Michael Kim in July on the Barracuda Championship.
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Michael Kim, after acknowledging he’s a PGA Tour stat chief, affords a little bit of self-deprecating humor.
“Stunning, I do know,” he mentioned.
Jokes apart, Kim is, in truth, ranked second on Tour in method pictures from the golf green from 200 to 225 yards away, the place he usually performs an extended iron — a membership class that may generally vex gamers. However possibly lesser so now.
In a social-media put up on Friday from one of many extra sociable professionals, Kim provided his keys to hitting lengthy irons properly, and we’re sharing them beneath. There are 5 in all.
Let’s overview.
1. ‘Hold it extensive and deep, keep again on the transition and launch the membership totally’
“Swing-wise, it’s largely the identical stuff I’m engaged on with my driver,” Kim wrote. “Hold it extensive and deep, keep again on the transition and launch the membership totally. Personally, I’ve to deal with totally releasing it with my arms and arms as soon as it will get to 6- or 5-iron. The longer the membership, the extra I’ve to make use of my arms and arms to launch it. You possibly can’t maintain onto it with the longer stuff.”
2. ‘I’m hitting my inventory shot’
“Except it’s blowing greater than 20 mph, I’m hitting my inventory shot, which is a excessive, 5-yard draw,” Kim wrote. “You don’t want to chop it in order that it lands softer; you may get all of the spin and peak you want even with a draw with the proper fitted membership. No butter cuts, no chip pictures, no further peak, solely inventory pictures. It’s a tough sufficient shot by itself; no must make it much more difficult.”
3. ‘Pins are irrelevant’
“Pins are irrelevant for essentially the most half when I’ve a 4-iron,” Kim wrote. “My aim is to hit the inexperienced and that’s it. From 225, something on the inexperienced is optimistic strokes gained. I’d favor one facet over the opposite if there’s one thing I completely need to miss like water or a bunker that’s a troublesome up-and-down.
“Each time I’ve an urge to do one thing extra with it, I keep in mind my coach telling me, ‘It’s a freaking 4-iron. Simply hit the freaking inexperienced.”
4. ‘If I’m in between golf equipment, I’m at all times taking the shorter membership’
“If I’m in-between golf equipment,” Kim wrote, “I’m at all times taking the shorter membership and swinging tougher. I personally generally tend to go away it out proper if I swing smooth as a result of I’m not practically releasing it sufficient. A lot simpler to launch it totally when swinging tougher at it.
