Q: Please help! For the first time I'm starting to thin the ball - it's definitely not too much weight on my back foot as I have forward press to start me off and my playing partner said it looks like too much on my left side.

I had a lesson last year and I wasn't releasing my hands on impact so was hitting a skinny fade which didn't go anywhere distance wise.

Am I putting the ball too far back in my stance or just not releasing my hands again?

For the first time I have no confidence over my irons as they used to be the strongest part of my game (handicap 7)
Marshall Dodd

Hi Marshall,

Striking our irons with a thin contact is a very disatisfying feeling. Usually we start to have too clean a contact because we are coming up at the moment of impact. Although , as you have mentioned, releasing your hands as a way of improving the contact, if we solely focus on that, there is a danger of flicking at the ball.

I have popped in a coupleof ideas here, to help you acquire the feeling of "compressing" the golf ball to eliminate the thin contact.

Sweet striking
To attack the green you need to be confident of a sweet strike. Hit some shots starting your swing with your body position the way it is at impact.

Place your weight on your left foot and rotate your hips towards the target (near right). Now take the club away as usual.

With the correct impact position fixed in your memory you should find it easy to return the club perfectly (far right).

Drive through
When you get to the course it is important to maintain the technique you have developed on the range and really commit to the shot. At address try placing the club 3in behind the ball (inset).

The only way to make a clean strike is to drive your weight strongly onto your left side through the downswing.

Barney Puttick