Lean the shaft to compress the ball with short irons.
As a PGA Teaching Professional, it’s important to find the right drills that reflect what my students are working on. It’s also important to create drills that can help my students exaggerate a certain feel. As you make a swing adjustment, it’s going to feel different at first. Practice and rehearsing the moves will help it feel more natural again.
I can’t think of any PGA Teaching Professional that hasn’t tried to help a student lag or lean the golf shaft at some point in time in a golf lesson. Lagging the club or leaning the shaft prior to impact is one of the most important qualities that all great players have with their short irons. However, many golfers never feel the lean of the shaft, because they give away their lag way too soon. Most golfers give the lag away immediately in the transition to the down swing. Others give it way before the hands have a chance to get near the waist level.
A drill I have found very helpful to give any player the feeling of lagging the club is called the “Shaft Lean Drill”
To perform this drill correctly, click the link to watch this video and then read the 6 steps:
- You must start in a good golf set-up before you engage any movement
- Once you are set-up, gradually move your hands forward, engaging shaft lean
- As you press the hands more forward, steadily increase the speed of the hand press
- Once the club face compresses the ball, try to throw the ball off the club face as far as you can
- Extend your hands & arms and accelerate into a balanced finish position
- Hold the finish for 5 seconds
This drill will exercise the hands, wrists and forearms and give them the opportunity to understand what it feels like to lean the shaft. I suppose if you can train your hands what leaning the shaft actually feels like, my guess is that you might be fortunate enough to lag the club in the transition to your down swing. You have nothing to loose, so give it a try. Train and practice and you’ll improve!
Please consult your local PGA Teaching Professional for more help or explanation on drills that might be helpful for you. If you are ever in the Raleigh / Durham area and interested in a golf lesson, please contact me through my website at: www.grexagolf.com
All the best in golf,
Greg Greksa
PGA Professional
Grexa Golf Instruction
CGHS Head Golf Coach
Co-Founder, Golfshadow.com
Director of Instruction
Cleveland / Srixon Advisory Staff
greg@grexagolf.com
www.grexagolf.com