HIT YOUR IRONS TOO LOW? STAND TALLER How you finish says a lot about the swing you just made If you look at the heads of most game-improvement and super-game-improvement irons, you’ll probably notice they look like they’ll make it easier to hit the ball higher and straighter. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, but even with those features, you still have to make a swing that capitalises on their design. Many poorer iron players swing down into the ball too steeply, and that creates a lower, clunkier shot. Your emphasis with these clubs should be to make a shal- lower swing into impact, which will promote better contact and get the ball up. You don’t want to feel bunched up; you want a feeling of extension. One way to better understand this approach is to think about something I call the “tree of trust.” If you visualise and then make a swing that gets you into a high finish ( below ) – standing tall like a tree – you’ve likely made a swing that allowed the club and your arms to extend in the downswing while your body created space for the club to swing through on a shallower path. Why does this work? Every action has a reaction. When your body drives up, it creates an opposing force through your arms and club. The trust part comes from knowing that getting into this tree-like finish creates the dynamic reaction needed for good contact and a higher flight. – Megan Padua Buzza, Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, Buzza Golf Coaching, Frisco, Texas
CALLAWAY Elyte HL R23 000
GOLD
OVERALL RATING ★★★★ ½
• Designed for players with moderate to average swing speeds seeking a higher launch with more carry. • As with the standard Elyte model, a high- strength stainless-steel cupface – in which the face wraps around a section of the sole and topline – provides Formula-1 speed at impact.
PERFORMANCE ★★★★ ½ INNOVATION ★★★★★ LOOK / SOUND / FEEL ★★★★ ½
‘These clubs dress up any bag. Especially attractive was how high the ball launched and how quickly it climbed. Seeing it land softly was rewarding.’ – 10-HANDICAP
• The sole design is
efficient to the point that it can add one mile per hour of ball speed, according to Callaway. • Top 5 in Performance, high-handicaps • Specs: 7-iron: 30 degrees; PW: 43 degrees
AESTHETICS
Plain
Elaborate
ACOUSTICS
Quieter
Louder
SENSORY
Softer
Firmer
LAUNCH
Lower
Higher
FORGIVENESS
Least
Most
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 91
HOT LIST 2025
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