The ‘single best tip’ for hitting clean irons, according to Johnny Miller

Golf instruction is always evolving, but the best tips stand the test of time. In GOLF.com’s Lifetime Tips series, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice that teachers and players have shared in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we look back at our September 2013 issue for Johnny Miller’s “single best tip” for improving your ball-striking.

There are few golfers in the history of the game who hit the ball as well as Johnny Miller – and this skill in hitting the ball earned him many accolades.

During his career, Miller won 25 times on the PGA Tour, including one Winning the US Open at Oakmont which featured a final round of 63. Although younger golf fans may only remember him for his work in the booth, it was his golf game that made him a household name.

In 2013, the World Golf Hall of Famer contributed an article GOLF magazine describing his “single best tip” for hitting the ball.

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Miller’s best batting pitch

Even today, I get nervous on the first tee or if I play with people I don’t know that well. When I first came out on Tour, I was nervous all the time, especially when I faced a hard shot like hitting a half wedge over the water or a long iron from a tight lie. So I came up with a workout – maybe my single best tip! — to help me feel the most important parts of my swing and instantly build the confidence needed to hit the shot. I call it the “brush-brush” drill, and I’m sure if you try it, you’ll hit better shots.

On the range, use the toe of your club to make a line in the grass, then center it over the line. Do a half swing and try to brush the grass on the target side of the line – not a big split, just a light brush – then repeat. I do it twice in a row, because it introduces a good rhythm: “brush-brush”.

It sounds simple, but you actually have to do so many things right to get the grass in the right place that when you do it, you’re creating good mechanics. Plus, success in this drill will prevent you from grabbing the ground behind the ball, which is the fastest way to hit a really bad shot.

The trick is to catch the butt or front of the line before taking off your wrists and washing the grass with the club head. Most amateurs make the mistake of releasing their wrists when the bottom of the backswing is still behind the line, and some players release the hinge when the butt is still behind the right foot. But if you straighten the clubhead with the grip and push the clubhead until the last possible moment, you’ll get that sharp, tournament-style impact with the shaft leaning slightly toward the target with every iron or wedge.

Not only does this drill get you into a better hitting position, it gives you first contact with the ball regardless of your lie. Anyone can make good contact on a flat distance, but on the course you will encounter uphill lies, downhill lies and lies where the ball is either above or below your feet. Slopes like these tend to exacerbate impact problems, and if you have the kind of swing that sweeps the grass behind the ball, you’ll have no chance of anything but a perfect lie. Straighten it with the glove, then wipe it off. I’ve been around golf for 60 years, and this drill beats them all.