I have always had a fond affection for the irons in my bag. Perhaps it is the thrill of watching a ball streaking for the flag after having struck it with a crisp, firm blow that only an iron club can deliver; or it might be that it requires just a little bit more finesse and skill to hit the irons than it does the woods. Whatever the reason, I know that, if it were possible to go back and tabulate the hours that I have spent practicing my own game, the timetable would show that my irons have received the greater share of my time and attention. They are the primary reasons for the success that I have enjoyed as a professional golfer, and I can give no better advice to the novice golfer than to practice with the irons at every opportunity. Do it intelligently, with patience and persistence, and the time spent doing it will be well rewarded.

This is not to suggest that you should neglect the other phases of your game. You should strive to perfect all of your shots, but the point I wish to make here is that you should divide your time and not spend it all trying to knock the cover off the ball with a driver. If you stop to consider the fact that under the rules of golf you are allowed a maximum of 14 clubs in your bag—generally 4 woods, 9 irons, and a putter—then the mere ratio of these clubs would dictate that you spend the greatest share of your time practicing iron shots. There is versatility in these clubs, and you must find and develop that versatility to the greatest degree of skill possible. Since you have a maximum, medium, and minimum range for your short and medium irons, you should learn these ranges and variations of the iron swing so that you can become a better golfer.

You must, of course, have the desire and inclination to want to improve. A sense of pride will inspire most golfers to take lessons and work on their weak points, and I am sure that ninety-nine out of a hundred players have the desire and time to accomplish this work. The only drawback is that they do not fit this desire and time together at a common meeting place, namely, the practice tee.

I am often asked during my travels on the PGA tour what I consider to be the most important part of the game; the woods, irons, or putting.

Naturally, they are all important in the over-all assessment of a successful golfer. You simply cannot be a good golfer, or more so, a player of championship caliber, if you excel only as a big hitter, a putter, or an expert with the irons. It takes a combination of all three to become an accomplished player. Some players in the professional ranks, however, have gained reputations as specialists with certain clubs.

Bob Rosburg and Bill Casper, for example, are two of the outstanding professionals in the modern era who have acquired fame and fortune on the putting surface. Their uncanny proficiency with a putter is almost unbelievable at times, but they also have a good wood and iron game to go with it. Slammin' Sammy Snead, George Bayer, and Paul Harney are famous for their long drives, while the names of Tommy Armour, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Tommy Bolt come to mind when great iron players are discussed. All of these masters have well-rounded games, but each has become known either as a great putter, a long driver, or an expert iron player. Thus, the reputation of a golfer always precedes him, not particularly by choice, but by deeds with the tools of his specialty.

In my own case, I know my iron play has almost always proven the key to victory when I have been fortunate enough to win a big one. Take the U.S. Open Championship, for instance. The premium is always on accuracy in this event, and the 1961 tournament, held at Oakland Hills Country Club, just outside of Detroit, is a prime example of how accurate iron play can pay off. I had the good fortune to win this Open Championship, and it was primarily due to my iron play over the 72-hole route.

After winning the Open Championship at Oakland Hills, I couldn't help thinking back to the time when I began to take golf seriously. I was a youngster, perhaps fifteen or sixteen years old, when I realized that hitting a good iron shot was somewhat more difficult than hitting a good wood shot. I didn't really stop to analyze the reason why at the time; I just knew there was a different feeling between hitting an iron and a wood shot. I thereupon decided to practice intensely with my irons, for I felt quite sure that good iron play held the key to my success as a golfer. I have been most thankful for this early wisdom many times since, particularly at Oakland Hills.

In the space of these few chapters, I sincerely hope that I can impart to you some of this wisdom which took me so many years to acquire. If I am successful even to a modest degree, the effort in assembling this book will have been well rewarded.

The author is greatly indebted to Gene Gagliardi for all photographs not otherwise credited.

GENE LITTLER
La Jolla, California
January, 1962

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