Tommy Fleetwood's Iron Game: Divots, Rough, and Distances

Considered one of the best iron players in the world, Tommy Fleetwood plays a few holes with Me And My Golf. He explains where his short finish comes from, what his divot tells him, how he handles a shot from the rough, and how he creates intermediate distances with each iron.

Tommy Fleetwood · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

What the lesson shows

For Tommy Fleetwood, all the hard work is aimed at position the club correctly at impact. Its short finish comes from the punch shots which he practiced for a long time with his coach Alan: he would push the ball and save it with his hands, and these shots helped him synchronize his body without using his arms. The divot gives him a lot of information: when he plays poorly, the ball veers to the right, and he makes more precise adjustments when he swings too far from the inside. He hits a three- or four-yard draw and estimates that’It's better to have a favorite effect than to be average at both. In the rough, he first assesses the lie: a ball that’s going to “bounce” comes out with less spin, so he uses a shorter club and aims for the front of the green.

He recalls some advice he received from Arnold Palmer about playing from the rough: grip the club lower, grip it tighter, position the ball farther back, and swing more vertically. He advises amateur golfers to add one more club, because obstacles are often ahead. His key to playing with short irons: a swing hands at shoulder height, lower down, which creates an intermediate distance. His distances pile up by in five-yard increments, for example, with a 9-iron: 150 hands to the shoulders, 155 with a soft swing, 160 with a full swing. During practice, he hits a full swing with a 9-iron, then aims for the same distance with an 8-iron and a 7-iron.

The Exercise, Step by Step

1. Before each shot, identify where the obstacles are and where you can't afford to miss.
2. In the rough, assess the lie: if the ball is going to bounce, use a shorter club.
3. If the rough is thick, grip the club lower down, grip it tighter, position the ball farther back, and take a more vertical swing.
4. Aim for a safe area—for example, between the flag and the bunker—rather than the flag itself.
5. With short irons, swing your hands to shoulder height for a medium-range shot.
6. Build up your distances in five-yard increments: hands at shoulder height, smoothly, full swing.
7. After each shot, check the direction and depth of your divot.

Key Takeaways

Mistakes to Avoid

• Save every shot with your hands instead of coordinating your body movements.
• Ignore the lie in the rough and use your usual club.
• Estimate distances by factoring in roll, rather than carry.
• Play short for fear of overshooting the green.
• Have only one distance per club.

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Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Tommy Fleetwood). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.