the right person to repair your golf cart for you if you can’t do it yourself.