Payne Stewart's best tip for hitting crisp shots with your irons

By: Zephyr Melton

December 26, 2024

Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.

Payne Stewart was one of the best ball strikers of his generation. This much is clear when looking at his resume that includes 11 PGA Tour victories and three major titles.

If not for a tragic aviation accident that took Stewart’s life in 1999, those numbers would surely be higher. But while Stewart may no longer be wis us, we can still learn from his rock-solid swing.

In the video below, filmed during Stewart’s prime, the three-time major winner outlined a common flaw he saw in many golfers’ swings — and a great way to go about fixing it. Check it out and it just may improve your own game.

Failure to properly shift the weight during the backswing is a swing flaw that many recreational players struggle with. Either they do no shift their weight at all, or, in an effort to make a big turn, they “reverse pivot” and leave themselves in a poor position at the top of the backswing.

“The proper weight shift is to go from the right side to the left side,” Stewart said.

Just this week, we covered a great feel for getting into the proper position at the top of the backswing. In the video above, Stewart gives us a simple feel to then unload that weight in the downswing.

Once you get to the top of the swing, you’ve got to transfer your weight (and energy) through the ball to hit a solid shot. A great way to teach yourself to do this is by exaggerating the feel.

When you’re making some swings on the range, take a step with your trail foot toward the target after impact. It’ll feel awkward at first, and you might not make great contact with the ball, but when you do this, it’s impossible to leave your weight on the back side.

If you’re struggling to transfer your weight during the downswing, give this drill a shot.