How to Make Consistent Contact

Learn How to Hit Irons With More Consistency

Learning how to make consistent contact is one of the best things you can do for your golf game.

If I had to rank the 3 biggest things the average amateur golf swing lacks, they would rank (in order of importance):

Your Secret Weapon for How to Make Consistent Contact

You can practice the three tips I’m about to share with just a ball and an iron. But when I’m working with my students on contact, I like to use the Vertical Line Board as well.

If you don’t have one—or haven’t heard of it—the Vertical Line Board is a new training aid I designed with my team. Our goal was to develop a tool that would be 1) lightweight, 2) easy to use, and 3) able to help golfers sharpen the fundamentals that can make or break a golf swing.

You can use this thing to practice a wide range of skills, including the big one: consistent contact. 

As I share the following tips for how to make consistent contact, I’ll also explain how to practice these strategies using the Vertical Line Board. If you want to snag one for yourself, you can find it here.

But as I said, the Board is not mandatory. You can put these tips to work with just a ball and an iron. 

So let’s get to it.

How to Make Consistent Contact

Poor contact comes down to one problem:

You’re hitting the turf before making contact with the ball. What you want to do is catch the ball first as the clubhead is still on a descending path.

Now, you probably know this. What you might not know is why you keep catching the turf first. Each of these tips will reveal what the problem is and how to stop doing it.

1. Keep Your Trail Eye Steady

If you’ve checked out my Vertical Line Swing System, you know I love a big hip turn and a high lead arm. But more importantly, you’ve got to keep that turn centered. If you shift your upper body in the pivot, you’re going to hit behind the ball.

The simplest way to avoid this error is to keep your trail eye focused on the ball throughout your swing.

To Practice With the Vertical Line Board:

1. Set the ball aside for now, setting up for a practice swing at the hole in the very center of your Vertical Line Board.
2. Swing all the way to the top and back down, careful to keep your trail eye looking at that center hole throughout your swing.
3. Do a few practice swings this way. When you feel ready, position a golf ball on the center hole and take a shot.

As you do this exercise, you might find that your trail eye wanders to the back hole of your Board. This is a crystal clear sign that you’ve been killing your contact with too much motion in the head and upper body. 

Fix it, and you’ll discover a foolproof secret for how to make consistent contact.

3. Keep the Butt End of the Club Forward

This one is simple. Get the butt end of your golf club slightly in front of the ball at setup. This ensures that the butt end will also be in front at impact, which is going to help you hit down on the golf ball.

If you lean the butt end of the club backwards—away from the ball—you’re only going to add loft and screw up your contact.

To Practice With the Vertical Line Board

1. Take your regular setup.
2. Make sure the butt end of the club is aligned with the number 2 on the alignment bar at your feet.
3. Take a shot.

This simple tweak will help you get much better contact more consistently.

3. Bring Your Trail Knee Forward

As I mentioned above, the secret of how to make consistent contact with your irons is to always catch the golf ball on a descending motion. Now I’ve got another nugget for you:

Where the bottom of your swing happens depends on where your weight is.

In other words, if your weight is back on your trail foot as you come into contact with the ball, guess what? Yep. You’re gonna hit behind the golf ball.

To get ball-first contact, you need to shift your weight forward into the lead foot. So think about your finish position.

At the finish, make sure your trail knee comes forward so your knees are touching. When you swing through with this goal in mind, you’re guaranteed to get your weight on the lead foot and make clean, solid contact.

To Practice With the Vertical Line Board

1. Take your golf swing.
2. As you finish your swing, bring your trail knee all the way in front of the leading edge of the alignment bar.
3. Let your knees touch.

That’s it. Pretty simple, right?

Recap: How to Make Consistent Contact With Your Irons

Here’s an easy checklist for the next time you’re on the golf course or practicing with your Vertical Line Board:

• Keep your trail eye focused on the ball throughout your swing.
• Bring the butt end of the club slightly in front of the ball at setup.
• Bring your trail knee forward and let the knees touch in your finish position.

Do these three things, and I guarantee you’ll start getting better contact more consistently.

Interested in learning more about the Vertical Line Board? You can check it out right here.

And if you're ready to start hitting a draw, check out this great video.