Collin Morikawa is right up there with the very best iron players in the professional game.
It’s actually fair to say that Collin Morikawa is the second-best iron player in the game, behind Scottie Scheffler.
The 28-year-old has won six times on the PGA Tour, including two major championships, and most of his success has been down to his supreme ball-striking with his irons.
2025 was actually a really poor season for the man from Los Angeles, California.
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Morikawa received huge criticism for his failure to address the media after losing out on the Arnold Palmer Invitational to Russell Henley.
He only recorded four top-10 finishes all season and just one of those came after his T-10 at The Players Championship in March.
Morikawa’s poor putting on the PGA Tour in 2025 really let him down, but his iron play was exceptional as per usual.
Collin Morikawa’s three tips to help amateurs improve their iron play
He was ranked third in strokes gained approach during the 2025 PGA Tour season, behind only Scheffler and Viktor Hovland.
When writing an instructional column for Golf Digest, Morikawa outlined his three key tips to help amateur golfers improve their iron play.
Dial back your swing speed
Morikawa believes the ability to control your golf ball with your irons directly correlates to how fast you swing the golf club…
“When I was in college at Cal, they said my shot dispersion with a 6-iron was about the same as the average tour pro’s with a pitching wedge. I guess that’s a humble brag, but if you want to know why I think I hit my irons so straight, it’s tempo.
“Swinging with good tempo is one of the first things you’re taught as a golfer, but many players eventually forget its importance for accuracy and instead focus on club and body positions.
“To swing rhythmically, first focus on a good finish (above). Practice hitting shots at half speed and gradually swing faster as long as you can make a full swing back and through —no shortcuts — and still create this poised-and-balanced finish. It’s the fastest way to improve your tempo and become a better ball-striker.“
Start back with the arms in close
Keeping your arms connected to your body throughout your swing is crucial, according to Morikawa…
“I have a bad tendency of letting my arms drift away from my torso in the takeaway, which makes my backswing too steep and off plane.
“If I can stay on plane back and down, I don’t need to make compensations to create an accurate and repeatable ball flight. To maintain a better connection between my arms and body and stay on plane, a drill I use is to stuff a glove under my left armpit and keep it there as I swing.
“If it falls, I know my arms are separating again (above). To try it, work through a progression: First keep the glove in until your club is halfway back, then go three quarters of the way back with it and finally all the way to the top.
“If you’re on the course, tucking your shirt into your left armpit is another way to stay connected.“
Collin Morikawa believes in visualizing shots before addressing the golf ball
One of the main keys to success in any sport is having a clear picture of what you’re trying to do before actually executing.
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Hit it through the window
This tip from Morikawa centers around visualizing which golf shot you want to hit before actually addressing the golf ball…
“I’m not a slave to TrackMan numbers. What’s more important is that the shape and trajectory of the iron shot I just hit are the same as what I visualized.
“Ideally, the ball is moving through a window I imagined in the sky as I stood over the ball. Try it. Instead of worrying about hitting the ball or controlling distance, make a swing that can produce the shot you see.
“You’d be surprised how your body reacts intuitively to make that happen. It frees you up.“
Without a clear idea in your mind of the type of shot you want to hit, you will not have any consistency when it comes to striking your irons crisply.
Follow Collin Morikawa’s advice if you are struggling to strike the ball correctly with your irons and you should see vast improvements almost instantly.
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