How Nelly Korda’s Irons Tell the Story of Her Dominance at Chevron

What makes Nelly Korda one of the best iron players in the world is also what you should be watching for in your next fitting.

This week at the LPGA Tour’s first major of the year, The Chevron Championship, Nelly Korda demonstrated why she is one of the best in the game—especially when it comes to long, tough golf courses.

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(Title Image Courtesy: GolfWRX)

RELATED: Never a Doubt. Nelly Gets It Done At Chevron

Beyond her power off the tee, one of the biggest ways Nelly was able to take advantage of a long, soft Memorial Park course in Houston was her ability to control her golf ball into the difficult, elevated greens with the ideal amount of height and spin.

And for average golfers, when it comes to iron play, height and spin are areas almost anyone can improve on with the right gear. Here’s what to look for in your next iron fitting.

Dial In Stopping Power

The reason stopping power (land angle + spin) is so critical in gaining control of approach shots is that it allows for more precise distance control. The less you have to worry about the ball running past the landing area and into trouble, the better!

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Nelly demonstrated this all week at The Chevron Championship.

Land angle & spin are parameters club fitters will stress in a fitting environment, but if you have access to a launch monitor and are curious about how you stack up, the smart people at PING created an optimized chart to gauge ideal numbers across swing speeds.

And, if you struggle with stopping power into your longer irons, that’s where spin and height-generating clubs like hybrids and higher lofted fairway woods also come into play. At this point, a lot of equipment companies even offer hybrids down to an 8-iron replacement for those on the lowest end of the swing speed spectrum.

So if you’re looking for more control with your irons, think like Nelly, and dial in your stopping power.