There are millions of recreational players who never really learn the feeling of solid impact. Don’t be one of them. Here’s an easy drill that will set you apart from the pack and help you hit your best irons ever.

The key is to teach yourself what solid impact looks and feels like. It’s easy. Take your normal address position with an alignment stick placed straight up just behind the ball (above left). Now, do the following three things: 1) rotate your hips open to the target, 2) push off the ground with your back foot and 3) lean the shaft toward the target while keeping the face square (above right).

These are the core elements of solid impact. Hold this position for five seconds to get a feel for the shaft lean (paired with a squared clubface), your hips more open than your shoulders and a hearty push up and off your back leg. After five seconds, return to your normal address and swing. Repeat.

The more you can re-create the feel of the position, the more likely you are to catch the ball with an appropriate angle of attack in the center of the face when you swing for real. So long soft hits. 

Sean Hogan is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and is the global director of instruction for the David Leadbetter Academies.