Tiger Woods built his illustrious career on precise iron play, holding 683 weeks as the world’s number one.
One of the key techniques that he has revealed is a key contributor to his success is the consistency he built with his famous Stop-Start Drill.
It’s a deceptively simple exercise that can transform the way golfers control their clubface, sequence their swing and generate distance.
Many amateurs are victims of the same mistake – they rush the downswing, which leads to poor contact, ball flight and a loss of control.
The 15-time Major winner’s famous Stop-Start Drill addresses these issues directly by forcing players to slow down at the correct point and focus on the key components of an optimal strike.
Tiger Woods’ Stop-Start Drill explained:
The method and accessibility of Tiger’s drill couldn’t be more straightforward, with it easily implemented in range sessions, or even swinging an iron in the back garden.
Swing to the top of your backswing as if you would in any normal iron stroke.
Once the backswing reaches its further point of rotation, pause for a few moments; you’ll be able to feel how long.
From there, snap into the downswing and follow through as you normally would.
Tiger Woods stated that if you’re prone to a slice, then you want to allow your lower body to start the downswing motion.
Whereas if you tend to hook the ball, letting the arms and hands lead will help to alleviate the problem.
The pause at the top is the heart of the drill, it’s the stop and start and provides Tiger a moment to feel the correct club position at the top and reset the tempo before moving into the downswing.
He uses the delay to sync up the lower and upper body, resulting in a smoother, more synchronised strike of an iron.
The benefits of Tiger Woods’ Stop-Start Drill
A major benefit of the drill is improving clubface control, which is essential for positive contact and direction.
By avoiding the temptation to snatch and rip the club down quickly, golfers will have better control of the clubface contact point and reduce misses left or right.
Another benefit the drill promotes is one that Tiger Woods also dominated in: distance.
The pause in the drill encourages a fuller turn and more optimal transfer of weight, which will work together to add distance to iron shots.
And while the whole swing path will become smoother, the added yards won’t cost accuracy on the golf course.
The 82-time PGA Tour winner has previously suggested that starting slowly will help amateur golfers get the most out of the drill.
Making a conscious effort to feel the stop phase and then slowly increasing the speed and exertion in the start will help to achieve gradual, yet meaningful improvements from the drill.
With patience, the timing and coordination of the GOAT’s Stop-Start Drill will build muscle memory, and regular practice will improve control and consistency.
Soon, you’ll be flushing your iron shots like Tiger…
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