Rickie Fowler's Four Checkpoints for Solid Iron Shots

Rickie Fowler has already won in Abu Dhabi this year and he's tied for the lead in Scottsdale after the first round. If you've been watching him blast his irons at the pin -- and, more times than not, hit them right where he intended them to go -- and you wonder what he thinks about when he swings, then you might be interested in Rickie's four-point checklist that he gave Golf Digest on how to hit more greens.

The reason this is important is because... well, there's nothing special about it. Anybody can check these four things at any time during their round if they're having problems with their approach shots.



The four tips are:

1. Make sure your feet, knees, hips and shoulders are square
2. Check your posture and make sure you're not too stooped over
3. Avoid overswinging at the top of your backswing
4. Be sure you're hitting the ball before you hit the ground

These four things effectively check your alignment (1), your spine angle at address and the top of the swing (2 and 3) and your footwork / weight shift (4).

Those are dreadfully simple, aren't they? You may even feel embarrassed to mention them. But in golf, as with most things in life, it's usually the simplest things that trip us up.

And perhaps because they're so simple, Rickie says not to worry about them if your first few shots are good. Why? Because -- and I think this could be a fifth tip -- the fewer things you think about when you play, the better.

We make a big deal of how much Butch has helped Rickie improve his game. But is it really any surprise that Rickie has become so consistent when his approach is this simple?