Larrazabal tip No.3: Over-ambitious irons

In the latest in his series of golf tips Pablo Larrazabal, the 2008 French Open Champion and European Tour Rookie of the Year explains why amateurs should not be too ambitious with their mid-irons. The energetic Spaniard, comes from a family of golfing champions and is a FootJoy ambassador

With a mid-iron in my hand the clubhead is roughly in the middle of my stance, I say roughly because I don't tend to think too much about the exact ball position, for me it is about being comfortable and feeling the shot.

It's all about the shot. I'm a feel player so sometimes I like to hit a low one or a strong one, so it depends what the shot is telling me. It may sound strange but every shot in golf is different so you need to hear the shot and feel what is in front of you. Sometimes I favour my weight a little on my left side to hit a lower shot.

One thing to remember, though with a mid-iron in your hands, is not be too ambitious and go 'hunting the pins' as we say on the Tour. Some of the good amateurs I see try to do too much, for example, with their 4-, 5- or 6-iron. These are high shots and long shots and as amateurs you shouldn't try to get too close to the flag, especially when they are place to the side of the green or near to bunkers.

Always be happy with the centre of the green. With these clubs amateurs should not be thinking of them as birdie opportunities. Of course, it depends on your confidence but make your par when you're hitting a mid-iron to a par-4 for example. That should be good enough. Remember there will be better birdie opportunities in your round.

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